Protecting Your Kidneys with Diabetes, Chapter 1: Kidney Care: An Overview
Kidney Damage Can Be Slowed
Early care, blood pressure control, some medicines and healthy habits can slow kidney damage.
Understand how early care can slow kidney damage for many people.
Kidney damage from diabetes is often silent early on. You can feel fine while changes happen.
Finding changes early gives you more time to act. Early changes are often easier to treat.
Think of a small leak in a roof. Fixing it early is easier than fixing water damage later.
High blood pressure puts strain on the kidneys' tiny filters. Your doctor sets your target. Reaching it can ease that strain.
Two kinds of blood pressure medicine, ACE inhibitors and ARBs, lower pressure inside the filters. They can slow kidney damage.
Daily habits also help protect your kidneys. Staying active is one of them, even a short walk. Ask your doctor what activity level suits you before you start.
Not smoking helps too. Smoking makes kidney damage get worse faster. Quitting, or never starting, helps protect your kidneys.
Habits add to your care. Checkups still catch what habits cannot see.
Key takeaways
- Early changes are easier to act on than later ones.
- Blood pressure control and some medicines can slow kidney damage.
- Staying active and not smoking also help protect your kidneys.
Try it
Today, ask your care team when your next kidney test is due, and write the date down.