Risks / Complications Of Uncontrolled Diabetes # 1

Uncontrolled diabetes is like a disaster waiting to happen. When the blood sugar is constantly high it affects the various parts of the body. Here are the major organs that are affected…

• Heart and blood vessels
• Kidney
• Nerves
• Eyes
• Gums and Teeth

The common symptoms of problems arising due to uncontrolled diabetes:

• In the case of heart disease or that of major blood vessels, there are sometimes no symptoms at all. A heart attack or stroke may be seen. Most of the times it’s a ‘silent’ symptom.
• Problems in the large blood vessel may manifest as problems in blood circulation leading to cramps, changes in skin color and decreased sensation.
• Vision problem can be felt as loss of vision, pain in the eyes.
• Usually there are no symptoms of early diabetes related kidney disease. In the advances stages there is swelling of feet / legs,later stages- kidney failure.
• Nerve damage can be felt as tingling, numb sensation, burning or shooting pain the hands and feet and other parts of the body when there is diabetic neuropathy. If the nerve damage is caused in nerves that control the internal organs then there may be sexual problems, gastric problems, difficulty sensing when the bladder is full and the urge to empty the bladder. In some cases there may also be dizziness and fainting and this may be confused to hypoglycemia [Low blood sugar].

1. Heart and Blood vessels – This is one of the major complications of uncontrolled diabetes. A large number of deaths take place in people with uncontrolled diabetes due to heart attack and stroke. If you are a diabetic, you are twice as likely to suffer heart attack / stroke compared to a person without diabetes.
In uncontrolled diabetes, the blood vessels are damaged and can lead to poor blood supply to the feet and periphery. Blood vessel damage and nerve damage is the major cause for feet problems and amputation in diabetics.

When the blood sugar levels are high, over a period of time, it leads to the deposit of fatty material inside the blood vessel walls. The blood vessels become narrow due to these fatty deposits and affect the blood flow and increase the risk of clogging and hardening of the blood vessels.

The risks of complications increase when the person has uncontrolled diabetes coupled with obesity, smoking, high blood pressure and high cholesterol levels
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Here is how to prevent / delay the risk of heart disease/ stroke

2. If you are smoking, it is best if you can quit as soon as possible

3 .Physical exercises is a must. Talk to your health care provider about the exercise that suits you best.

4. Maintain a healthy body weight.

5. TIA or Transient Ischemic Attacks occur in some people with diabetes. Get prompt treatment for TIA and also talk to your Doctor even before it strikes to be on the safer side.

2. Eyes : Diabetes is a major cause of blindness when the diabetes is not controlled properly. Most common eye problems include

• Cataract
• Glaucoma
• Diabetic retinopathy

• Retina which is the lining at the back of the eye
• Vitreous which is a jelly like substance that fills the back of the eye
• Lens which is in front of the eyes and focuses light on the retina.
• Optic nerve which is the major eye nerve.

• Double vision
• Blurred vision
• Loss of vision
• Rings / flashes / blank spots / floating spots
• Pain or pressure in the eyes

Diabetic eye problems can be prevented by going for regular eye checkups and keeping the blood sugar levels near normal.

3. Kidney diseases: Kidney failure due to uncontrolled diabetes is on the rise. Actually kidney disease takes several years to develop and manifest. First there occurs a condition called Microalbuminurea / Proteinurea where the albumin leaks into the urine.As the amount of albumin increases in the urine, the kidney’s filtering function starts dropping. As this stage develops, blood pressure begins to rise. It may take a long time, sometimes as long as 10 -15 years for the actual kidney failure to occur.

The presence of albumin can be detected by urine tests and when detected earlier can be treated.
When kidney disease due to diabetes is detected experts advice a diet in moderate protein. This can be followed after consulting a dietitian. When the patient has high blood pressure due to kidney failure, blood pressure medications are given. When kidneys fail to work dialysis or kidney transplantation is the final option.

To prevent kidney diseases, a diabetic patient must try to adhere to the following

I shall discuss the remaining risks and complications tomorrow….

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Gestational Diabetes- Part II
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