Complications of Diabetes

The complications of diabetes develop gradually, they can eventually be disabling or even life-threatening. Some of the potential complications of diabetes include

Diabetic Foot: Nerve damage in the feet or poor blood flow to the feet increases the risk of various foot complications. Left untreated, cuts and blisters can become serious infections, which may heal poorly, ulcers and structural foot problems.

Kidney damage: The kidneys contain millions of tiny blood vessel clusters that filter waste from your blood. Diabetes can damage this delicate filtering system. Severe damage can lead to kidney failure or irreversible end-stage kidney disease, which often eventually requires dialysis or a kidney transplant. Screening is very important.

Eye damage: Diabetes can damage the blood vessels of the retina (diabetic retinopathy), potentially leading to blindness. Diabetes also increases the risk of other serious vision conditions, such as cataracts and glaucoma.

Nerve damage: Excess sugar can injure the walls of the tiny blood vessels (capillaries) that nourish your nerves, especially in the legs. This can cause tingling, numbness, burning or pain that usually begins at the tips of the toes or fingers and gradually spreads upward. 

Heart and blood vessel disease: Diabetes dramatically increases the risk of various cardiovascular problems, including coronary artery disease with chest pain (angina), heart attack, stroke, narrowing of arteries (atherosclerosis) and high blood pressure.

Skin conditions: People with diabetes may experience very dry skin due to damage to the small blood vessels and nerves. A common problem for people with diabetes is very dry skin on the feet, but this may be more generalized. There are also other skin conditions related to diabetes. High blood glucose levels over time can affect the health of the skin. The skin acts as a barrier to protect our bodies from infection so it is important to keep the skin as healthy as possible. If the skin becomes dry, it can lead to cracks and possibly infections.

Mental health: Living with and managing either type 1 or type 2 diabetes can lead to stress, anxiety and depression. This can affect your blood glucose levels and how you manage your diabetes in general. Over time, this can affect your health. It is important to talk to your doctor if you are going through times of stress, depression or anxiety. Your doctor can refer you to a counsellor, psychologist or psychiatrist by providing a diabetes mental health plan. Diabetes, particularly type 2, has been linked with Alzheimer’s disease and vascular dementia. Brain changes, resulting from reduced blood supply to the brain over time, appear to be associated with an increased risk for development of these conditions.

Hearing impairment: Hearing problems are more common in people with diabetes.
Teeth and gum problems: People with poorly managed diabetes are at increased risk of tooth decay and gum infections. This is due to damage to the small blood vessels supplying the gums and teeth. Dental and gum infections can also lead to high blood glucose levels.

Sexual dysfunction: Reduced blood supply and nerve damage can affect sexual function. Erectile dysfunction (impotence) in men is the persistent inability to achieve or maintain an erection sufficient for satisfactory sexual performance. This is a common problem for men of all ages and is more common in men with diabetes.
 

Infections: Your immune system helps to prevent and fight infection. High blood glucose levels slow down the action of infection-fighting white blood cells. This makes it more difficult for the immune system to do its job.

Diabetes comes with many other complication which can only be controlled with regular monitoring and proper guidance. It is very difficult for someone to understand the sign and symptoms and take preventive steps. It requires expert knowledge and professional care. We provide the services and facilities under our NRI Family Health plan to make sure your loved ones get the best in class preventive care in your absence. The Plan is focussed towards providing the holistic care to your loved ones.  To know more visit this link 

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