WHEN someone is suffering diabetes, usually he will experience swelling in the leg area. This is caused because the small blood vessels in the kidney area are injured.
When the blood vessels in the kidneys are injured, the kidneys cannot clean your blood properly. Your body will retain more water and salt than it should, which can lead to weight gain and ankle swelling.
Therefore, a specialist in internal medicine from the University of Indonesia, Dr. Bhanu Kumar, BMedSc, SpPD, advises diabetic patients to check their kidneys every year if they do not experience any abnormalities.
Diabetes can also cause nerve damage in your body. This can cause difficulty in emptying your bladder. The resulting pressure from your full bladder can injure your kidneys, according to the kidney.org website.
“We usually use a benchmark for kidney function, if there are abnormalities, it can be repeated. If there are severe abnormalities per month, mild abnormalities per 3 months, if there are no abnormalities, it can be per year or every 6 months,” he said as quoted by Antara.
In addition to the kidneys, Bhanu, who is also an Internist Specialist at JEC Eye Hospitals and Clinics, suggested an eye examination to see if there were any complications to prevent blindness, which could reduce the quality of life.
Examination is also recommended on cholesterol levels. If there are abnormalities, the examination can be repeated every three months, while if there are no abnormalities, it is recommended to have an examination once a year. Those with complications such as foot problems, can consult a surgeon for treatment, for example, foot injuries.
