Skin Complications

Diabetes can affect any part of your body including your skin. Here are some of the general skin conditions that can occur due to diabetes:

1. Infections (Fungal/Bacteria)
2. Itching

Eye Complications

Diabetes can lead to several different eye complications from minor eye disorders to complete blindness. Some of the common complications include glaucoma, cataracts and diabetic retinopathy.

1. Cataracts

   People with diabetes are about 60% more likely to suffer from cataracts. Cataract is the clouding of the clear lens in the eye. People with diabetes tend to develop cataracts at a younger age and progress faster than those without diabetes. Clouding of the eye can develop to a point where it is impossible for a person to see.

2. Diabetic retinopathy

   Refers to all disorders related to the retina, caused by diabetes. Two main categories of retinal disorders are; proliferative and non-proliferative. Proliferative Retinopathy is when blood vessels in the retina are damaged to the point where they close up. To combat this, new blood vessels start growing in the retina. These new blood vessels are weak and can start leaking blood. This can progress to a point where the retina is pulled out of place. This advanced stage is called retinal detachment.

   Non-proliferative retinopathy is when capillaries in the back of the eye balloon and form pouches. This can become severe as more and more blood vessels are blocked.

3. Glaucoma

   People with diabetes are at a higher risk of glaucoma. In fact approximately 40% of diabetes patients are likely to suffer from glaucoma. Glaucoma occurs when pressure builds up in the eye. The pressure ultimately pinches blood vessels that carry blood to the retina and optic nerve. Loss of vision is gradual and caused by damage to the retina and optic nerve.

Neuropathy (Nerve Damage)

Neuropathy refers to nerve damage caused by diabetes. This is most prevalent in feet and hands. Many diabetic patients suffer from some form of neuropathy. However, this is most common in feet. Neuropathy can cause impairment of sensation (feeling) or motor skills (movement).

Foot Complications

Diabetes can be the cause of multiple foot complications. Loss of sensation or feeling in the limbs is the most common due to nerve damage where you lose the ability to feel pain heat or cold. This means that you may not feel injury, which means you may not notice it until the skin breaks down and results in an infection and ulceration.

People with diabetes must examine their feet regularly

Not recognizing and treating these ulcerations correctly may increase the risk of amputation. People with diabetes are 25 times more likely to face amputation than people who don’t have diabetes.

Over 1 million diabetes related amputations have been carried out in the world.

Stroke

A stroke usually happens when blood supply to part of the brain is interrupted. Any part of the brain can be affected and it can cause unilateral weakness. In severe cases it can cause partial or complete paralysis. It’s important to know that if you have diabetes, your risk of a stroke is 2 – 4 times higher than that of a person who does not have diabetes.

Heart Disease

Research shows that people with diabetes are at a much higher risk of heart disease than people who don’t have diabetes. Diabetes, heart disease and stroke are all linked to each other. If proper medical care is not provided these can quickly escalate and result in death. In fact, 2 out of 3 people with diabetes die of heart disease or stroke. What are common symptoms?

1. Angina – feeling a chest pain when exercising or exerting yourself.
2. Heart Attack – A heart attack occurs when blood flow to a part of your heart is blocked for a long enough time that part of the heart muscle is damaged or dies. Chest pain, pain in arms, back, jaw or stomach, shortness of breath, tiredness or fatigue can all be symptoms.

It’s important to remember that diabetes can cause nerve damage which means you may not feel any pain during the heart attack. If you have any of these symptoms seek immediate medical attention.

Kidney Disease

Nephropathy is the study of kidney and disease. Infection can damage kidney. and increase the blood sugar.

Pregnancy

Being overweight and stressed can cause diabetes in the middle of the pregnancy. This condition is reversible after pregnancy. Diabetes during pregnancy increases the risks with each pregnancy and can lead to complications in the mother and child. Diabetes during pregnancy will be a risk factor as the child is more prone to get diabetes later on in life.