10 Harmful Effects of Diabtes on The Body

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• When you hear of the word Diabetes, what is the
  first thought that comes into your mind? It is
  probably about high blood sugar. Blood sugar is
  most often an underestimated component of our
  health. It is essential for the body harmful is
  its high level for a long time. When this
  happens, it is known as diabetes. Diabetes
  affects the ability of our bodies to produce
  insulin. Insulin is a hormone that allows the
  body to turn food glucose into energy.Knowing how
  diabetes can affect our body can help prevent
  developing complications. Many of the effects of
  diabetes develop from the same reasons, most
  common being, high blood pressure, high
  cholesterol levels and a decrease in blood
  glucose control. In this article, we talk about
  the Harmful Effects of Diabetes on our Body

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Signs of Diabetes
When diabetes occurs, its signs can be quickly
diagnosed as they are ubiquitous. These signs
include

• Frequent Urination
• Fatigue
• Blur vision
• Increased thirst
• Tingling sensations in the hands and feet

Diabetes can be very well managed when diagnosed
early. However, if it left untreated, it can lead
to potential complications that include various
heart complications like stroke and heart attack,
kidney damage and nerve damage.
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Why and how is Diabetes Caused?

• When we eat or drink, our body breaks down the
  sugars from the food we eat and use them for
  creating energy. To let this process work, our
  pancreas needs to produce the insulin hormone.
  This hormone facilitates the process of breaking
  down sugar from the blood and utilise it.
• In diabetes, either our pancreas produces too
  little insulin or nothing at all. As a result,
  insulin is either used ineffectively. This makes
  the blood glucose levels to rise while the rest
  of the cells are deprived of much-needed energy.
  This leads to a more significant number of
  problems that nearly affects the major body
  system. Need to know more, Keep reading to find
  out about the Harmful Effects of Diabetes

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What are the Harmful Effects of Diabetes on the
Body?

• Along with the symptoms, diabetes can cause
  long-term damage to the body. This long-term
  damage to our body is commonly called as diabetic
  complications. These complications take many
  years of poorly controlled diabetes to develop.
  These complications are preventable in most
  circumstances. Let us have a look at the Harmful
  Effects of Diabetes on our body.

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10 Harmful Effects of Diabetes on our Body
1. Eye Diseases

• Many people with diabetes develop some or the
  other form of eye retinopathy. This is the damage
  caused to the network of blood vessels that
  supply the retina. It can cause damage to the
  vision. It is, therefore, essential for diabetes
  patients to have regular eye screenings. If
  diagnosed early, it can prevent blindness.

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2. Kidney Diseases

• Kidneys are organs that are at risk of damage
  because of diabetes, and this risk is increased
  due to poor control of diabetes, cholesterol and
  high blood pressure. Kidneys can lose their
  ability to filter waste material from the blood.
  If you are detected with microalbuminuria or high
  amounts of proteins in urine, it could be an
  indicator that kidneys are not functioning
  correctly.
• The diseases related to kidneys are known as
  diabetic nephropathy. This does not show until
  later stages. When detected, your doctor suggests
  measures to prevent kidney failure.

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3. Circulatory System

• Diabetes increases the risk of developing high
  blood pressure. This puts a strain on our heart.
  It faces difficulty in pumping the blood. High
  blood glucose levels contribute to the formation
  of fatty deposits in blood vessel walls. This
  restricts blood flow and increases the risk of
  atherosclerosis.

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4. Central Nervous System

• Diabetes can lead to diabetes neuropathy, i.e.
  damage to the nerves. This can lead to changes in
  our perception of heat, pain and cold. It also
  makes a person with diabetes more prone to
  injury.

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5. Affects the Digestive System

• Diabetes can cause nerve damage, and this can
  lead to nausea, constipation and diarrhoea. The
  medicines that are taken by people with diabetes
  also lead to a disturbing pattern of digestion.
  These problems tend to settle down as the body
  gets used to them.

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6. Numbness in Feet

• In addition to nerve damage, diabetic people
  experience issues such as poor circulation of
  blood in the feet. As a result, the person feels
  numbness in the lower limbs. This increases the
  risk of ulcers and certain infections. This
  problem is also called as diabetic foot.

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7. Loss of Hearing

• Hearing loss is twice as common in diabetes
  patients. It is a common fact that we can lose
  hearing interview with age, but Diabetics can
  start losing hearing abilities soon in life. This
  loss is caused due to the damage to inner ear
  blood vessels, in the same manner as eyes and
  kidneys. A good way to avoid this condition is
  keeping a check on your blood glucose levels
  regularly.

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8. Gum Problems

• People with diabetes have more chances of
  developing periodontal disease, an infection of
  the bone and gum that can lead to a problem in
  chewing and loss of teeth. The elevated blood
  sugar levels modify the collagen in our tissues.
  It is also because there is a slight increase in
  the susceptibility to infections of all kinds.

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9. Skin Infections

• Having diabetes increases the risk of all types
  of skin issues. It can hike up the chances of
  bacterial infections such as boils and urinary
  tract infections and certain fungal infections.
  Yeast infections are particularly the first signs
  of diabetes in someone who have not been
  diagnosed with it yet. Skin infections can also
  be linked to obesity because in between the skin
  folds, moist places can become the breeding
  houses for bacteria and fungi. Candida may also
  develop in these skin folds. Infections can also
  be caused in genitalia.

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10. Obstructive Sleep Apnea

• OSA is a severe sleep disorder in which the
  throat muscles relax and block the airway during
  sleep. This affects around 50 of people with
  diabetes. It commonly occurs in those who are
  obese and have a collar size of more than 16 for
  women and 17 for men. The most common sign of OSA
  is audible snoring. This sleep disorder can make
  it difficult to control diabetes. Treatment of
  OSA involves using a device to keep your airway
  open at night or wearing a mouthpiece that
  thrusts the jaw forward. In cases that are
  severe, it can be treated through surgery.

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• Bottom Line- These were the Harmful Effects of
  Diabetes and as you have read and might have
  noticed that most of these are preventable. It
  only needs a little care and precaution to
  control diabetes. This can increase the proper
  functioning of the organs and body as a whole.
• We hope that you like this article about the Ten
  Harmful Effects of Diabetes on the Body. If you
  do, Then please do not forget to share it with
  your family and friends. Also, if you have any
  query, do put it across in the comments section
  below. We will get back to you with another
  fascinating article until then, stay healthy,
  stay happy and should you face any issues with
  diabetes, Get yourself tested for Diabetes for
  sure!