Diabetes Complications

Diabetes Affects the Entire Body

In addition to short-term complications like low blood sugar or high blood sugar, there exists an array of complications that can develop after many years:

Heart: Heart disease is present in seventy-five percent of diabetes-related deaths. Watch for chest pain and/or shortness of breath.
Recommendations:

• See your doctor
• Control your blood sugar
• Follow a heart healthy diet, one low in fat and cholesterol.
• Control your blood pressure and cholestrol levels
• Avoid smoking
• Exercise daily
• Stress management

Neurosystem: Sixty – seventy percent of the diabetic population has diabetic nerve damage. High blood sugar, over time, can damage small blood vessels – including those of the eyes, nerves and kidneys. Studies have shown that keeping blood sugar levels closer to normal reduces complications to small vessels by 25 to 75 percent.

Eyes: Diabetes is the leading cause of blindness in working adults, particularly a condition called diabetic retinopathy that damages the retina, the lining of the back of the eye. Watch for early changes in vision.
Recommendations:

• Control your blood sugar
• Control your blood pressure
• Have your eyes checked every year by an eye specialist for retinal screening 

Kidneys : Diabetes is the leading cause of kidney failure in the U.S. Watch for an increase in blood pressure.
Recommendations:

• See your doctor
• Control your blood sugar
• Control your blood pressure
• Control your cholesterol levels 
• Limit salt and protein intake
• Have your urine tested annually 

Feet: Watch for pain, numbness and/or wounds that won’t heal. An out of control infection could require amputation to save the rest of the limb.
Recommendations:

• See your doctor
• Control your blood sugar
• Control your cholesterol level
• Control your blood pressure
• Avoid smoking
• Exercise as directed
• Seek proper foot care
• Check your feet regularly