Why is it so important to control diabetes?
Diabetes puts an individual at an increased risk of developing a wide of health complications, and these affect almost every part of the body. Excessively high blood glucose levels over a long period of time can result in disorders that affect the heart and blood vessels, kidneys, eyes, nerves and teeth. Further, diabetes complications makes a patient prone to various infections as a result of weakened immune system.
Let's take a look at the various diabetes complications in detail:
#1. Cardiovascular Disease
Heart and blood vessels of a diabetic patient may get affected and cause serious complications like coronary heart disease and stroke. In fact, cardiovascular disease is a leading cause of death in diabetic patients. Other ailments associated with heart include high cholesterol and high blood pressure.
#2. Eye Problems
Most diabetic patients develop some form of eye ailment (diabetic retinopathy) that may cause reduced vision or even blindness. These may result from continuous high levels of blood glucose and blood pressure. It can be prevented by keeping tab on glucose level and getting eyes examined routinely.
#3. Kidney Disease
Kidneys can lose their efficiency or fail to function (diabetic nephropathy) as a result of damage to the blood vessels in the kidneys caused by diabetes.
#4. Nerve Disease
Diabetic neuropathy refers to the damage to nerves throughout the body. This results when blood pressure and blood glucose levels are extremely high in the body. Most commonly affected regions are the body's extremities, like the feet. Other problems associated with nerve damage from diabetes include problems with digestion, erectile dysfunction, etc.
Patients may also lose sensation in a part of the body, which further makes it difficult to identify injuries, leading to serious infections. Diabetic patients become susceptible to amputation in case injuries are not identified and treated in time.
#5. Pregnancy Complications
Women with diabetes need to carefully monitor and manage their blood glucose levels. Ideally, a woman must achieve normal range of glucose level before conception to avoid any kind of organ damage to the fetus. High levels of blood glucose levels during pregnancy can cause the fetus to gain excess weight, and lead to overweight babies. This situation can cause problems during delivery, and a sudden drop in blood glucose levels for the baby after birth. Children who are exposed to high blood glucose levels of their mothers are at higher risk of developing diabetes in later years.
Diabetes can increase the risk to various health problems. However, following the treatment regimen and including positive lifestyle changes can go a long way in preventing or delaying the onset of complications associated with the disorder.
[caption align="alignleft" width="170"] Credihealth - India's No.1 Medical Assistance company[/caption] This write-up was contributed by Credihealth content team:Credihealth is a medical assistance company that gives guidance to a patient from the first consultation through the entire hospitalization process. A team of in-house Credihealth doctors helps the patient find the right doctor, book appointment, request cost estimate for procedures and manage admission & discharge processes.Share your comments and queries below and we will be happy to guide you through. Get guidance to choose the best cardiologist in India from trusted Hospitals- FREE
Reviewed by