10 Complications Associated With Diabetes

What are some complications associated with diabetes?

1. Hypos
2. Hypers
3. Diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA)
4. Hyperosmolar Hyperglycaemic State (HHS)
5. Cardiovascular disease or stroke
6. Nerve damage (neuropathy)
7. Eye damage (retinopathy)
8. Kidney damage (nephropathy)
9. Foot damage
10. Alzheimer’s disease

Contrary to popular belief, diabetes is a group of diseases having to do with how your body handles blood sugar or glucose. There are a variety of causes for why it may happen, but generally, diabetes can lead to excess blood sugar. And that, in turn, can lead to very serious health problems. Many complications associated with diabetes can have life-threatening effects, and most of them can also largely decrease a patient’s quality of life.

If you don’t have diabetes, it’s best to live a healthier lifestyle and avoid getting this disease. If you’re already diagnosed, it’s advisable to be aware of the possible complications that you may encounter.

There are two general classifications for diabetes complications: acute and chronic complications. If you want to learn more about both of them, read on!

Acute complications

These complications are conditions that happen suddenly, and they can happen at any time. Though generally short-term events, they can also develop into chronic complications if not treated properly. Here are some of them:

• Hypos – A “hypo” or hypoglycemia happens when your blood sugar drops too low. You may experience shakiness, dizziness, and sweating during this time. More major cases may result in seizures and unconsciousness.
• Hypers – On the other hand, hyperglycemia or “hyper” happens when your blood sugar is too high. If you have diabetes, this will happen occasionally. But very high levels for long periods of time may become life-threatening especially if not addressed.
• Diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) – This is one of the complications that may arise from hypers. When your blood sugar is too high, it leads to a build-up of ketones that are potentially life-threatening.
• Hyperosmolar Hyperglycaemic State (HHS) – This complication happens to patients with type 2 diabetes. It is an emergency that is brought on by severe dehydration and very high blood sugar levels.

If any of these acute complications happen, you should apply first aid immediately and bring the patient to the hospital if it’s a life-threatening emergency.

Chronic complications

Chronic complications may be slower and happen over time, but they’re not a single bit less dangerous than acute complications. The longer you’ve had diabetes, the greater the risk for these chronic complications. Listed below are some complications you should look out for:

• Cardiovascular disease or stroke – When your blood sugar is high for a very long time, it might do damage to your blood vessels. This is why diabetics are more prone to cardiovascular disease, like heart attack, and stroke.
• Nerve damage (neuropathy) – The damage that excess blood sugar does to blood vessels includes the thin capillaries that nourish your nerves with blood. This is why nerves can get damaged when they don’t get enough blood. Neuropathy could lead to losing feeling in your limbs, digestion problems, and even erectile dysfunction for men. Excessive weakness of the feet or hands may also be a complication, leading many to require home safety improvements and walking aids.
• Eye damage (retinopathy) – Diabetic retinopathy is a disease that happens when diabetes affects the patient’s eyesight. This is caused by damage to the blood vessels supplying blood to the eyes. If it is caught early and given treatment, you can prevent total loss of sight.
• Kidney damage (nephropathy) – High blood sugar levels can also damage the millions of blood vessel clusters in your kidney called glomeruli. This affects your body’s ability to filter excess waste from your blood, and it can lead to severe kidney damage and even end-stage kidney disease. When this happens, you may require regular dialysis.
• Foot damage – People with high blood sugar often experience complications with the nerves on their feet. Diabetes causes wounds, cuts, and blisters to heal poorly. As the body part that gets wounded the most, the foot typically gets infections. Patients with diabetes may even get their toe, foot, or even the whole leg amputated as a result.
• Alzheimer’s disease – Some studies show that having type 2 diabetes may increase your chances of developing dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. The less you can control your blood sugar, the higher the chances of getting the disease.

As you may have noticed, these complications are all tied together. The damage that high blood sugar can cause to blood vessels affects our body negatively in more ways than one. One complication can even make the others worse or beget even more complications.

Key Takeaway

It’s easy to see that all these complications associated with diabetes can really turn a person’s life around. What makes this worse is that diabetes is not curable. This means the best course of action for everyone, as for every other disease out there, is prevention. As long as you don’t have diabetes yet, it’s not too late to turn a new leaf and start living healthy, lest you experience the complications listed above.

Are you worried that you might have diabetes? Do you want medical advice about the prevention or treatment of diabetes? Try looking for a doctor at the Perpetual Help Medical Center — Las Pinas (PHMC)! We have a complete team of medical professionals in different fields that can help you with your condition!

Perpetual Help Medical Center-Las Pinas has a specialized center, the Nutrition Intervention Management Services. We offer personalized detailed and scientifically proven diet and nutrition programs, especially for patients with diabetes, chronic diseases, and cancer.  Visit us at Alabang-Zapote Rd., Pamplona III, Las Pinas City! Contact us here if you need any more assistance!