Complications of Diabetes

Complications of Diabetes

Diabetes complications are divided into macrovascular (due to damage to larger blood vessels) and microvascular (due to damage to small blood vessels). Macrovascular complications include cardiovascular diseases such as heart attacks, strokes and insufficiency in blood flow to legs. Microvascular complications include damage to nerves leading to impotence and diabetic foot disorders which include severe infections leading to amputation, to kidneys leading to renal failure and to eyes leading to blindness. Long-term complications of diabetes develop gradually. The longer you have diabetes — and the less controlled your blood sugar — the higher the risk of complications. Eventually, diabetes complications may be disabling or even life-threatening. Possible complications include:

Cardiovascular disease

Hyperglycemia(high blood glucose) damages blood vessels through a process called “atherosclerosis”, or clogging of arteries. This narrowing of arteries can lead to decreased blood flow to heart muscle (causing a heart attack), or to brain (leading to stroke), or to extremities (leading to pain and decreased healing of infections). Cardiovascular disease is the most common cause of death in people with diabetes. High blood pressure, high cholesterol, high blood glucose and other risk factors contribute to increasing the risk of cardiovascular complications.

Nerve disease

Excess sugar can injure the walls of the tiny blood vessels (capillaries) that nourish your nerves, especially in your legs. This can cause tingling, numbness, burning or pain that usually begins at the tips of the toes or fingers and gradually spreads upward. Left untreated, you could lose all sense of feeling in the affected limbs. Loss of feeling is particularly important because it can allow injuries to go unnoticed, leading to serious infections and possible amputations. People with diabetes carry a risk of amputation that may be more than 25 times greater than that of people without diabetes. Damage to the nerves related to digestion can cause problems with nausea, vomiting, diarrhea or constipation. For men, it may lead to erectile dysfunction.

Kidney disease

The kidneys contain millions of tiny blood vessel clusters (glomeruli) that filter waste from your blood. Diabetes can damage this delicate filtering system. Severe damage can lead to kidney failure, and eventually lead to death. In developed countries, this is a leading cause of dialysis and kidney transplant.

Eye disease

Diabetes can damage the blood vessels of the retina (diabetic retinopathy), potentially leading to blindness. Diabetes also increases the risk of other serious vision conditions, such as cataracts and glaucoma. Consistently high levels of blood glucose, together with high blood pressure and high cholesterol, are the main causes of retinopathy.

Pregnancy complications

High blood glucose during pregnancy can lead to the foetus putting on excess weight. This can lead to problems in delivery, trauma to the child and mother, and a sudden drop in blood glucose for the child after birth. Very large babies are more likely to require a C-section birth. Children who are exposed for a long time to high blood glucose in the womb are at higher risk of developing diabetes in the future. Untreated gestational diabetes can result in a baby’s death either before or shortly after birth.

Gum disease

High blood sugar can take a toll on your dental health. It disrupts the mouth’s ability to fight bacteria, which gives plaque a chance to attack your gums.

Skin conditions

Diabetes may leave you more susceptible to skin problems, including bacterial and fungal infections.

Hearing impairment

Hearing problems are more common in people with diabetes.

Alzheimer’s disease

Type 2 diabetes may increase the risk of Alzheimer’s disease. The poorer your blood sugar control, the greater the risk appears to be. Although there are theories as to how these disorders might be connected, none has yet been proved.