According to top diabetes specialists, Diabetes is the mother of many serious complications and medical emergencies. Uncontrolled diabetes and high blood sugar level can lead to many serious diseases that if not caught in time can cause irreversible damage.
The good news is that these complications can be delayed and even prevented with the right lifestyle changes. Read on to find what the complications of diabetes are, and how they can be prevented:
Table of Contents
Eye complications:
Diabetes is a leading cause of blindness in the world. Diabetes increases the risk of eye problems such as Glaucoma (40 percent more likely), and cataract (60 percent more likely), diabetic retinopathy, and macular edema. The risk factors for these diseases include high blood sugar level, high blood pressure and the duration of diabetes. The longer a person suffers from uncontrolled high blood sugar, the higher the risk of these complications.
Stroke:
A stroke occurs when a part of the brain is deprived of blood. Most commonly stroke occurs when there is a blood clot, occluding a blood vessel in the brain or the neck. In diabetic patients, the probability of stoke is 1.5 times higher than other people.
When there is a higher blood sugar level than normal for sustained periods of time, the blood vessels are thickened and have a higher chance of occlusion. The chances of stoke are even higher when there is a family history of stroke, the patient is overweight, the age is above 55 years, and there is heart disease.
Heart disease:
The risk of atherosclerosis and heart disease is increased many folds in diabetes. Peripheral vascular disease and chronic complications also result from uncontrolled diabetes.
Kidney disease:
Very high blood glucose levels damage the membranes of the kidney and can result in excessive protein and glucose in urine.
How to prevent these complications?
The American Diabetes Association, recommends keeping the blood sugar monitored, and under control to prevent these complications. A lifestyle modification targeted at healthy eating, moderate physical activity, proper medication, smoking cessation and maintained lipid profile is needed to prevent complications.
Moreover, regular check-ups and blood tests should be done to know how effective diabetes medication is. If needed, the dose can be increased or regimen can be changed for proper control of risk factors.
Make a commitment to keep your disease under control. Talk to your healthcare provider and diabetes specialist to make healthy living a priority and to prevent complications. Make regular appointments to keep up with the disease.
Get vaccinated regularly to prevent illnesses like pneumonia, influenza and hepatitis B. Diabetes decreases the immunity of the body; therefore, focus on disease prevention. Because wound healing is delayed in diabetes, take care of any open wounds and strictly monitor them to prevent any infection. In case of high family risk of heart problems, talk to your doctor about adding a daily aspirin if there are no complications.
Book an appointment with top diabetes specialist in Islamabad, Lahore and Karachi and through oladoc.com, or call our helpline at 042-3890-0939 for assistance to find the RIGHT professional for your concerns.
