Managing type 2 diabetes is a challenge for many people. Good control involves meal planning, exercise, blood sugar tests, doctor visits, and sometimes insulin injections and oral diabetes medications. But getting into the habit of good diabetes control has definite benefits. There are definitely serious complications associated with type 2 diabetes if the disease is not well controlled. Some of the serious complications include cardiovascular disease, amputation, and blindness.
heart disease, including stroke and heart attack are the most common complications associated with type 2 diabetes. Cardiovascular disease is actually the leading cause of death in people diagnosed with this form of diabetes. Type 2 diabetes can contribute to cardiovascular disease through damage to blood vessels. This occurs when the blood sugar level is high for a long period of time. Other factors that can put you at risk for cardiovascular disease are…
- high cholesterol and
- hypertension.
Women have higher rates of heart disease than men, and they also have lower heart attack survival rates.
Amputation is another scary complication of uncontrolled blood sugar. If your blood sugar is high for years, the tiny nerves in your feet can become damaged. Nerve damage can cause…
- bread,
- number, and
- tingle
In the feet
Numbness becomes dangerous because it prevents you from feeling lesions on your feet, such as sores and calluses. When sores and other lesions on the feet go unnoticed, they can become infected, and the infection can spread to the bones and other parts of the body. It is these infections that can lead to amputation of the toes or feet to prevent the infection from spreading further. Studies have found that approximately 18% of type 2 diabetics end up having amputations; they are more common in men, older people, and those who have had type 2 diabetes for a long time.
Uncontrolled blood sugar can also cause problems with your eyes and blindness. Twenty-eight percent of people with type 2 diabetes end up with diabetic retinopathy, the eye condition that can lead to blindness. High blood sugar damages the small blood vessels in the eyes over time, causing blood to leak into the eye, leading to retinopathy. If retinopathy is caught early, it can be treated and blindness can be prevented.
The best way to prevent these dangerous complications is to manage your diabetes well and avoid high blood sugar levels. Work with your diabetes care team to discover the best management strategies that will work for you. Good blood sugar control will become a habit and you can avoid dangerous complications.