Why managing diabetes is important?

Diabetes mellitus is a condition where the glucose quantity in our body is very high, which is definitely not a healthy sign since excess glucose could lead to various health issues. One dreaded issue with Type 2 diabetes is that its progress can be often very slow and symptomless. Many individuals do not experience any signs of diabetes, even though their bodies are already being harmed internally. So, how is it possible to know whether you are at a risk of becoming diabetic? The best way to recognize it is to be little cautious about your body, especially if you:

• Are Inactive and lead a sedentary lifestyle
• Have a family history of diabetes
• Overweight with BMI higher than 25
• Older than 45 yrs of age
• Are of certain descendent like African, South Asian, Hispanic etc
• Have high triglycerides

Although the problematic signs of type 2 diabetes may develop slowly over a span of many years, the condition will cause certain symptoms for many people. Go through some of the below-listed symptoms of Diabetes, do any of these sound familiar?

• Feeling Thirsty
• Frequent visits to bathroom
• Increased hunger pangs
• Unexplained weight loss
• Extreme tiredness
• Irritability
• Blurred vision
• Sores that take time to heal
• Skin, bladder, or gum infections

Whether you’re experiencing any of these symptoms or not, uncontrolled levels of diabetes over a longer period of time can lead to tissue damage throughout your body, from your eyes to your feet.

So what happens if you leave your Diabetes untreated?

Those who leave their diabetes unattended or untreated become vulnerable to the following complications:

• Cardiovascular disease
• Nerve damage (neuropathy)
• Kidney damage (nephropathy)
• Eye damage (retinopathy)
• Foot damage
• Skin Issues
• Hearing impairment
• Alzheimer’s Disease

Cardiovascular Diseases

They are very commonly observed in patients who have untreated or uncontrolled sugar levels. Diabetes increases the chances of having different kinds of cardiovascular issues like heart attack, coronary artery, constricting of arteries as well as high B.P. A diabetic is twice as likely to develop heart disease as opposed to someone who is not a diabetic.

Nerve Damage (Neuropathy)

People with Diabetes are at an increased risk of developing neuropathy. Excessive sugar tend to damage the tiny capillaries that nourish your nerves. This leads to burning, pain, numbness in the legs and gradually spread upwards.

Kidney Damage (Nephropathy)

Diabetic damages the filtering system of kidneys that clean the waste from your blood. This, if left untreated can lead to severe kidney disease which might even a kidney transplant.

Eye Damage

Diabetes can harm the blood vessels of the retina (diabetic retinopathy), eventually leading to blindness. This condition also poses a risk of developing serious vision conditions, such as cataracts and glaucoma.

Foot Damage

Diabetes if left untreated can lead to poor blood circulation in the foot. Any cuts or wounds in that area often become serious very quickly and take time to heal. Severe conditions may lead to complete amputation of the leg.

Hearing Impairment

Hearing problems are commonly observed in people with diabetes.

Skin Issues

Diabetes may make you supersensitive and more vulnerable towards developing skin problems, including both bacterial and fungal infections.

Alzheimer’s Disease

Untreated Diabetes often increases the chances of Alzheimer’s disease. The exact relation between these two conditions still remains unclear. Thus, long-term complications of unteated diabetes develop gradually and silently. The longer you have uncontrolled diabetes, greater is the risk of complications

In case you suspect diabetes in your family or fall in the bracket of any of the above mentioned risk factors, you need to be very careful and keep a close check on your health. This will help you get diagnosed early and avoid further complications..