Common diabetes health complications include heart disease, chronic kidney disease, nerve damage and other foot problems, oral health, vision, hearing, and mental health. Eye problems (retinopathy). Some people with diabetes develop an eye disease called diabetic retinopathy, which can affect their vision. If retinopathy is detected (usually through an eye screening test), vision loss can be treated and prevented.
Foot problems/Diabetes Foot problems are serious and can result in amputation if left untreated. Nerve damage can affect foot feel, and increased blood sugar can damage circulation, making sores and cuts heal more slowly. That's why it's important to tell your family doctor if you notice any changes in the look or feel of your feet. Heart attack and stroke When you have diabetes, high blood sugar over a period of time can damage your blood vessels.
Sometimes, this can lead to heart attacks and strokes. Pancreatitis, pancreatic cancer and trauma can damage beta cells or make them less able to produce insulin, leading to diabetes. If the damaged pancreas is removed, diabetes will occur due to the loss of beta cells. Heart disease is one of the most common complications of diabetes.
During office visits, your doctor may perform several tests to detect heart disease and help you prevent any serious heart-related problems. At each visit, the healthcare provider will check your blood pressure by placing a cuff around your upper arm that is tightened to read blood flow through your arteries. They'll also take a small sample of blood from the arm to check levels of LDL cholesterol and triglycerides. A baseline electrocardiogram should also be obtained as part of a complete medical history.
Learn more about your personal risk factors for heart disease, such as family history or if you smoke, and develop a prevention plan that includes weight loss, regular exercise and stress management, as well as keeping your blood pressure, cholesterol and triglycerides at normal levels. Signs and symptoms of stroke include sudden weakness on one side of the face or body; numbness of the face, arm, or leg; difficulty speaking; difficulty seeing with both eyes; or dizziness. If you have any of these symptoms, see a doctor immediately. You may be referred to a neurologist or other stroke specialist.
Learn more about the warning signs of stroke and learn ways to prevent this serious problem from happening to you. If you have diabetes, urine tests should be done once a year to check for diabetic nephropathy (kidney disease). A baseline blood creatinine test should also be performed to determine kidney function. You may need to be tested more often if you are likely to get kidney disease due to high blood pressure, heart disease, or a family history of kidney failure.
Talk to your doctor about ways to prevent diabetes complications. . Most diabetes complications are related to blood sugar levels that are too high or too low. An A1c blood test is a key way to check that blood sugar levels are not out of control.
For example, if you weigh 200 pounds (90.7 kilograms), losing 14 pounds (6.4 kilograms) may reduce your risk of diabetes. Type 2 diabetes has no cure, but losing weight, eating well and exercising can help control the disease. We are determined to improve treatments and care for people with diabetes. We have already created the first foot clinic for diabetics in the UK, helping to reduce amputations.
Everyone with diabetes has the right to have a series of tests and checks every year to control their diabetes, detect any problems and see if they need more support. In less common type 1 diabetes, the immune system mistakenly destroys beta cells, leaving the body with little or no insulin. Over time, diabetes can cause nerve damage that causes symptoms of numbness, burning, or pain in the hands, feet, or legs. Having a family history of diabetes increases a woman's chance of developing gestational diabetes, suggesting that genes play a role.
Kidney problems (nephropathy). Diabetes can damage the kidneys over a long period of time, making it difficult to get rid of excess fluid and waste from the body. Prediabetes, type 2 diabetes, and gestational diabetes are more common in people who are overweight or obese. Type 2 diabetes, the most common form of diabetes, is caused by several factors, including lifestyle factors and genes.
Nerve damage (neuropathy). Some people with diabetes may develop nerve damage due to complications from high blood sugar levels. For people with prediabetes, metformin (Fortamet, Glumetza and others), an oral diabetes medication, may be prescribed to reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes. As part of the eye exam, the doctor will dilate the eyes so they can see the back of the eye (the retina) and determine if diabetes is causing damage.
Scientists believe that gestational diabetes, a type of diabetes that develops during pregnancy, is caused by hormonal changes during pregnancy along with genetic and lifestyle factors. .
