Just like any other disease, if untreated or not monitored, complications are bound to happen, particularly in the case of diabetes. One of the complications includes putting yourself at a high risk for heart disease and stroke.
The prevention of further complications in having diabetes includes keeping your blood sugar, blood pressure and blood cholesterol each at their healthy range. This can be done by choosing what you eat and keeping within the healthy food choices, engaging in physical activities and taking the prescribed medicines.
Here are some complications of diabetes:
People with diabetes are at a high risk of developing heart diseases and stroke. This is more likely to happen with people who have a family history of heart diseases. Cardiovascular diseases, such as coronary artery disease and cerebral vascular disease, are also common in people with diabetes. Peripheral arterial disease can also occur.
Another complication of diabetes is blindness. This is because, in the long run, the high blood sugar levels in your body can bring damage to the blood vessels that feed the retina of the eye. During the early stages of diabetic eye disease, blood vessels may leak fluid which can cause the retina to swell and the vision to blur. In later stages, abnormal blood vessels no longer supply the retina with blood flow, eventually pulling on the retina and causing it to detach.
Cataract is another eye disease that can occur in diabetic patients. Cataracts cause a person’s vision to be blurred making it difficult to see at night. Meanwhile, when pressure builds up inside the eye, which causes a decrease in blood flow to the retina and optic nerve, this is referred to as glaucoma. If untreated, a person with glaucoma can lose vision.
High blood sugar levels can also damage the kidneys, which can lead to diabetic nephropathy and kidney failure. When this happens, the kidneys can no longer clean waste products and the extra fluid. Instead, all of these get trapped in the blood.
People with diabetes are also at a risk for foot ulcers. Foot injuries can occur due to numbness caused by damages in the nerve. It can also be caused by the low blood flow to the legs and feet.
Gum diseases or periodontal diseases are also likely to occur. This is because diabetic patients are most often than not, have more plaque and less saliva, have higher blood sugar levels, poor blood circulation in the gums and a surmountable amount of collagen loss. All these factors contribute to the development of gum disease.