Diabetes is a disease that can require constant attention. Under proper management, it is less harmful than it looks and quite curable. But what makes it so troublesome is its unpredictability, the fact that your own body can fail you in many ways for no apparent reason, and that there’s no way to prevent diabetes from developing in the first place.
Can Diabetes Cause Serious Complications?
Diabetes is a condition in which the body does not produce enough insulin or can’t use it properly. This is what causes high blood sugar levels, which are often called blood sugar problems. It could possibly increase the risk for many serious health problems, including developing heart disease, kidney failure and blindness. If you have diabetes, you should know about these complications and how to prevent them.
Diabetes and cardiovascular disease
Diabetes is a long-term condition that damages the body’s ability to regulate blood sugar. Diabetes can cause serious complications, including death due to cardiovascular complications — complications of the heart and blood vessels. Long-term diabetes also affects your kidney and eyes, your nervous system and your circulation.
Diabetes leads to kidney disease (diabetic nephropathy)
Diabetes can affect the kidneys in several ways. The kidney is responsible for filtering your blood and keeping its components clean. Diabetes affects the small blood vessels in the kidneys, which then makes them less efficient at their job of filtering your blood. As a result, poor kidney health occurs and eventually, kidney failure happens.
Diabetes can affect your eyes (diabetic retinopathy)
Diabetes can have adverse effects on your eyes. The path to blindness is well underway before you even notice it. Diabetics have a significantly higher risk of developing high blood sugar, high blood pressure and high cholesterol. High blood glucose damages blood vessels in the eye and can lead to retinopathy. High blood pressure puts pressure on the retina, which can also cause damage if not treated correctly; this damage is also known as glaucoma. High cholesterol also causes vasospasm in the retina, leading to retinal embolization, which can cause permanent vision loss.
Diabetes damages nerves also (diabetic neuropathy)
Diabetes is a metabolic disorder that results from the uncontrolled production of glucose in the blood. It can be diagnosed early, and treated with proper diet and exercise regimen. However, if diabetes is not treated properly, it can lead to various nerve- related complications including loss of sensation in feet, muscle cramps, numbness and tingling sensation.
The loss of sensation of diabetic neuropathy can leave you unaware that any injury in the lower extremity can cause severe complications owing to the infection.
Foot damage
Poor circulation to the feet that can cause poor blood flow and nerve damage due to nerve damage and blisters can result in foot damage. Blisters can develop on the foot or leg, causing it to swell and split skin. Infection is often present due to the lack of proper healing that occurs when these blisters are not treated properly. A cut or blister will continue to ooze pus and blood until it is surgically removed.
Diabetes and Pregnancy
If not managed appropriately, diabetes during pregnancy might result in serious consequences. If high blood sugar levels are not controlled before pregnancy, they could damage the organs of the unborn child. Pregnancy-related diabetes can make the growing fetus gain additional weight, which could make delivery difficult. After delivery, a child may experience a sharp drop in blood sugar levels. The likelihood that a kid may acquire diabetes in the future can be increased by prolonged exposure to high blood glucose levels in the womb. So before you consider getting pregnant, use caution, monitor your blood sugar, and keep it under control.
Hearing problems
People having diabetes are likely to experience hearing issues.
Skin infections
Diabetes can affect your skin too. You can be prone to bacterial and fungal diseases of the skin.
Conclusion:
You now understand how diabetes can impact your body’s other organs. Try to keep your blood sugar level stable. You prevent any issues, make sure to follow up with your healthcare specialists on a frequent basis.
You can get in touch with Apurva health clinic and make an appointment with one of our qualified professionals for a face-to-face consultation as we provide chronic healthcare services.