If the blood sugar (glucose) is not controlled, it can lead to a number of complications:
Eye problems
Heart disease
Stroke
Kidney failure
Nerve damage
Loss of limbs
Tooth and gum problems
Blood vessel Injuries
Diabetes injures the blood vessels that serve a number of key body organs
This can go on to damage your vision, your heart, your kidneys
It can delay or prevent tissues from healing
If wounds do not heal, it can lead to amputation
Blood vessel injury can lead to:
Heart attacks and heart failure
Stroke
Loss of vision, even blindness
Poor kidney function, even kidney failure
Poor wound healing, including minor injuries
Poor circulation
Amputation, usually of toes, feet or lower legs, can result from poor circulation and poor wound healing
Poor circulation
Poor circulation prevents nutrients and oxygen from reaching the cells to help heal wounds and infections
Cells without oxygen or nutrients die
The affected area becomes numb or tingly or sometimes painful
Sometimes the poor, slow circulation causes blockage in a blood vessel
Blood that cannot flow through an artery can become a clot which can cause a heart attack, stroke or other blockage
Infections
A cut or wound will not heal well or quickly if there is high blood sugar
The germs feed off the sugar and multiply
The damaged blood vessels are not able to transport enough infection-fighting cells, natural antibodies, antibiotic medicine or nutrition to the wound to heal well
Heart disease
Heart disease is one of the most common complications of diabetes.
Diabetes causes increased risk of:
Chest pain (angina)
Coronary artery disease (blockages of arteries in the heart)
Heart attack
Congestive heart failure
Factors which increase the risk of heart disease in diabetics:
High blood sugar
High blood pressure
High cholesterol
High blood pressure
One of the common illnesses that develops when you have diabetes is high blood pressure
The high pressure with each beat of the heart damages the heart and blood vessels
Eventually it can weaken the heart muscle, causing congestive heart failure
If the pressure becomes really high, it can also cause a stroke
Cholesterol
Cholesterol damages arteries, too
It plugs them up with fatty deposits
This narrows the openings and slows down blood flow
This increases the likelihood of heart attacks, strokes and poor circulation to the legs
Smoking makes all of this worse by further narrowing the arteries
Kidney
The kidney acts as a filter for bloodpassing small waste into the urine and keeping large nutrients (protein and sugar) for bodys use
When blood sugar is not controlled, the high sugar in the blood damages the kidneys, leaving holes in the tiny filters that make up the kidney
When filters are damaged, it lets protein and sugar cells into the urine
The presence of protein in the urine can mean there is kidney damage
Kidney failure
End stage renal disease (ESRD) is the medical term for kidney failure (when the kidneys can no longer function)
Kidney dialysis is then used to do the work formerly done by the kidneys
Many persons with ESRD must use dialysis about three times a week to clean their blood
Renal (kidney) dialysis
A special machine is used to remove waste from the bloodlike a kidney does
Smaller machines might also be used at home by some patients who are trained and can do their own dialysis
A family member might also be trained to do this dialysis at home
Vision
Retinopathy (blurred vision/blindness) occurs when the tiny blood vessels that nourish
Weakened blood vessels can break and bleed, causing blindness
Laser treatments are often used to repair weakened or broken blood vessels
Timely eye exams and laser treatments can prevent blindness
Nerve damage
Neuropathy (damage to the nerves) is a common complication of diabetes, especially when the blood sugar is not controlled
Blood vessels that feed the cells are tiny and have very narrow passages
When blood vessels become damaged from the high sugar levels, oxygen and nutrients cannot be delivered to the cells, damaging the nerve cells
Dental
The poor circulation can also affect the blood vessels that supply oxygen and nutrients to the gums and bone which hold the teeth in place
Gums and jawbone that are unable to get the nutrients and oxygen are more likely to develop infection or become loose
Loose gums can mean lost teeth
Gum infections make blood sugar control very difficult
Amputation
Most amputations occur when wounds are not healing and become life threatening
It becomes life threatening because the infection can spread and affect the body's total blood stream and important organs like the heart, the brain, etc.
When the wound becomes serious, tissues become damaged and infection can't be controlled, it becomes necessary to remove the affected part to save the life
Depending on the size and location of the incurable infection or wound, the surgery may mean removing one toe or up to the ankle, it may mean removing the foot, etc.
Special shoes or a special prosthesis may be used to help with walking
A wheel chair may be used if the amputation removes much of the leg and no artificial limb is possible for medical or personal reasons.
Sexual dysfunction
Because nerves and blood vessels are damaged by high blood sugar, diabetes can lessen sexual desire
Both men and women can be affected
Diabetes can also lead to impotence (also called erectile dysfunction or ED). This is when the man is unable to have an erection (the penis can't get hard enough to allow intercourse to occur). Medicine may be helpful for this
Many native people do not talk about this, but they should feel okay about talking to their doctors about this concern
Tobacco (Manufactured / Commercial) Smoking
Smoking is a known cause of heart disease and stroke
Smoking (nicotine) causes the small blood vessels everywhere in the body to constrict (get narrow), which decreases oxygen to tissues
Smoking also makes the blood sludgy, making it more likely to clot and cause heart attacks and strokes
Smoking (even without diabetes) also causes gum disease
Smoking worsens all the negative effects of diabetes on the body
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