Long-term Complications of Diabetes
By keeping your blood glucose level in a healthy range through
meal planning,
physical activity,
and medications
, you can avoid the long-term complications of diabetes.
These complications develop over many years and they all relate to how blood glucose levels can affect blood vessels. Over time, high blood glucose can damage the body’s blood vessels, both tiny and large.
Damage to your tiny blood vessels causes microvascular complications;
Damage to your large vessels causes macrovascular complications.
Damage to your large vessels causes macrovascular complications.
You have small blood vessels that can be damaged by consistently high blood glucose over time. Damaged blood vessels don’t deliver blood as well as they should, so that leads to other problems, specifically with the eyes, kidneys, and nerves.
Eyes: Diabetics Retinopathy
Blood glucose levels out of range for a long period of time can cause cataracts and/or retinopathy in the eyes. Both can cause loss of vision.
To avoid eye problems associated with diabetes, keep your blood glucose within range and have yearly eye check-ups that include a dilated eye examination with an eye doctor to monitor your eye health.
Kidneys:diabetic nephropathy
To prevent diabetic nephropathy, you should be tested every year for microalbuminuria, which is a condition that’s an early sign of kidney problems. The test measures how much protein is in the urine. This test is easily done with a urine sample. When the kidneys begin to have problems, they start to release too much protein. Medications can help prevent further damage, once microalbuminuria is diagnosed.
Nerves: (diabetic neuropathy)
Nerve damage caused by diabetes is also known as diabetic neuropathy. The tiny blood vessels “feed” your nerves, so if the blood vessels are damaged, then the nerves will eventually be damaged as well.
This is an instance where getting the blood glucose level under control can prevent further damage
Comments
Post a Comment