Kidneys | Health And Wellness Tips

What Is Diabetes?

If you think that you are prone to diabetes, the first thing that you need to know is to understand what is the illness all about. Experts say that diabetes is a chronic disease, which develop among people who have the inability to utilize the glucose in their food to be used as energy. The illness develops when the accumulated glucose stays in the persons bloodstream for a long time. Over a period of time, this amount of glucose, can bring potential harm to the persons other organs such as the eyes, kidneys, heart, and even the nerves themselves.

After having sufficient knowledge about it and how the disease develops, the next step is to know what kind of diabetes that are known and acknowledged by experts and physicians. Today, there are three major types of diabetes including Type 1 diabetes, Type 2 diabetes, and Gestational diabetes. Knowing what they are and what sets each one apart from one other will help people who are prone to diabetes where to focus in trying to manage their condition.

What type are you?

Type 1diabetes otherwise known as juvenile diabetes or insulin-dependent diabetes, is considered as the least common type of diabetes there is. Experts say that it is an auto-immune disease that makes the bodys immune systemwhich serves as a shield against infectiongone not of working order, thus, savaging the cells located in the pancreas which is responsible for producing insulin. For peopleespecially those who are prone to diabetesinsulin is very important in breaking down the food once eaten.

People who suffer from type 1 diabetes has the inability to make insulin, thus, their bodys are easily damaged by the accumulate glucose in the body. Since they need insulin to get by, people who are suffering from this type of diabetes need a regular supply of insulin 24/7. Children and young adults are prone to this type of diabetes but this occur at any age or can be a result of an illness. Type 1diabetes sufferers exhibit characteristics such as onset thirst, often urination, and drastic weight loss. Next is the type 2 diabetes, which is also known as non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus and adult-onset diabetes. What sets it apart from the type 1diabetes is that the person suffering from this has the ability to make insulin its just that the amount produced in not enough for the body to use it efficiently.

This type is considered as the common type of diabetes, which usually develops among people who are more than 40 years of age. People who are prone to this type of diabetes are usually those who are overweight or obese and those that have sedentary lifestyle. Being a progressive disease, type 2 diabetes can also lead to more severe complications like diseases including the heart, the kidney, the eyes through blindness and amputation or loss of limbs. People who suffer from type 2 diabetes are also characterized by slow or onset thirstiness, repeated urination, and loss of weight usually develops is a span of weeks to weeks.

The last type is called gestational diabetes which develops during pregnancy. Normally, this type of diabetes ends after giving birth but there are also those cases in some women that develop this type diabetes as they get older. Gestational diabetes, though it is common among pregnant women, should be monitored because theres a big chance of leading to type 2 diabetes.

Complications Of Diabetes

Just like in any other illnesses, the first thing that people need is to be informed and educated about the disease that may be prone to. In case of diabetes, extensive knowledge about this can help people who are already suffering from it to cope up and manage and can also help those who dont have it yet to be more careful and to avoid the illness.

But, aside from having extensive knowledge on the disease such as its causes, symptoms, diagnosis and treatment, it also pays to know if there would be related complications. This is to prepare ones selfemotionally, physically, and emotionallyabout the possibilities of coping not just with diabetes but other complications related to it as well.

There are certain factors that affect people to be prone to diabetes such as age, heredity and ethnicity. But regardless of the risk factors, the related complications would just be the same. The following are just some of the complications of diabetes that people who are prone to it must pay attention to:

1. HEART DISEASE AND STROKE. Experts say that people who have diabetes have greater risks to having coronary heart diseases and to stroke compared to those who dont have them. In fact, these complications are the lead causes of death among diabetics all over the world. People suffering from diabetes are prone to heart diseases and stroke because the fatty deposits brought by drastic changes in the body can block the arteries and leads to heart attack. Because of lesser amount of insulin in the body compared to regular people, diabetics have higher incidence of blood clotting and can also lead to high blood pressure or hypertension.

2. DIABETIC KIDNEY DISEASE. Among people with diabetes, kidney failure is the most common complication because the blood-filtering units of the kidneys are being damaged. Once the kidney has been damaged, important proteins are being along with urine and eventually, the kidneys wont be able to remove the waste products present in the blood anymore. The good thing is, not all diabetics experience End-Stage Kidney Disease (ESRD) which can be life threatening. To avoid this complication, you must stop smoking cigarettes and always keep the blood pressure under control at all times.

3. DIABETIC EYE DISEASE. This refers to the group of eye problems that diabeticspeople with diabetesmay have as a result of the chronic disease. In worst cases, this set of eye related problems such as diabetic retinopathy, damaged vessels of the eyes retina, cataract, cloudiness in the lens of the eyes, glaucoma, and increased fluid pressure inside the eye that is damaging to optic nerve. All of these, when not treated immediately and now monitored properly can lead to total loss of vision loss or blindness.

4. DIABETIC NEUROPATHY. Those people who are into smoking, drinking, and those who have poor control with glucose are more prone to developing neuropathy compared to those diabetics who are not into these vices and bad habits.

5. GASTROPARESIS. This disorder involves the stomach as a result of prolonged emptying. Studies show that around 20 to 30 percent of diabetics suffering from type 1 diabetes are more prone to this diabetes complication because it severely damages the vagus nerve which is responsible for keeping the food moving through persons the digestive tract. Although it is also diagnosed among those who have type 2 diabetes the cases are comparatively lower.

How can Kidney Stones Affect your Life

Unknown to many people, kidney stones is the most common complication that involves the kidney, uterer, and bladder. They also dont realize the importance of the role that kidneys play in the person’s system. Most people dont realize it but kidneys are very important because they act as the ultimate “filter” for blood. When the kidney functions well, it can remove the waste products and substance from the body. This will help a person to regulate the proper level of chemicals and enables the body to function properly.

Today, more and more peoplebecause of unhealthy diet and laid back living and minimal physical movementssuffer from kidney stones and they have yet to realize how can it affect their overall health. Many experts agree that any person has great chances of encountering kidney stones in one point of his or her life.

But, with early diagnosis, healthy lifestyle, diet to prevent the condition, and regular exercise, one can recover from it. However, recovering might be easy but if people would not religiously follow the keys to avoiding kidney stones, chance are, they will have it again probably in the next 10 or 15 years of his or her life.

What you need to know

Many people tend to neglect kidney stones because they think that they can easily recover from it with all the medications and medical procedures available today. One thing that they dont realize is that if they continue to have their kidney stones unchecked or undiagnosed, they are more prone to develop related diseases which will make their health conditions more complicated.

To avoid further complications when it comes to kidney stones, it is best that you arm yourself with all the knowledge that you can getespecially if you think that you are prone to the condition.

The first thing that you need to know about kidney stones is what it really is. Kidney stones are made up of minerals and other excess substances in body. It is the product when these substances and minerals are formed in the person’s urine. The process of developing kidney stones involved the crystallization of minerals and other elated substances then form a “lumps” which can be hard as a real stone.

Experts say that people who have kidney stones don’t have to worry so much about its size but should more focus on where its is located. The location of the kidney stones matter that much because it can cause the kidney and other related organs not to function very well.

Doctors agree that kidney stones that sit in the kidney itself are not much of a problem. But if it’s located it the utererthe tube that connects to the bladderit is a very big problem. This is because the stoneregardless of its sizecan block the path where the urine should pass. When this happens, it will cause the person a great deal of pain because it will stretch the kidney so much.

Another thing that you should also pay attention to is the possible causes of the condition. Experts say that there are a number of factors that may cause the development of kidney stones.

These factors may include the Urinary Tract Infections (UTI) that the person has developed, kidney failure, diseases that may have been inherited that involves the kidney, foods that contain high levels of calcium, sodium, oxalates, and others, as well as lack of regular movement or exercise.

What Diet is Ideal for People Suffering from Kidney Stones

Indeed, there is no more effective means of fighting any disease but proper diet. Many experts agree that having the right diet is one of the keys in treating and preventing common diseases such as kidney stones. This is because is there is controlled diet, people can choose not to consume foods that can lead to the faster formation and faster growthin the cases of those who already have kidney stones.

Kidney stones refer to the salts and other minerals formed in the vital organs such as kidneys, ureters, and bladder. There are a large percentage of people who can be prone to this because these stones tend to form naturally. However, not all kidney stones should be neglected because they can cause extremely uncomfortable pangs of pain and can even result to more complicated related diseases.

How can diet help

Specialists in the field of medicine would agree that the easiest way to fight kidney stones is by having a diet that is balanced and appropriate for age. This is because having a balanced diet would not ensure that one is getting all the key nutrients he or she needs but also assures them that they will have lesser chances of developing diseases such as kidney stones.

For people who are suffering from kidney stones, experts advise them to take specific preventive measures in preventing kidney stones as early as now. This is because the earlier the possible causes are prevented the greater chances of having kidney stones risks. Here are suggestions when it comes to diet to lessen the chances of having kidney stones:

– increased fluid intake. This is quite effective in fighting kidney stones because if you have enough amount of liquid in your body, it can wash away toxins and flush then out from the body. Increasing fluid intake, especially water, is the simplest yet most effective way of fighting kidney stones because it can help you keep hydrated while leaving your system clean. The ideal water intake should be 8 glasses but since people with kidney stones need more to flush out salts and other minerals in the body, 10 to 12 glasses is recommended daily.

– controlled sodium intake. Too much salt or sodium is one of the primary causes of kidney stones because it increases the calcium levels present in the person’s urine. Doctors advise people with calcium stones to cut down or totally eliminate sodium intake from the foods that they eat. This is because too much salt intake will only make the condition more complicated and may also cause other related diseases.

– higher the intake of fiber-rich foods. Fiber is considered beneficial to people with kidney stones because it contain several compoundsmostly are phytatethat guards the kidney against the formation of stones. Experts say that people who are suffering from kidney stones and those who would want to be spared from it should increase their calcium intake coming from the foods they eat such as wheat, rice bran and soybeans.

More and more experts agree that along with early diagnosis, eating the right set of foods is very crucial in keeping one’s self away from kidney stones. For those who are already suffering from this condition, all the more that they need to pay attention to their diet because this directly affects the degree or severity of the kidney stones.