Diabetic complications

Article by Stuart Wimbles

Diabetic complications

Diabetic complications can and almost certainly WILL arise when you do not look after your condition properly, be it type1 or type 2 diabetes. Without a proper diabetic control you can suffer from these diabetic complications. If you take a good control of your blood glucose levels eat right and excercise, these complications of diabetes need not arise. Diabetic complications mainly arise when you do not monitor your blood glucose levels or let them run continuously high. If you disregard your glucose levels, then complications of diabetes will surely appear. By monitoring and eating properly, you can delay these complications, such as damage to your: *Eyes *Ears *Kidneys *Feet *Nerves *Heart *Blood vessels *Sexual function

Eyes – What happens to my eyes and diabetes? Diabetics risk the eye complication called diabetic retinopathy. Diabetic retinopathy affects the tiny blood vessels that supply your retina and can become leaky, blocked and grow abnormally. You need to avoid diabetic retinopathy as your sight is valuable and with diabetic retinopathy, you could lose your sight.

Keeping your blood glucose levels under control can reduce the risk, although blood pressure and blood fat levels will also affect this.

Each year it is advised to get your eyes screened. This is done by visiting your health centre for a short eye test, this is different from the usual optometrist test, as the screening involves having pictures taken with a digital camera to view the backs of your eyes and the consultant can see the small vessels and look for any problems such as diabetic retinopathy. Many opticians do this when dealing with their diabetic customers and is included with your eye test.

You may need to go and see the specialist at the hospital for them to investigate further. If diabetic retinopathy is diagnosed and bleeding is out of control, you may need laser treatment which will prevent any growth of abnormal blood vessels. Diabetic retinopathy laser treatment is different from the one that are widely advertised on T.V, as it cannot restore any vision loss.

Ears – It has been found that hearing loss affects more people who have diabetes than their counterparts. High blood glucose can affect the small vessels and nerves in the inner ear and can affect our hearing over time.

The Kidneys – Diabetes can affect the kidneys by damaging the small blood vessels which can become leaky or even stop working, this is called diabetic nephropathy. By keeping blood glucose levels at 4mmol/l or 72mg/dL and 6mmol/l or 108mg/dL before meals and 10mmol/I or 180mg/dL 2 hours after food can greatly reduce risks of kidney disease such as this diabetic nephropathy.You will be asked to bring a sample of urine (the first that you pass in the morning) to your annual check up. This is to test the urine for protein called microalbuminuria. If you have signs of microalbuminuria in the sample, the doctor is likely to prescribe medication called an ACE inhibitor in tablet form. This medication will help to prevent nephropathy from getting worse. If untreated, this could lead to kidney failure.

Feet/Nerves – The nerves carry messages from our brain to every part of our body, so we see, hear, smell and touch etc.

Diabetic neuropathy – A long term complication of diabetes is diabetic neuropathy. Diabetic neuropathy is nerve damage that results from diabetic micro vascular disease and is increased if you have poor diabetes control. It particularly affects the feet and legs. You may feel numbness, pain or feelings of an altered sensation. This is why you should have your feet checked regularly by your chiropodist or Podiatrists. This type is known as ‘Sensory neuropathy’. It is said that around 15% of all diabetics will develop some sort of problems with their feet and legs at some time and some of these could be of a serious nature. If you do not care for your feet, then you have more chance of joining that 15% with diabetic neuropathy.

Autonomic neuropathy – This affects nerves that control our automatic activities, such as actions by the stomach, intestines, bladder and penis (Erectile dysfunction), and even the heart.

Hypoglycaemia

Hypoglycaemia or the ‘hypo’ is the most common of diabetic complications that a diabetic will come across at some time. Basically, hypoglycaemia appears when our blood glucose levels go just below 4mmol/l or 72 mg/dL, although this really depends on how controlled your blood glucose levels are. When my sugars have been out of whack, I have felt ‘hypo’ at around 6mmol/l or 108 mg/dl, Really! which is a good reason to test your blood with a meter if possible when you feel a little ‘odd’ to make sure that you really are ‘hypo’ but if you cannot, just treat as a ‘hypo’, as this needs to be treated as soon as possible. If left, you could become unconscious and will require a Clucagon injection to bring you round. If left untreated, you could risk having a diabetic coma. More can be read in the ‘Hypoglycaemia’ section.

Stuart Wimbles