Type 1 and Type 2 diabetics should be especially interested in the health of their kidneys since high blood sugar levels can cause irreparable damage to the kidneys and leave the individual with total kidney failure. Diabetic or not, when this happens in means dialysis until a transplant can be arranged.

One of the best things that you can do is limit your caffeine consumption. The kidneys do not like caffeine because it is a diuretic... which means it makes the body lose fluid unnecessarily. When this happens, it means your kidneys have to work harder than they would otherwise need to.

Many people don't realize the kidneys are the most exposed of all of the major organs. There is a thin layer between them and anything that touches your back. This is why you should always utilize protection when you are subjecting your back to jarring, bouncing and vibrating motions. Your spine and back muscles can only absorb so much: the rest falls on your delicate kidneys.

Your body is equipped to tell you when it is time to remove liquid. The problem comes when you ignore this call. Holding your urine is bad for kidneys because it is not allowing them to flush toxins and waste out like they are designed to do. Holding on to this urine means that, in time, the kidneys will actually begin to reabsorb the very poisons that they are trying so desperately to eliminate from your body.

You knew eventually we were going to get around to drinking water, so here it is. The recommended amount is 8 to 10 glasses each day. Why this specific amount? Because water is used to flush toxins and waste down through the urinary tract and into the kidneys for removal. Scientists have determined this is the ideal amount of water to successfully get this task accomplished.

When there isn't enough water present to send these toxins packing, the toxins linger in the body instead. Being trapped there, they go to work creating a whole realm of health issues. But not just any water will work: it needs to be clean and fresh to maximize the benefits.

The most serious complication of diabetes involving the urinary tract is nephropathy, which involves the kidneys. Nephropathy usually occurs in people who have had diabetes, Type 1 or Type 2, for a long time. It develops because the nephrons, small arteries in the kidneys, gradually harden.

Symptoms of nephropathy include:
    * swelling of the ankles, hands, face, or other body parts,
    * loss of appetite sometimes accompanied by a metallic taste in the mouth,
    * skin irritations,
    * difficulty thinking clearly,
    * fatigue, and
    * extreme difficulty in managing your blood sugar.

Should any of these symptoms appear, do not hesitate to contact the doctor who treats your Type 2 diabetes.

By Beverleigh H Piepers