Adult Diabetes: Complications
Heart and Circulatory Complications |
Dental Complications Kidney Complications |
Foot Problems |
Eye and Vision Complications Nerve Complications |
Skin Complications
Heart and Circulatory Complications
Heart 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:
- Eat healthy
- Stay physically active
- Stop smoking
- Check blood pressure
- Check cholesterol
Dental Complications
Because 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:
- Keep your blood glucose
under control
- Brush your teeth
- Floss daily
- Get regular dental care
Kidney Complications
Diabetes 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:
- Keep your blood glucose
under control
- Eat healthy
- Cut down on salt
Foot Problems
You 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:
- Check your feet each day
- Wash your feet daily
- Trim your toenails
carefully
- Don't cut corns or
calluses
- Protect your feet from
heat and cold
- Be physically active
Eye and Vision Complications
Diabetic 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:
- Get regular eye exams
- Regular physical
activity
- Keep your blood pressure
under control
- Keep your blood glucose under
control
Nerve Complications
Diabetic 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:
- Check your feet for
changes
- Get tested for nerve
damage
- Remain physically active
- Keep your blood glucose
in control
Skin Complications
Up 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:
- Keep skin clean and dry
- Avoid very hot baths and
showers
- Moisturize dry skin
- Treat minor cuts right
away
- See a doctor right away for
major cuts, burns or infections
- Keep your home more
humid during cold, dry months
- See a dermatologist
about your skin problems
- Take good care of your
feet
