SexyDiabetic.com

If you know of any more conditions that I missed please contact me so I may put them here!  This is info that I was never told about when I was diagnosed. I had to pick it up on my own.

Diabetes is a silent disease.  Generally, diabetic patients are susceptible to numerous diseases and health complications. When I was diagnosed with Type 2 my doctor didn’t tell me anything about this new disease in my body.  This is why I am compiling some of the health complications that I know about from other diabetics and personal experience.  If  people eat healthy, exercise regularly they reduce their chances of developing these complications.

You can do a lot to prevent or slow down diabetic complications.

Eyes

Diabetes is the leading cause for blindness in the 20-70 age group.  All people with diabetes–both type 1 and type 2–are at risk. That’s why everyone with diabetes should get a comprehensive dilated eye exam at least once a year. The longer someone has diabetes, the more likely he or she will get diabetic retinopathy. Between 40 to 45 percent of Americans diagnosed with diabetes have some stage of diabetic retinopathy. If you have diabetic retinopathy, your doctor can recommend treatment to help prevent its progression.

If you have blurred vision, check your glucose levels.  If you have prolong eye concerns do not wait and see if the issue goes away.  Consult an ophthalmologist.  Your eyesight is to precious to allow it to get worse or to go blind.  For more information about how diabetes may affect the eyes click here.

 

Teeth

If you have diabetes, taking care of your mouth is very important.  Diabetes is associated with a decrease in salivation and drying of mouth. Lesser salivation causes thickening of blood vessels thereby, reducing the circulation of nutrients all over the body, including gum tissues. You are at risk for problems with periodontal disease, which can damage the gums and bone that support your teeth. It may lead to bleeding gums, chewing problems and tooth loss. Periodontal disease may also make it hard to control blood glucose levels.

People with diabetes can have tooth and gum problems more often if their blood glucose stays high. High blood glucose can make tooth and gum problems worse. You can even lose your teeth.  Take time to check your mouth regularly for any problems.  If you are experiencing any dental issues than see a dentist.  For more information about diabetic dental care click here.

 

Feet

People with diabetes must be fully aware of how to prevent foot problems before they occur.  Seek the right treatment immediately when problems do occur.  Damage to the nervous system,  may not allow a person with diabetes to be able to feel his or her feet properly. This is called this is peripheral neuropathy.  A diabetic may be unable to sense the position of their feet and toes while walking and balancing. But cuts, bumps, and other injuries that once would have made you wince in pain go unnoticed when your feet lose their feeling. Normal sweat secretion and oil production that lubricates the skin of the foot will be impaired.

Damage to blood vessels and impairment of the immune system from diabetes make it difficult to heal these wounds.  These infections can develop into gangrene.  Because of the poor blood flow, antibiotics cannot get to the site of the infection easily.  Bacterial infection of the skin, connective tissues, muscles, and bones can then occur. Often, the only treatment for this is amputation of the foot or leg. Good control of blood sugar level – remains the best way to prevent diabetic complications.  Inspect your feet regularly by a qualified podiatrist. For more information about foot health click here.

 

Nerves

Elevated glucose levels can damage the nervous system, which is the wiring that transmits signals from the brain throughout the body. The nervous system also detects information about the environment and how it affects the body through the five senses.  Body responses to the environment can be impaired. Damaged nerves, or neuropathy, can lead to an array of physical problems and disabilities anywhere in the body. An early sign of diabetic neuropathy is a lack of ability to feel vibrations.

Annoying and painful symptoms can occur when the brain can’t successfully send messages to the feet or other organs. But the even greater threat posed by diabetic neuropathy happens when the feet and other organs can’t send information to the brain because they’ve become numb from overexposure to blood sugar.  Long-term diabetes can damage these nerve fibres and cause damage to the stomach nerves, the loss of the normal reflexes that increase our blood pressure when we stand up resulting in dizziness and erectile dysfunction (ED or impotence).  For more information about neuropathy click here.

 

Itching!

The reasons behind itching are not quite clear. It might be because diabetes affects the nervous system and alters the perception of sensation in the body. It can also be due to dry skin and fungal skin infections, both of which are more common among diabetics.  Itching can also caused by a yeast infection or poor blood flow. When caused by poor circulation, it is prevalent in the legs. Using skin lotions can help your skin to remain soft and prevent this type of itching.  Check your blood glucose levels when you are having an itching episode.  Before concluding that diabetes is causing your itching, a physician should perform a thorough investigation for skin.

For more information about diabetic itching click here.

 

Dawn Phenomenon

The dawn phenomenon happens because during the night, hormones are released that trigger the liver to put out glucose. If there is not enough insulin in the body to counteract this, then blood glucose levels rise during the night, resulting in a high reading in the morning.   The reason the body does this is to help procure an ample supply of energy for the body so that you feel refreshed and ready for the day in the morning. For most people the Dawn Effect is not a concern at all.  Unfortunately for those who are living with diabetes the Dawn Effect can be a very dangerous variable that needs to be monitored and kept in check on a daily basis.  Keeping the Dawn Effect in check can be difficult for somebody with diabetes but there are some simple dietary solutions that are being employed by people.  Make sure to discuss this with your Endocrinologist if you are having high numbers in the morning.

 

Vitamin D Deficiency

Vitamin D deficiency is associated with hyperglycemia, insulin resistance, hypertension and heart disease.  Vitamin D deficiency results in part from poor nutrition, which is one of the most challenging issues for people with diabetes. Another culprit is reduced exposure to sunlight, which is common during cold weather months when days are shorter and more time is spent indoors.  Be careful if you work odd shifts that will not regularly expose your body to sunlight.  Diet alone may not be sufficient to manage vitamin D levels.  A combination of adequate dietary intake of vitamin D, exposure to sunlight, and treatment with vitamin D2 or D3 supplements can decrease the risk of diabetes and related health concerns. The preferred range in the body is 30 – 60 ng/mL of 25(OH) vitamin D.  For more information about Vitamin D deficiency click here.

 

Depression

Being diagnosed with diabetes is a major life stress. It requires a large number of physical and mental accommodations. The individual must learn about a complex system of dietary and medical interventions. Lifestyle, work, and school schedules may have to be altered. This can consume a lot of energy for both the individual and his or her family. Just as important, are the psychological adjustments. Depression can lead to poor management of diabetes.  One must adjust to a new view of oneself. For those who liked to see themselves as invincible, this may be particularly difficult. Many newly diagnosed diabetics go through the typical stages of mourning. These are denial, anger, depression and acceptance.  During times of depression or stress one should monitor blood glucose more frequently. If you feel you are having a more difficult transition than please consult psychologist. For more information about diabetic depression click here.

 

Fertility

Female Fertility

Diabetes is not a threat to fertility in the usual way. It most likely won’t prevent conception, unless the disease is way out of control. What happens instead is that high glucose levels in a woman’s system can damage embryonic cells, causing an early miscarriage. If a woman doesn’t know she has diabetes, or she’s managing her diabetes poorly, she’s at risk for recurrent miscarriages.

Many women with type 2 diabetes have an underlying syndrome called polycystic ovarian syndrome. PCOS is associated with insulin resistance, which is a major player in type 2 diabetes. Because of the effects of PCOS on the ovaries, women with type 2 diabetes and PCOS may find a harder time with conception than women without diabetes.  If a woman does want to get pregnant and has diabetes, it’s critically important for her to be in good control of her blood glucose levels with an A1c below 7 percent before she goes off of contraceptive agents and starts trying to get pregnant.  For more information about female fertility click here.

Male Fertility 

Studies have reported that DNA damage in the sperm of diabetic men is higher than in the sperm of men who do not have diabetes.  The suggest this may make diabetic men less fertile. Diabetes and being over-or underweight can have a negative effect on male fertility.  Sperm DNA quality is known to be tied to decreased embryo quality, low embryo implantation rates, higher miscarriage rates and some serious childhood diseases, including cancers. Diabetics have a significant decrease in their ability to repair sperm DNA, and once this is damaged.  Obesity, which often plays a factor in diabetes, and being too thin, was also found to cause problems with sperm. In a separate study, scientists found that men with a higher body mass index (BMI, a ratio of weight to height) had less seminal fluid and more abnormal sperm. For more information about Diabetic male Fertility click here.

 

Syndrome X

Syndrome X, which is also known as the “metabolic syndrome” or “Insulin Resistance Syndrome”, is a condition that is linked to an increased risk of diabetes and heart disease.  It is marked by abdominal obesity, elevated levels of triglycerides, low levels of HDL (“good”) cholesterol, high blood pressure, and high blood sugar levels. Recent research shows that 22% of adults between the ages of 20 and 79 have at least three of these symptoms.  Metabolic syndrome was more common in older people than in younger people. There were differences along lines of ethnicity and gender, as well. Women were more likely to have the syndrome than were men.

 

Dry Skin

Diabetics are known to suffer from dry skin and itching. A person with diabetes has a blood glucose level that fluctuates. A diabetic’s blood glucose level increases and nerve sensitivity decreases, and the body loses fluids. The person also fails to sweat sufficiently when needed. This results in a drying effect on the skin, particularly in the legs, feet, and elbows.  When poor circulation is the cause of itching, the itchiest areas may be the lower parts of the legs.  You may be able to treat itching yourself. Limit how often you bathe, particularly when the humidity is low. Diabetes dry skin is more serious than ordinary dry skin because of the increased likelihood of infection and disease. A common example of this would be the cracking of dry skin at the soles of a diabetic’s foot.  For more information about diabetes and dry skin click here.

 

Polycystic Ovary Syndrome

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a group of health problems linked to a woman’s out-of-balance hormones. In women with PCOS, immature follicles bunch together to form large cysts or lumps. The eggs mature within the bunched follicles, but the follicles don’t break open to release them. As a result, women with PCOS often don’t have menstrual periods, or they only have periods on occasion. Because the eggs are not released, most women with PCOS have trouble getting pregnant.  Common symptoms of PCOS include irregular periods, infertility, repeat miscarriages, male-pattern hair loss, male-type facial and body hair, acne, and obesity. PCOS raises your risks for serious health problems, including high blood pressure (hypertension), heart disease, diabetes, and uterine (endometrial) cancer.

 

Memory

Uncontrolled diabetes can lead to memory loss. The brain’s most important fuel is glucose. High blood glucose levels do not make the brain function even better. Both extended periods of elevated glucose levels (hyperglycemia) and very low glucose levels (hypoglycemia) are believed to contribute to the development of memory problems in people with diabetes. As Type 2 Diabetics age a higher than average risk of memory loss.  Since learning and memory depend on neurotransmission taking place, any lapse in the system will affect the ability to learn and remember. Prolonged low or high blood glucose causes your hippocampus to malfunction biochemically, and the result is often impaired concentration and attention, memory loss, and slowing of information processing speed.  There has also been studies to suggest a strong link between diabetes and Alzheimer’s Disease.  Some people have called this Type 3 Diabetes.  For more information about diabetic memory loss click here.

 

Pancreatitis

Pancreatitis is a digestive disorder than can indirectly lead to diabetes.  Simply it is the inflammation of the pancreas. Once the gland becomes inflamed, the condition can progress to swelling of the gland and surrounding blood vessels, bleeding, infection, and damage to the gland. There, digestive juices become trapped and start “digesting” the pancreas itself. If this damage persists, the gland may not be able to carry out normal functions.   If you have a severe attack, it can damage your pancreas, the islets of Langerhans, and damage then takes place, causing diabetes. And if the attacks become severe and recurrent, surgery for removal of the pancreas might be necessary to improve life, but then you automatically will have resulting type 1 diabetes.  It can also cause either of the following: bleeding, tissue damage, infection,  pseudocysts, accumulations of fluid and tissue debris. Enzymes and toxins may enter the bloodstream, injuring the heart, lungs, and kidneys, or other organs.  For more information about Pancreatitis click here.

 

Pancreatic Cancer

Pancreatic cancer is a malignant tumor of the pancreas.  It is the fourth leading cause of death from cancer for men and women in the U.S. For years, pancreatic cancer and diabetes have been linked, but it still remains unclear about whether one disease causes the other.  Many patients with pancreatic cancer develop diabetes months to even years before they are diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, suggesting new onset diabetes in an elderly individual may be an early warning sign of pancreatic cancer. Diet, weight, alcohol consumption and genetics can increase your risk of developing pancreatic cancer.  Pancreatic cancer often has a poor prognosis.  For more information about pancreatic cancer click here.

 

Cholestrol

 

Heart Disease

Heart disease is the leading cause of diabetes-related deaths because chronic high blood sugar is associated with narrowing of the arteries, increased blood levels of triglycerides, decreased levels of “good” HDL cholesterol, high blood pressure, and heart attack. People who have diabetes are more likely to get heart disease. Too much sugar in the blood can cause damage to many parts of the body, including blood vessels. Some lifestyle habits may also raise the risk of heart disease.  Weight loss is important if you have a lot of extra weight around your waist and abdominal area. People who tend to carry extra weight around their waist are more at risk for heart disease than people who have extra weight in the hips or thighs.

Differences in heart disease can be seen across all ethnic groups.  As a group, African Americans have high rates of heart disease, which includes coronary artery disease (CAD), stroke, high blood pressure, and heart failure.  More than one quarter of Mexican Americans have some form of heart disease.  People of South Asian descent are at high risk for heart disease.  For more information about diabetes and heart disease click here.

 

Poor Circulation

Poor circulation is one of the most dangerous consequences of diabetes. The poor blood flow in the body of a person with diabetes may also slow the healing process, allowing the wound to gradually get worse.  Poor circulation is generally caused when the arteries become blocked.  Many people with poor circulation also have Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and high levels of fat in their bloodstreams. Good blood circulation is important because blood carries oxygen and nutrients throughout the body that help it function. People with type 2 diabetes have two to four times the risk of dying from heart disease or having a stroke compared to non-diabetics. More than half of the amputations done in the United States are a consequence of diabetes, and usually the need for an amputation occurs because of damage to the peripheral arteries (arteries to the legs).

Poor circulation from artery damage also causes open skin sores and infections for people with diabetes.  People with diabetes are more likely than other people to develop high blood pressure, obesity and high cholesterol.  High levels of glucose (blood sugar) also contribute to artery damage for people with diabetes.  A good way to prevent poor circulation is to keep a healthy diet and exercise.  For more information about poor circulation click here.

 

Insulin Resistance

Insulin resistance is a condition in which the body produces insulin but does not use it properly. Insulin, a hormone made by the pancreas, helps the body use glucose for energy. Glucose is a form of sugar that is the body’s main source of energy. The body’s digestive system breaks food down into glucose, which then travels in the bloodstream to cells throughout the body. Glucose in the blood is called blood glucose, also known as blood sugar. As the blood glucose level rises after a meal, the pancreas releases insulin to help cells take in and use the glucose. When people are insulin resistant, their muscle, fat, and liver cells do not respond properly to insulin. As a result, their bodies need more insulin to help glucose enter cells. The pancreas tries to keep up with this increased demand for insulin by producing more. Eventually, the pancreas fails to keep up with the body’s need for insulin. Excess glucose builds up in the bloodstream, setting the stage for diabetes. Many people with insulin resistance have high levels of both glucose and insulin circulating in their blood at the same time. A build up of glucose in the blood stream will occur causing constant urination.

Sleep Apnea

Sleep apnea is also linked to obesity, a risk factor for diabetes.  Obstructive sleep apnea is a treatable disorder that results in episodes of stopped breathing due to blockages in the airway during sleep.  Sleep apnea is associated with poorer glucose control and could lead to even more health complications for diabetes patients.  What causes sleep apnea isn’t entirely known, but there appears to be a connection between insulin resistance, obesity — especially with visceral fat and a big waistline — and sleep apnea. This makes obese people with visceral fat and type 2 diabetes more likely to also have sleep apnea.  If your sleep apnea is mild, making simple lifestyle changes might provide the relief you need. These include losing weight, which helps to keep your throat open by reducing the pressure on the neck from body fat, as well as avoiding alcohol and drugs that can lead to too much relaxation of the tongue, causing it to fall back and obstruct the airway.  The most common treatment for moderate or severe sleep apnea is called continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP). You wear a mask-like device over your nose, and it blows air under pressure into your throat to keep your airway open.  For more information about Sleep Apnea  click here.

 

Body Rhythms

If your job requires you to switch back and forth from the day to night shift, controlling your blood glucose can be a challenge. One problem is that your body releases hormones during sleep that make insulin work less effectively. By rotating shifts, you disturb the normal release of these hormones. You don’t know when the hormones are being released, so you don’t know how your insulin will affect your blood glucose levels.

The best solution is to negotiate with your employer to work one shift. The Americans with Disabilities Act requires employers to provide “reasonable accommodation for people with diabetes,” so it’s worth asking. If a schedule change isn’t possible, try a more flexible insulin regimen. Using ultralente with regular insulin, or an insulin pump, will give you the flexibility this situation demands.  People with diabetes are usually obese and overweight that would interfere with sleep quality. Obesity is also associated with sleep apnea or stopped breathing briefly during sleep.  Researchers have theorized that disrupted circadian rhythms throw off various hormonal processes in the body that contribute to disease.  For more information about Body Rhythms click here.

 

Sleep Patterns

There are some people in the medical community that do not believe this is a contributor to diabetes.  So yes you do need those extra hours of sleep!  The research suggests that diabetes and higher than normal blood sugar levels could partly be tackled by treating sleep problems.  In healthy people, blood sugar levels are kept under control by insulin, which the pancreas releases in varying amounts at different periods during a 24-hour natural cycle. The researchers suggest that when there is a genetic abnormality that affects melatonin levels and sleep patterns, this may also disturb the levels of insulin in the blood, preventing the body from maintaining control of blood sugar levels.  People suffering from different types of sleep disorders experience fatigue and generally tend to remain dull and weak, as a result of which regular exercise becomes an impossibility. Slow-wave sleep (stages 3 and 4) has also been found to be important in maintenance of stable glucose levels. A University of Chicago study found that supressions of slow-wave sleep increases blood sugar levels, and the authors speculate that the decline in sleep quality in older adults may contribute to the increase in risk of diabetes.  For more information about Sleep Patterns click here.

 

Thyroid Disease

Thyroid problems and diabetes are sometimes closely connected to one another.   Hyperthyroidism is typically associated with worsening glycemic control and increased insulin requirements.  Diabetic patients have a higher prevalence of thyroid disorders compared with the normal population.  It does cause some greater abnormalities concerning lipid levels in the blood as well as increased bad cholesterol, (LDL), levels. Type 2 diabetics have diabetes that worsens by hypothyroidism. This means a greater chance for cardiovascular problems.

 

Insomnia

“I had a Diabetic Educator tell me there was no connection between diabetes, sleep and insomina.  I told her she needs to “google” the topic and she would find a dozen of recent articles on the subject proving a connection.”–Chrystal

Diabetes is worse when combined with insomnia symptoms, doctors have conclusively discovered. In fact, insomnia makes most medical diseases much worse in ways we are only just now finding out and can chemically disrupt the body’s insulin balance enough to even be a root cause for certain types of diabetes.

Since diabetics are sensitive to blood glucose levels and chemical balances in the body, it’s illustrative to explore just how detrimental disruptions in the sleep cycle can be. Studies have shown that diabetes worsens when adult sufferers sleep less than 6 hours per night or more than 9.(1) The loss of normal sleep hours or addition of sleep hours seems to undo the body’s chemistry and completely throw off-balance the blood glucose levels. Doctors don’t know for sure the exact chemistry behind this phenomenon outside of the observation. This underscores the importance of the sleep cycle chemistry.

Further studies have shown that chronic insomnia in healthy people can also instigate diabetes. Loss of sleep interrupts insulin balance—leads to insulin resistance—which in turn can lead to more severe medical problems and Type 2 diabetes.  For more information about  diabetes and insomia click here.

 

Blood Pressure

Blood pressure plays an important part in the management of diabetes. High blood pressure (hypertension) adds to the workload of the heart, arteries and kidneys. Damage to kidneys, eyes and feet are long-term complications that can go along with a diagnosis of diabetes, but patients need to be aware of other health risks, including heart disease and strokesNarrowed blood vessels leave a smaller opening for blood to flow through. Having narrowed blood vessels is like turning on a garden hose and holding your thumb over the opening. The smaller opening makes the water shoot out with more pressure. In the same way, narrowed blood vessels lead to high blood pressure. Other factors, such as kidney problems and being overweight, also can lead to high blood pressure.  Having both diabetes and high blood pressure can pack a damaging one-two punch as far as increasing the risk of heart disease, stroke, and eye, kidney and nerve complications.  When high blood pressure stays high, it can damage the small filtering vessels of the kidney.

Diabetic Ketoacidosis (DKA)

This is a very dangerous condition.  It is more common in Type 1 diabetics but it can happen in Type 2 diabetes.  Diabetic ketoacidosis is a complication of diabetes that occurs when the body cannot use sugar (glucose) as a fuel source because the body has no insulin or not enough insulin, and fat is used instead. Byproducts of fat breakdown, called ketones, build up in the body. As fats are broken down, acids called ketones build up in the blood and urine. In high levels, ketones are poisonous. The blood becomes acidic. The acidic blood causes more complications. This condition is known as ketoacidosis.

Blood glucose levels rise (usually higher than 300 mg/dL) because the liver produces glucose to try to combat the problem. However the cells cannot pull in that glucose without insulin. People with type 2 diabetes can develop ketoacidosis, but it is rare. It is usually triggered by a severe illness. People of Hispanic and African-American ethnicity seem to be more likely to have ketoacidosis as a complication of type 2 diabetes.  The goal of treatment is to correct the high blood glucose level by giving more insulin. Another goal is to replace fluids lost through excessive urination and vomiting. Acidosis can lead to severe illness or death. If you think you may have this condition seek medical treatment immediately to have it properly diagnosed.  For more information about Diabetic Ketoacidosis click here.

 

Stress

Erectile Dysfunction

Erectile disorders aren’t quite rare, especially in those men who have blood sugar problems and diabetes. Erectile dysfunction is the most common sexual disorder in men, which is characterized by the decreased ability to get and keep erections hard enough for having penetrative sex. Being unable to control blood sugar levels is the primary reason for diabetic men to suffer from erectile dysfunction. Arteries tend to get damaged by high blood sugar contents and as a result less blood is able to flow to certain parts of the body, the penis being among them. For more information about erectile dysfunction (ED) click here.

 

Yeast Infections

Women with type 2 diabetes are at increased risk of yeast infections because they have more sugar in their body.  Vaginal yeast infection, also known as candidiasis, is an irritating condition that causes itching and irritation around the vagina, a thick white discharge that looks like cottage cheese, and burning when using the bathroom or having sex.  The increased level of blood sugar in diabetes affects the whole body, not just the blood. “Elevated blood sugars appear in the mucus of the vagina and vulva, so they serve as an excellent culture medium for yeast.“Some women, especially those with poorly controlled diabetes, have some compromise in their ability to fight off any infection.” This means that once a yeast infection has begun, getting rid of it may not be that easy. Taking medications like antibiotics can upset the flora and create an environment for yeast to grow.  For more information about diabetes and yeast infections click here.

 

Gluten free Diets

Many people especially diabetics have  gluten sensitivities. Foods that contain gluten such as wheat, oats, rye, barley, pasta, cereal, beer and spelt should be avoided. Many processed foods also contain gluten. One can buy bread and pastas that are gluten free as well as many other products which can be obtained from most supermarkets and health outlets. All fresh fruits and vegetables are gluten free as well as potato, rice, soy, and buckwheat and bean flour.  There have been positive results and diabetics have reported back that their symptoms were alleviated after a few weeks when they changed to a gluten free diet. However it is important to remember that a diabetic patient should first discuss any and all diet plan with their primary medical practitioner or dietitian.  For more information about gluten free diets click here.

 

Amputations

Diabetes is the leading cause of amputation of the lower limbs. Many of these amputations and hospitalizations could be prevented by better management of diabetes. Blood vessel and nerve damage associated with diabetes can lead to serious infections that are extremely difficult to treat.Diabetes can damage the blood vessels to the lower extremities causing a reduction in blood flow.  Often the first place you have a problem is your feet. When you lose the ability to feel your toes and feet, you are more likely to injure them without knowing it. Even a minor injury, such as a small cut, can develop into an ulcer and a serious infection.

Infections of the feet can spread up into the leg. Sometimes the infection is so severe that the foot and possibly part of the leg must be amputated. In the United States, more than 60% of all lower-leg amputations that are not related to an accident are done because of diabetes.  Amputations are done when efforts to save the foot or leg are unsuccessful or the infection is causing extensive tissue damage. In all cases, doctors save as much of a person’s foot or leg as possible.  For more information about amputations click here.