| Diabetes Complications |
| Written by Karen Major | |
Diabetes can cause many other health complications and become a very debilitating disease if not carefully monitored and contained. There are many complications and results of diabetes that can affect the rest of your health. There are three main, short-term complications arising from diabetes type one and the first two of these complications need to be treated quickly.
KetonesOne of the three main complications comes from toxic acids known as ketones, in your urine. Medically speaking, this condition is referred to as diabetic ketoacidosis. This problem occurs because your cells need energy. In order to get that energy, your body starts breaking down fats and this causes the toxic acids or ketones, to be released.HyperglycemiaThe second short-term complication of diabetes type one and two is high blood sugar or hyperglycemia. This is a rise in your blood sugar that can be caused by eating too much, not taking enough glucose lowering medicine, or being sick.HypoglycemiaThe third short-term complication is hypoglycemia, or low blood sugar. This can be caused by not eating, getting more physical activity than usual, or taking insulin or a glucose lowering medication that causes the release of insulin.If these three complications are monitored and caught quickly, medicines and eating habits can be adjusted to correct the problems. Other, more serious complications can arise from diabetes. These can be more long term and usually occur gradually, making them more difficult to detect until they’ve advanced. Eventually these complications can become disabling and even life threatening. NephropathyNephropathy or kidney damage is an example. The kidneys contain a somewhat delicate filtering system made up of clusters of tiny blood vessels. We know the kidneys filter toxins out of our systems and when this filtering system gets damaged or upset we can end up in serious trouble.Diabetes can damage the little blood vessels of this filtering system and if seriously impaired, the body ends up with kidney failure. If there is kidney failure a diabetic will need dialysis or even a transplant. Infections and NeuropathyDiabetes can cause skin and mouth infections. If these infections are not treated immediately they can become deadly serious. There is the complication of neuropathy or nerve damage, when too much sugar damages the walls of the tiny blood vessels. These vessels nourish the nerves, especially the ones going to the extremities.Lack of blood is apt to cause tingling, burning, numbness or pain. This pain can begin in the toes or fingers and this can lead to serious foot problems. The lack of blood and feeling can cause infections and sores that won’t heal properly. This can ultimately lead to toe or foot amputations. Over a period of time the nerve damage can slowly travel upward and cause loss of all feeling in the limbs. This can precipitate the need for leg amputation. Digestion can also be affected by neuropathy when nerves associated with the digestion process are damaged. This often results in nausea, vomiting, diarrhea or constipation. Nerve damage can also cause erectile dysfunction in men. Other ProblemsDiabetes can cause bone and joint problems, as well as eye damage. The eyes are a delicate part of our bodies and diabetes can damage the blood vessels of the retina possibly even causing blindness.The chance of cardiovascular disease can be greatly increased or doubled for people with diabetes. Diabetics need to carefully watch for symptoms of heart attack, stroke, and coronary artery disease-or angina. It is also important to be monitored for atherosclerosis-the narrowing of the arteries, as there in an increased chance to develop this when diabetic. Preventing ComplicationsThe most important thing a diabetic can do to minimize complications is to monitor and control blood glucose levels. Many medical studies have proven that people with lower blood sugar levels had fewer complications than those with higher values. But having a blood sugar level that is too low isn’t good either.The trick is to monitor often and adjust your glucose levels with the use of diet, insulin therapy and exercise, according to your doctor’s recommendations. It is also very important to check your feet every day, especially if you have had problems in the past. Have them checked by your doctor twice a year. Keeping up with regular doctor appointments will be very important as the year’s progress in keeping the disease of diabetes under control and the complications to a minimum. |
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