Managing blood glucose levels is the key to avoiding diabetes complications. Fluctuations in blood glucose can damage nerves, organs and blood vessels.
Furthermore, a raised glucose level may cause very few symptoms , but still be damaging in the long term.
Increasing likelihood
Having diabetes does increase the likelihood of major health issues such as heart disease and stroke. Furthermore, poor blood sugar control increases the risk of a blood vessel becoming blocked.
Types of complications
Major diabetes complications include nerve damage, retinopathy, kidney disease , sexual dysfunction , miscarriage and stillbirth.
Nerve damage, also known as diabetes neuropathy, is caused by high blood glucose levels. Neuropathy can lead to tingling or burning, and also affect the digestive system and cause nausea, vomiting or diarrhoea.
Retinopathy damages the retinas, blocking blood vessels or causing them to leak and preventing light entering the retina. The blockage of small blood vessels in the kidney can ruin kidney function and lead to kidney failure. Diabetes complications also include sexual dysfunction, causing erectile problems
Smoking has also been highlighted as a cause of diabetes complications. Regular blood glucose testing, learning what your blood glucose means, and setting goals to manage blood glucose can all lower the risk of diabetes complications.
To learn more about managing diabetic complications please read the following guides:
What the community are saying about diabetes complications?
- Noblehead : Try to tighten up your control and hopefully these early changes in your eyes will not progress to more serious complications. Stable bg control, keeping blood pressure/cholesterol below normal, and of course eating a healthy well balanced diet can all prevent further damage.
- Fergus : Now, I am all for everybody keeping tight control but there are limits to what is good for you. Most know that high levels are bad for you and will eventually cause complications, however there are many who seem to think that ultra low will make it better. Not so ! There are consequences to everything.
- Badmedisin : Anyway, I had ‘early diabetic changes’ for about 15 years before it developed into background retinopathy, so there’s a good chance you still have time to prevent your changes getting worse, as long as you stay in control.
- Fergus : Complications will set in if you ignore it but I like to think that control will delay or even eradicate the inevitable as it is always described as a progressive disease. I don’t think it is a question that anyone can truly answer but it is always best to give it your best shot. Never give up and always take control is my motto.
- Castigers : In my early days I had pictures of what happens when Diabetes truly takes control…was more than enough for me to stick to the straight and narrow.
