If you are obese or overweight, you have a high chance of developing diabetes. For that reason, there has been a recent coining of the term diabesity, which describes a condition involving you having both type 2 diabetes and obesity. Your Humble diabetes and obesity specialist usually recommends regular physical activity to achieve and maintain a healthy weight. However, understand that apart from weight, there are various other diabetes risk factors such as high blood pressure, diet, and inadequate or excessive sleep.

Whenever you realize you may have signs and symptoms of diabetes, like peeing a lot during the night, constantly feeling thirsty, having blurry vision, and feeling exhausted, go for the diagnosis and management of your condition immediately. Maintaining the right blood glucose level can help reduce or eliminate the possibility of diabetes complications and side effects. Consequently, below are the main potential complications arising from poorly managed diabetic conditions.

Heart illnesses

Coronary illnesses refer to a group of disorders that affect your blood vessels and heart. Studies show that if you have high blood glucose, you are two to four times more likely to have cardiovascular diseases like a stroke than a person without the condition.

Over some time, high blood sugar destroys your blood vessels and the nerves controlling your heart. However, your heart disease may also be due to the hardening of the coronary arteries because of high levels of cholesterol accumulated in the blood vessels supplying oxygen and other nutrients to your heart.

Chronic kidney disease

Your kidney has millions of microscopic filters referred to as nephrons. With time, the presence of high levels of sugar in your blood leads to the destruction of nephrons and blood vessels connecting with your kidneys. One out of three adults with diabetes has diabetic kidney disease.

If you have diabetes, you should go for a urine test every year to enable early detection of potential kidney damage.

Diabetic nerve damage

Also called diabetic neuropathy, nerve destruction can happen throughout your body, especially in your feet and legs.

When you have nerve damage, you may risk various health problems, such as digestive disorders and the inability to achieve and keep a firm erection for sex. And if the nerve damage is in your feet and legs, you are more than 20 times at risk of amputation than a person with healthy blood glucose levels.

If you have diabetes mellitus, regularly monitor your feet and legs and go for specialist management of your diabetes and diabetic foot to avoid amputation.

Eye problems

Diabetic eye disease is a collection of eye problems arising from the damage of blood vessels serving the retina, which is your eye’s innermost and light-sensitive part. Some diabetic eye diseases include diabetic retinopathy and diabetic macular edema.

Destruction of your eyes may make you have poor vision or go blind.

Gum disease

Having diabetes puts you at high risk of developing a gum infection, which can lead to tooth loss and other severe health problems, such as coronary disease. When you have a gum infection, your gums may bleed or swell.

Contact North Houston Diabetes Institute today to schedule an assessment of your condition and management by a diabetes specialist.