Why Patients with Diabetic Nephropathy Have Edema in Lower Limbs

The patients with Diabetic Nephropathy often suffer from edema in lower limbs which can affect their mobility. If untreated, it will spread into other parts of body. So, why does it occur and how to deal with it effectively?

Why patients with Diabetic Nephropathy have edema in lower limbs?

The filters (glomeruli) in kidneys are responsible for filtering blood and discharging the metabolic products from body. However, if the blood sugar is controlled ineffectively, it will damage the glomeruli and change their structure and function. As a result, their filtration function will decline.

On one hand, the excess fluid can not be filtered out of body thus building up in body. The fluid will infilter into subcutaneous tissue. As the tissues in lower limbs are soft, they firstly are involved.

On the other hand, as glomeruli are damaged, they can not prevent protein leakage into urine. Hence, the protein level in blood will decrease, but the protein level in tissues still keeps high. The fluid in blood vessels will infilter into the tissues thus resulting in edema.

How to deal with edema in lower limbs for patients with Diabetic Nephropathy?
1. Too much consumption can cause retention of fluid and sodium thus aggravating edema. Therefore, the patients should limit the salt intake.

2. Usually, some diuretic are prescribed by their doctors. It can relieve the edema in lower limbs to some extent.

3. Long walking and standing can aggravate the edema. So the patients should avoid them and have proper rest after standing or walking too long.


The above are only assistant measures. As edema is attributable to reduced renal function, the primary goal of the treatment should be restore the impaired kidneys. If the kidneys structure is restored very well, they will be able to filtering blood effectively as before. Afterwards, the proteins will remain in blood and the excess fluid will be filtered out of body. Finally, the edema in lower limbs in Diabetic Nephropathy will recover.