Diabetic Kidney Problems

Also called: Diabetic nephropathy
If you have diabetes, your blood sugar levels are too high. Over time, this can damage your kidneys. Your kidneys are filters that clean your blood. If they are damaged, waste and fluids build up in your blood instead of leaving your body.
Kidney damage from diabetes is called diabetic nephropathy. It begins long before you have symptoms. An early sign of it is small amounts of protein in your urine. A urine test can detect it. A blood test can also help determine how well your kidneys are working.
If the damage continues, your kidneys could fail. In fact, diabetes is the most common cause of kidney failure in the United States. People with kidney failure need either dialysis or a kidney transplant.
You can slow down kidney damage or keep it from getting worse. Controlling your blood sugar and blood pressure, taking your medicines and not eating too much protein can help.
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney DiseasesStart Here

Diabetic Nerve Problems

Also called: Diabetic neuropathy

If you have diabetes, your blood sugar levels are too high. Over time, this can damage the covering on your nerves or the blood vessels that bring oxygen to your nerves. Damaged nerves may stop sending messages, or may send messages slowly or at the wrong times.

This damage is called diabetic neuropathy. About half of people with diabetes get it. Symptoms may include

• Numbness in your hands, legs or feet
• Shooting pains, burning or tingling
• Nausea, vomiting, constipation or diarrhea
• Problems with sexual function
• Urinary problems
• Dizziness when you change positions quickly

Controlling your blood sugar can help prevent nerve problems, or keep them from getting worse. Treatment may include pain relief and other medicines.

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Diagnostic Imaging

Diagnostic imaging refers to technologies that doctors use to look inside your body for clues about a medical condition. A variety of machines and techniques can create pictures of the structures and activities inside your body. The technology your doctor uses will depend on your symptoms and the part of your body being examined. X-rays, CT scans, nuclear medicine scans, MRI scans and ultrasound are all types of diagnostic imaging.
Many imaging tests are painless and easy. Some require you to stay still for a long time inside a machine, though. This can be uncomfortable. Certain tests involve radiation, but these are generally considered safe because the dosage is very low.
For some imaging tests, a tiny camera attached to a long, thin tube is inserted in your body. This tool is called a scope. The doctor moves it through a body passageway or opening to see inside a particular organ, such as your heart, lungs or colon. These procedures often require anesthesia.