Diabetes is a disease that takes over the body. It can get the blood sugar levels to where they are too high or too low because the way that the body produces insulin isn’t working as it should. If you avoid sugary foods and monitor your blood sugar levels, then you can live your life as close to normal as possible with the disease. However, there are a few ways that you need to know about that diabetes can affect other aspects of your health.
Issues With The Heart
There are many people who suffer from heart problems who also have diabetes. The blood has trouble circulating in the body, which can lead to a heart attack or a stroke. You might experience chest pains or a narrowing of the arteries near the heart. Most of the time, the issues with the heart and diabetes often go undetected until there is a severe health issue that needs to be taken care of by a doctor.
Trouble Seeing
Vision problems are common among those with diabetes. It’s a good idea to go to a vision center like All About Eyes to have vision tested on a regular basis, getting glasses if they are needed. The high and low blood sugar levels can make it hard to focus the sight. Cataracts are often seen in people with diabetes. Glaucoma is another issue that you need to be tested for, especially if you have higher blood sugar levels on a regular basis.
Concerns With The Skin
If you have noticed scratches and sores that appear on the skin and you are a diabetic, then you might see that they don’t heal as quickly as they should. This is because the circulation of blood through the body isn’t as good as it could be, and with the sugar levels that are abnormal at times, the healing process just doesn’t occur as fast. Since wounds take longer to heal, they need to be protected as they could lead to an infection, especially if there are any on the feet.
Keeping The Kidneys
One of the things that you probably notice is the urge to urinate during the day and at night. This is because diabetes can greatly affect the kidneys. If the disease is left uncontrolled, then there is a possibility that one or both kidneys won’t function at all, which can lead to dialysis treatments. Pay attention to swelling in the legs and ankles as this is also a sign of diabetes if you don’t know that you have the disease.
Living with diabetes can be a struggle. It’s more than just making sure the blood sugar levels are maintained. You also have to think about the heart, lungs and other areas of the body as everything is connected and can be affected by the disease.