Oct 28 2008
Effects
How Diabetes affects the different parts of the body..
Everybody with diabetes needs to be aware of the potential effects that diabetes can have on the different body parts.
Higher than normal levels of glucose in the blood for more than very brief periods can affect many parts of the body adversely. Some of these problems may take years to develop, but making sure that your blood glucose stays within the normal limits as far as humanly possible makes them far less likely to occur at all. This is one of the main reasons why maintaining good control is vital.
Many of the long term complications relate to the damage to nerve and or blood vessels caused by raised and uncontrolled levels of blood glucose. Nerve damage is called neuropathy by the medical profession. It can affect nerves in any part of the body, but it is mostly likely to cause problems with your feet.
HEART DISEASE
People with diabetes are vulnerable to circulatory problems, which can narrow the coronary arteries, causing angina and increasing the risk of a heart attack.
The reality that just about all people who develop non-insulin-dependent diabetes do so in their fifties or sixties means they possibly are at increased risk of circulatory problems, especially coronary heart disease. By this stage of life, a lot of people already have some stage of hardening of the arteries, which befalls to all of us to some extent when we get older, and they might have likewise accumulated fatty deposits on the interior of their arteries. Raised blood glucose can aggravate both these conditions, in all probability because it changes the balance of certain fats, such as cholesterol, in the blood.
EYES
Diabetic retinopathy is the result of changes in the blood vessels of the eye which can affect sight.
If your blood glucose was high for some time prior to your diabetes being diagnosed, you could discover that your distance vision improves when treatment has cut back your blood glucose levels. This is because inflated glucose alters the shape of the lens and interferes with its power to focus properly. Folks who have had diabetes for several years might suffer damage to the blood vessels at the back of the eyes, particularly if the condition hasn’t been well managed.
IMPOTENCE
Men who have experienced poorly managed diabetes for a lot of years may become impotent as a consequence of damage to the nerves and blood supply to the penis.
KIDNEYS
People with high blood glucose levels are prone to cystitis, bladder and kidney infections, and diabetes can result in damage to small blood vessels.
Among one of the several reasons you are asked for a urine sample at your check ups is so that the urine can be tested for traces of protein which could signal the beginnings of kidney problems. The presence of protein can be caused by damage to the small blood vessels or by an infection.
LEGS AND FEET.
Diabetes has the potential to accelerate hardening of the arteries which could lead to a poor supply of blood to the feet and fingers. This increases your susceptibility to such problems as infections and neuropathy, and could make you more sensitive to extremes of temperature.
GENITALS: Uncontrolled diabetes can cause itching in the genital area. In men damage to the blood vessels supplying the penis can lead to impotence.
Return to Signs-Symptoms of Diabetes Mainpage
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