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Adult Diabetes: ComplicationsHeart and Circulatory Complications | Dental Complications Kidney Complications | Foot Problems | Eye and Vision Complications Nerve Complications | Skin Complications Heart and Circulatory ComplicationsHeart and blood vessel problems are the main causes of sickness and death among people with diabetes. These problems can lead to poor blood flow in the legs and feet, high blood pressure, heart attacks, and strokes. You're more likely to have heart and blood vessel problems if you smoke, have high blood pressure, or high cholesterol.If you feel dizzy, have sudden loss of sight, slur your speech, or feel numb or weak in one arm or leg, you may be having serious circulation problems. Other danger signs of circulation problems to the heart include chest pain or pressure, shortness of breath, swollen ankles, or irregular heartbeats. If you have any of these signs, go to an emergency room or call your health care provider right away. Pain in your buttocks, thighs, or calves during physical activity can be a sign of circulation problems to your legs. Report these problems to your doctor. Keep your heart healthy:
Dental ComplicationsBecause of high blood glucose, people with diabetes are more likely to have problems with their teeth and gums. You need to care for your teeth and gums every day to keep them healthy.Regular, complete dental care also helps prevent dental disease. Pay attention to your gums— they can show you if there are dental problems. Sore, swollen and bleeding gums are a sign of gingivitis. Periodontitis occurs when your gums shrink or pull away from your teeth. Reduce dental problems:
Kidney ComplicationsDiabetes can cause diabetic kidney disease, which can lead to kidney failure. There's a lot you can do to take charge and prevent kidney problems. Controlling your blood glucose can prevent or delay the onset of kidney disease. Keeping your blood pressure under control is also important.The kidneys regulate the water in the body and help filter out harmful wastes. The waste passes from the body in the urine. Diabetes can damage the parts of the kidneys that filter out wastes. When the kidneys fail, a person has to have his or her blood filtered through a machine (a treatment called dialysis) several times a week or has to get a kidney transplant. Your doctor can test for a protein (microalbumin) in the urine to check on the health of your kidneys. Microalbumin in the urine is an early sign of diabetic kidney disease. Help keep your kidneys healthy:
Foot ProblemsYou can control the more serious foot problems caused by nerve damage, circulation problems, and infections that can go along with diabetes. Over half of diabetes-related amputations can be prevented with regular exams and patient education.Why are foot problems associated with diabetes? Nerve damage can cause you to lose feeling in your feet. The loss of feeling can sometimes cause you to walk differently. This may, in turn, deform or misshape your feet, creating pressure points that can then turn into blisters, sores, or ulcers. Poor circulation can slow down your foot's healing. Checklist for healthy feet:
Eye and Vision ComplicationsDiabetic eye disease is a serious problem that can lead to loss of sight. Keeping your blood glucose level closer to normal can help prevent or delay the onset of diabetic eye disease. Finding and treating eye problems early can help save your sight.Even when your sight is good, eye disease might be developing. Regular eye exams are important for catching problems early. You may notice signs of vision changes – having trouble reading, blurred vision, seeing dark spots, seeing flashing lights or rings around lights. Be sure to tell your eye doctor about any problems you may notice. Vision-correcting glasses may help correct low or poor vision. Surgery can help save sight for people with advanced diabetic eye disease. Keep your eyes healthy:
Nerve ComplicationsDiabetic nerve damage is a problem for many people with diabetes. Over time, high blood glucose levels damage the delicate coating of nerves. Nerve damage can cause many problems, including pain in your feet.If you experience pain, burning, tingling, or loss of feeling in the feet and hands, these may be signs of nerve damage. Nerve damage can also cause you to sweat abnormally and make you feel light-headed when you stand up. Some people develop problems swallowing and keeping food down. If you are having bowel or urination problems, tell your doctor. Nerve damage can lead to bladder and kidney infections. Prevent nerve damage:
Skin ComplicationsUp to one out of three people with diabetes will have a skin disorder caused or affected by diabetes. If caught early enough, most skin conditions can be prevented or easily treated.Having diabetes puts you at a greater risk of developing common skin conditions in addition to conditions that only affect diabetics. You might experience several kinds of bacterial infections. Styes are infections of the glands of the eyelid. Boils, infections of the hair follicles, and carbuncles, deep infections of the skin and the tissue, may also occur. Inflamed tissues are usually hot, swollen, red, and painful. Thanks to antibiotics and better control of blood sugar, doctors are better able to treat bacterial infections in people who have diabetes. Yeast-like fungus can create itchy rashes of moist, red areas surrounded by tiny blisters and scales. These infections often occur in warm, moist folds of the skin, like armpits and between fingers and toes. Common fungal infections include jock itch, athlete's foot, and ring-shaped itchy patches called ringworm. Curing fungal infections requires prescription medicine. Itching is often a symptom of your diabetes. It can be caused by a yeast infection, dry skin, or poor circulation. The itchiest areas may be the lower parts of the legs when poor circulation is the cause. You may be able to treat itching yourself by using mild soap with moisturizer and apply skin cream after bathing. Good skin care:
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