How does diabetes damage the kidneys?
Diabetes can cause damage to blood vessels and nerves and can prompt an increase in urinary infections.Damage to blood vessels: Even with the use of injected insulin, people who have had diabetes for some time often suffer from damage to the small blood vessels of the body. The delicate blood vessels in the filters of the kidney (the glomeruli) may be damaged. In the early stage, this damage is demonstrated by small amounts of protein in the urine (microalbuminuria). Sometimes at a later stage, so much protein is lost from the blood that water from the blood moves into the body tissues and causes swelling (oedema). After a number of years, the kidney’s filters can become so damaged by diabetes that the kidneys fail completely. Because smoking also damages the blood vessels, it worsens the complications of diabetes. People with diabetes should try to stop smoking completely or never start. Damage to nerves: Diabetes can also damage the nerves in many parts of the body. When the bladder
