Effects of Diabetes on the Body

Several factors can trigger diabetes: bad eating habits, a sedentary lifestyle, and most importantly, stress. Unless you don't target these factors and change them, diabetes cannot be prevented. Moreover, some people are naturally prone to developing diabetes because it is in the genes, while some others are not. Whether or not you are prone to it, you ought to know the kind of effects it has on the body, so that these effects can be controlled, and do not manifest themselves into more serious conditions. Here, we discuss the various effects of diabetes on the body, and how with a little monitoring, they can be prevented.

Effects of Diabetes

Diabetes is not called a 'silent killer' without reason. It has the ability to affect and impair the functioning of almost all body parts. The longer you suffer from diabetes, the more it will affect your body. Here, we will see some of the major effects of diabetes, along with some others which you should watch out for.

Effects of Diabetes on the Eyes
One of the long term effects of diabetes is on the eyes. As it becomes a part of the system, over time, diabetes goes on to affecting the eyes and vision.

• Glaucoma is one of the most common effects of diabetes, where the fluid pressure in the eyes increases, and leads to damage of the optic nerve and subsequent vision loss.
• Cataract is another common eye problem that is associated with diabetes. It refers to the clouding of the lens of the eye, and therefore, clouded or blurred vision.
• Lastly, most people with diabetes are affected by diabetic retinopathy. It causes severe damage to the blood vessels in the retina, which affect vision, and if undetected, can lead to blindness.

While there is no specific cure for these problems, they can definitely be prevented by going for a regular eye exam and monitoring blood sugar levels.

Effects of Diabetes on the Kidneys
Constant fluctuations in blood sugar levels can affect the kidneys, and damage them over time. This is one of the inevitable side effects of diabetes. This condition is called diabetic nephropathy, or damage to the kidneys due to diabetes. Though people may not suffer from a complete kidney failure, the development of different kidney diseases is definitely possible. The most common problem that is associated with kidney damage is Urinary Tract Infection (UTI), signified by a burning sensation while urinating, cloudy urine, constant urge to urinate, and fever and chills. To prevent this, regular urine tests should be conducted, any such symptoms should be reported to a doctor immediately, and the blood pressure and blood sugar should be maintained at normal levels.

Effects of Diabetes on the Brain
Fluctuations in blood sugar levels also have an effect on the brain. This is more so when one suffers from hypoglycemia or low blood sugar levels. Due to an overdose of medication, or lack of proper meals, one may be affected by hypoglycemia. In such a case, the effects are likely to manifest in the form of fatigue, dizziness, slurred speech, blurred or double vision, confusion, and headaches. When the blood sugar is brought back to normal levels these effects vanish. Another long term effect of diabetes on the brain is that it has the ability to affect memory and lead to complete loss of cognitive function over time. When the arteries harden due to diabetes, it leads to a stroke that can cause brain damage. Again, the only way to keep this problem away is by maintaining normal blood glucose levels, and leading a healthy lifestyle with focus on proper diet and exercise.

Effects of Diabetes on the Nerves
Nerve damage is another one of those long term effects that is associated with diabetes. This condition is known as diabetic neuropathy. Over time, the nerves begin to weaken, and slowly cause numbness or pain in the body. Most of the time, this is a symptom that leads to the diagnosis of diabetes, and affects the feet in most cases. Apart from numbness, one may also experience tingling, shivering of the hands and feet, constipation and may also affect one's sexual function.

Other Effects of Diabetes

While these were some of the major effects of diabetes, there are some more, that can affect your body over time. These include longer time for cuts and wounds to heal, depression leading to anxiety, stress, and even drug and alcohol abuse, gum and mouth disease, heart disease and stroke, due to raised cholesterol levels caused by diabetes.

Diabetes in itself cannot be cured, but it can definitely be prevented by taking some simple measures. When you learn how to lower blood sugar levels and control them, you will realize that all these effects of diabetes on the body will not manifest themselves in very dangerous forms. Also, regular check ups along with a healthy lifestyle will prevent your body from deteriorating due to diabetes.