Complications
Diabetic Complications are a real thing if you don't take care of yourself. Fluctuations in blood sugars damage the body in a lot of different ways.
Complications include:
- Diabetic Retinopathy - you can go blind or lose some of your vision as high sugars can cause the retina in the back of your eye to detach. Typically laser therapy to stop the bleeding and detachment is necessary. It is recommended to have a photo taken of the back of the eye yearly to check the retina for damage.
- Neuropathy - Peripheral, autonomic, mononeuropathy or proximal are the types of neuropathy.
- Peripheral Neuropathy - most common which affects the hands, arms, legs and feet. It usually affects both sides where you have numbness, tingling or lack of ability to feel full sensation in your hands, arms, feet and legs. You may have sharp or jabbing pain, discomfort from touch, muscle weakness, lack of reflex responses, gangrene, ulcers, infections or joint damage or may need amputation.
- Autonomic Neuropathy - nerves that control internal organs. (blood pressure, heart rate, sweat glands, eyes, bladder, digestion and sex organs).
- You may get more frequent UTI's, constipation, diarrhea, bladder infections, appetite loss slower gastric emptying erectile dysfunction, vaginal dryness lower libido sweat gland issues, changes in blood pressure or dizziness. Other complications include your eyes not adjusting to changes in light or darkness.
- Proximal Neuropathy - Affects nerves in the thighs, buttocks, or legs. This is more common in those with Type 2 and those older than 50. Symptoms include pain in hip, buttocks, thighs, muscle wasting, trouble getting up from a sitting position, chest pain or unusual weight loss.
- Mononeuropathy - This affects a single nerve but really doesn't cause long term issues, but you shouldn't ignore it. You might have double vision, trouble focusing, aches behind your eyes, pain in your shin or your foot, pins and needles or loss of feeling where the nerve has been affected. You could also have nerve compression such as carpal tunnel in fingers or your hands.
- Autonomic Neuropathy - nerves that control internal organs. (blood pressure, heart rate, sweat glands, eyes, bladder, digestion and sex organs).
- Peripheral Neuropathy - most common which affects the hands, arms, legs and feet. It usually affects both sides where you have numbness, tingling or lack of ability to feel full sensation in your hands, arms, feet and legs. You may have sharp or jabbing pain, discomfort from touch, muscle weakness, lack of reflex responses, gangrene, ulcers, infections or joint damage or may need amputation.
- Gangrene - Uncontrolled blood sugars can result in gangrene. High blood sugar levels can damage nerves, which causes a loss of sensation in the affected area. Gangrene occurs when your body tissue dies and blood flow is disrupted or blocked. Gangrene can also result from an injury, or an infection of the skin and soft tissue or poor wound healing. High blood sugars can affect your blood vessels and limit the blood flow to your feet. This causes a chain reaction. If your feet aren’t getting enough circulation, fewer infection-fighting cells are making their way there . If you don’t have enough of these cells in the area, any wounds you develop can take longer to heal or not heal at all and you will begin to see your skin turn a dark color which means gangrene may be setting in.
- Dental Issues: Diabetics are more likely to have gum disease, cavities, and other problems with teeth and gums. If your oral health is poor, this will make your diabetes worse. Brushing daily and flossing regularly are essential to keep bacteria and cavities and gum disease to a minimum.
Diabetes and high sugars affect your mouth by changing your salvia. Saliva prevents tooth decay by washing away pieces of food, preventing bacteria from growing, and fighting the acids produced by bacteria. Saliva also has minerals that help protect tissues in your mouth and fight tooth decay.
Diabetes and some medications used to treat it can cause the salivary glands to make less saliva, which increases the risk for cavities, gum disease, and other mouth problems. Some meds can increase the amount of sugar in your saliva, which feeds bacteria combined with food you eat which builds plaque. If plaque builds up on your teeth and gums, it becomes tartar which then turns into gum disease.
If it is left untreated, it can lead to tooth loss, gingivitis, cavities or mouth ulcers or other problems.
According to recent statistics a quarter of U.S. adults with diabetes ages 50 and older have severe tooth loss, compared with about 16% of those without diabetes.
Gingivitis, the first stage of gum disease, is a mild inflammation of the soft tissues around your teeth. Your gums can become red and swollen and may bleed easily. The 2nd stage of gum disease is periodontitis, infection of the gums that hold your teeth in place. Pockets form that become infected, and the bacteria in your mouth begin to break down the bone and tissue holding your teeth in place. If this condition becomes severe enough, you’ll need one or more teeth removed.
Other conditions related to oral health include dry mouth, which can cause mouth sores, ulcers and infections, thrush which is a fungal infection with white patches in the mouth, burning moth syndrome caused by high blood sugars. This changes the way foods and beverages taste.
Things to check for with your oral health:
- red, swollen, bleeding gums
- receding gum line
- gums pulling away from your teeth
- loose teeth
- increasing spaces between your teeth
- dry mouth
- continued bad breath