|
About Diabetes
What causes Diabetes
Do you have Diabetes?
Are you at risk for Diabetes?
Screening for Diabetes
Complications of Diabetes
Treating Diabetes
Complications of diabetes
The extent to which a patient experiences short and long term
complications of diabetes largely depends on whether the
disease has been diagnosed and how closely the blood sugar is
being kept in check. Diabetes remains undiagnosed in many
people who have not experienced any symptoms, leading to
increased complications as the disease affects many other
organs in the body.
Short term complications - medical emergencies requiring
emergency care and long term complications - those that
develop over time and can be disabling and life threatening
are common with diabetes.
Short term complications of diabetes
1) Hypoglycemia (low blood sugar)
A patient is considered hypoglycemic when their blood glucose
level drops below 60 mg/dL. Hypoglycemia is common in those
people taking insulin and those who use other medications that
enhance the action of insulin. Signs of hypoglycemia include
weakness, shakiness, dizziness, hunger, sweating and nausea.
Blood sugar levels can drop for a number of reasons, including
strenuous exercise, skipping meals or medications. Signs of
low blood sugar can be managed by eating or drinking something
that will quickly raise blood sugar, like a piece of candy,
fruit juice or soda pop. If blood glucose levels drop too low,
a person can fall into a coma. This life threatening condition
can be treated with a shot of glucagon, which is a hormone
that is injected and stimulates the release of sugar into the
bloodstream. For those at risk, a glucagen kit should always
be readily available.
2) Diabetic hyperosmolar syndrome (high blood sugar)
This condition results from extremely high levels of blood
sugar (over 600 mg/dL), making the blood thick and syrupy.
This condition is most common in those patients with Type 2
diabetes and those who drink large amounts of alcohol, take
steroids or have infections. Excessive thirst and urination,
leg cramps, convulsions, confusion and weakness are all signs
of excessively high blood sugar. High blood sugar can be life
threatening and demands immediate medical attention.
3) Diabetic ketoacidosis (increased blood acids)
If a body is starved for energy, it will break down fat which
results in the production of toxic acids called ketones. Loss
of appetite, fever, stomach pain, nausea and sweetness of
breath are all symptoms. This is most common in patients with
Type 1 diabetes. Patients can purchase blood ketones test kits
to test themselves at home. The presence of high ketones can
be life threatening and emergency medical attention is
required.
Long term complications of diabetes
1) Neuropathy (nerve damage)
Over 50% of diabetics have some degree of nerve damage.
Experts believe this is the result of excess sugar in the body
damaging capillaries that nourish nerves. It is common for
diabetics to experience nerve damage in the legs and arms,
causing numbness, tingling or burning sensations from the toes
and finders, up to the legs and arms. If left untreated,
complete loss of sensation in the arms and legs can result.
Also common is nerve damage to the digestive system, leading
to symptoms of nausea, diarrhea, constipation and vomiting.
2) Nephropathy (kidney damage)
Diabetes can damage the filtering process of the kidneys.
Kidneys filter waste from the body and eject it in urine.
Symptoms include swollen ankles, feet and hands, shortness of
breath, high blood pressure and anemia. By the time these
symptoms occur, serious kidney damage may have already
occurred. Type 1 diabetes patients are particularly at risk,
as a result of the presence of diabetes for a longer period
than those with Type 2 diabetes. Severe kidney damage can lead
to both kidney failure and renal disease.
3) Retinopathy (eye damage)
Diabetic retinopathy results from the deterioration of blood
vessels in the retina. This occurs in close to 100% of
patients with Type 1 diabetes and over 60% of those with Type
2 diabetes over a period of 20 years. Patients with diabetes
are at increased risk for cataracts and glaucoma. Diabetes is
the number one cause of blindness in the American adult
population.
4) Cardiovascular disease (heart and blood vessel damage)
Cardiovascular problems, such as chest pain (angina), heart
attack, stroke, coronary artery disease, high blood pressure
and the narrowing of the arteries (atherosclerosis) are all
common in patients with diabetes.
5) Infections
Because high blood sugar levels negatively impact the immune
system, diabetics can be more at risk for serious infections,
including those affecting the kidneys, bladder, genitals,
lungs, skin and mouth.
Read more from the
National
Institute of Diabetes. For Americans living with
diabetes, the
American Diabetes Association offers useful information,
resources and support. |
