Diabetes care, to a large degree, is minimizing and preventing complications. Serious long term complications of diabetes such as heart disease, kidney disease, neuropathy, eye problems, peripheral vascular disease and others can cause serious and permanent damage. Diabetes sufferers need to be vigilant and close medical supervision is mandatory to prevent these problems from occurring or getting out of control.
Heart disease: This is the most frequently observed complication of diabetes. Heart disease is the leading cause of death associated with the disease. Chronic high blood sugar causes narrowing of the arteries, higher levels of triglycerides, lower levels of good (HDL) cholesterol, high blood pressure, and heart attack. Adults with diabetes have heart disease rates about 2 times higher than those who do not.
Kidney failure: The kidneys remove waste products from the blood and then return it back to the body. Kidney failure occurs when the kidneys can no longer filter these waste products. Diabetes mellitus, a form of the disease that is associated with high blood sugar, is one cause of kidney failure. In due course, these high blood sugar levels damage the millions of tiny filtering units within each kidney. This eventually causes kidney failure.
Vision problems: While many vision problems related to diabetes can be corrected early in the disease, complications can be much more severe long term. Blurred vision can occur because of changing glucose levels which affect the lens of the eye causing it to swell. Glaucoma and cataracts are frequent complications of diabetes. Diabetic retinopathy, a disease of the retina is also a concern and, people with diabetes are more likely to become blind that those who never get it.
Nerve damage: Approximately two thirds of all people with diabetes eventually develop nerve problems, or neuropathy. The most common symptom of nerve damage is numbness or pain in the feet and legs. This can eventually lead to some degree of disability. Severe nerve damage can lead to amputation of limbs.
Infections: Your ability to fight infection is diminished when you have diabetes. Typical areas of infection are bladder, kidneys, gums, feet, and skin. Vaginal infections are common in women with diabetes. Having high blood sugar causes bacteria to grow and infections can develop much faster.
Sexual problems: Men with diabetes are three times more likely to have erectile dysfunction than men who do not have the disease. They are also more likely to have it earlier in life. About one third of women with diabetes may experience little or no sexual desire. Women often report a lack of sensation in the genital area, inability to reach orgasm and vaginal dryness resulting in pain or discomfort during sexual relations.
Foot problems: Nerve damage associated with diabetes can lead to serious foot problems. The inability to feel pain may result in the patient neglecting cuts and bruises which can lead to chronic infections. The loss of feeling can also result in Charcot foot which is a condition that affects the joints in the feet. The joints are repeatedly subjected to trauma and injury, resulting in damage to the ligaments, cartilage, and bones.
It's important to know how serious the complications of diabetes can be. The person with the disease is the one most responsible for doing the things necessary to minimize or avoid them. Think of diabetes care as full time job, and avoiding complications is well worth the effort. It's also important to know that keeping blood sugar levels as close to normal as possible is always the first line of defense.
The author, John Richmond, has studied the complications of diabetes and has written several other articles about diabetes as well. To read them please go to www.YourDiabetesInfo.com You can get a unique content version of this article.
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