Long Term Complications of Diabetes Mellitus
Consistently high or low blood sugar, as we all know is an indicator of diabetes. And this high blood sugar if left unchecked will inevitably result in a number of long-term medical conditions that can seriously compromise health.
The good news is that with some judicious lifestyle changes, diabetics can not only control their blood sugar but even reverse their type-2 diabetes. Type-1 is harder to reverse—this depends on certain medical factors—but controlling their blood sugar can cut risks of complications drastically.
What are the two complications of diabetes?
There are two major complications of diabetes that diabetics face
- Microvascular Complications
- Macrovascular complications
a. Microvascular Complications of Diabetes
Kidney Damage:
Your kidneys have many clusters, known as glomeruli, which comprise millions of tiny blood vessels. These blood vessels filter waste from your blood. With time, long-term uncontrolled high blood sugar damages this delicate filtering system.
This can lead to kidney damage or irreversible end-stage kidney disease, requiring regular dialysis or even a kidney transplant.
kidney complications of diabetes
Permanently high blood sugar can damage the tiny blood vessels of the retina, causing a condition known as diabetic retinopathy. It also increases the risks of other vision-related problems such as Eye Cataract and glaucoma, and can ultimately lead to blindness.
Nerves:
Unchecked high-blood sugar injures walls of the many tiny blood vessels, called capillaries, whose job is to nurture the nerves leading to your limbs. Damage to these capillaries can be experienced as tingling, numbness, burning, or pain usually beginning at the tips of toes and/or fingers slowly spreading up the limbs.
Oral Complications of Diabetes Mellitus
High blood sugar is a prime condition for bacterial growth. This breed and damage the tiny blood vessels that keep the teeth and gums healthy and strong. If diabetes is not treated in time and these symptoms are ignored, there is a high risk of gum infection and tooth decay.
Macrovascular Complications of Diabetes
It’s not just the small blood vessels that are susceptible to damage from high blood sugar. It can also damage the large blood vessels leading to plaque build-up and causing heart attacks or strokes through damage to the heart, brain, legs (though vessel blockage).
Diabetics can easily prevent heart disease and stroke caused by complications of diabetes type 2, by making healthy lifestyle choices.
For instance:
- Avoid tobacco consumption switch to plant-based diets
- Get sufficient exercise
- De-stress, monitor
- Ensure blood pressure is always under control, and monitor cholesterol for any upswings.
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