Welcome to Effects of Diabetes website

Please feel free to browse and read all the information contained in this website.

Effects of Diabetes

Knowing the effects of diabetes is important in understanding what diabetes is and how it can impact one’s health in a number of ways. Unlike some other diseases, diabetes can affect many different parts of the body. Some people would say that diabetes is a disease that is multi-systematic. It can affect everything from the heart to the eyes. When the body is not able to convert sugars that are obtained from foods into energy because of low insulin levels sugars build up in the blood causing elevated sugar levels. This elevation of sugar in the blood can affect a person’s health greatly.

One of biggest and most deadly effects of diabetes is heart disease. Heart disease encompasses a number of different disorders all which have a negative effect on the functioning of the heart. Heart disease can include such conditions as hardening of the arteries which is known as atherosclerosis, heart palpitations, heart attacks, high blood pressure and hypertension. These conditions are known to be linked to diabetes because oftentimes the conditions that cause diabetes can also cause heart disease also. Eating foods that are high in fats and loaded with carbohydrates can increase blood sugars and the fats can also line the arteries causing high blood pressure and heart attacks. More people die of heart disease than other diseases each year and part of this can be linked to the connection with diabetes.

Other effects of diabetes include kidney problems. Renal failure occurs quite often in diabetic patients. People develop of number of symptoms which provide clues that there could possibly be problems with the kidneys. One of the more common signs of kidney problems as associated with diabetes is swelling of the extremities particularly the legs and the feet. This is known as edema and it is a sign that the body is retaining fluid. In many ways kidney disease becomes gradually worse until it is necessary for a person to undergo dialysis on a regular basis. Many individuals that have to undergo dialysis on a frequent basis to ensure that the impurities are removed from the blood do have diabetes.

Nerve damage is another result of diabetes. Nerve damage is very serious and should not be shrugged off and it is estimated that nearly half of the people that develop diabetes will experience some form of nerve damage. Nerve damage that is caused by diabetes is called diabetic neuropathy. Nerve damage occurs when glucose or sugar destroys the nerves that line the blood vessels. This can initially result in tingling or numbness in the finger or toes and eventually it will spread to other areas of the body. Nerve damage can be one of the most serious effects of diabetes because it can eventually make it difficult for people to feel when they have an injury. This is especially true with the feet which are prone to nerve damage as a result of the disease. Thus, it is very important for people with diabetes to take make their health professionals aware of any issues they may have with their nerves in order to combat the problem and prevent the spread of the nerve damage.

Overall, diabetes is a disease that should be keep under control as much as possible in order to decrease its negative effects on the body.

Symptoms of Diabetes

Being able to recognize the symptoms of diabetes is extremely important to identifying the disease and taking the necessary steps to reduce the effects of diabetes. Too often people feel poorly but, they shrug it off as general fatigue until one day they feel bad enough to go to the doctor where they learn that they have diabetes. There are a number of symptoms which are indicative of diabetes. Noticing these symptoms and promptly addressing them is very important in making sure that diabetes is kept under control.

Two symptoms that are very indicative of diabetes are excessive thirst and urination. These two symptoms go hand in hand, and they are a sign that the body has elevated levels of glucose. Many times people will have a desire for ice cold water to quench their thirst and they will drink large amounts of it only to then pass the water through urination. When individuals have diabetes their urine is sweet, and this is a sign of elevated levels of glucose in the body. Excessive intake and release of water is a symptom of diabetes that should be noted in order to curtail the effects of diabetes.

If an individual feels somewhat tired and can’t keep weight on the body then they may be experiencing the effects of diabetes. Fatigue is a symptom of diabetes that many people relegate to leading a busy lifestyle. However, there is a difference in feeling tired because of too much work and having a general feeling of sluggishness. When people feel tired most of the time this is a sign that something may be wrong with the body. In addition to fatigue, random weight loss or gain is also a symptom that is associated with diabetes. People respond to changes within the body in different manners. Some people may lose weight with diabetes whereas others may gain weight. Any noticeable, recent change in weight should be noted with a physician.

Change in vision is a sign of diabetes. There are many people that may associate a change in vision with aging, and in some cases this is the case. However, there are times when the vision changes are a result of the effects of diabetes. Such occurrences as double vision and blurriness can be caused by high blood sugar. This is because when glucose levels in the body are high the lens of the eyeball can swell causes changes in a person’s vision. As the blood sugar decreases the swelling of the lens of the eyeball decreases thus restoring vision. Diabetes can drastically affect a person’s vision and can lead to other more eye conditions such as cataracts.

Numbness is another symptom that is directly related to diabetes. One of the effects of diabetes is nerve damage. High levels of sugar in the blood can damage nerves in many parts of the body, particularly the fingers, toes and feet and legs. Anyone experiencing tingling or numbness in parts of the body should speak to their physician in order to determine the cause. If diabetes is determined to be the cause of the tingling and numbness that is related to nerve damage then the individual will have to commit to lifestyle changes to slow the progression of nerve damage.

Being aware of the different symptoms of diabetes is very important for effectively treating the disease.

Effects of diabetes research

Effects of diabetes on learning in children – PubMed U.S. National Library of Medicine National Institutes of Health

Effects of diabetes news

Genes may exert opposite effects of diabetes and inflammatory bowel disease – PhysOrg.com – Science News