Health Tips A to Z

Health Tips – Why is diabetes a health problem?

Diabetes is the leading cause of death by disease. When you have diabetes, the glucose levels in your blood are higher than normal. The increased blood sugar slowly damages your nerves and the small and large blood vessels in your body. This leads to a variety of health problems and complications, including:

• Heart disease – Diabetes causes your arteries to narrow, which increases your risk of heart disease, stroke and high blood pressure
• Eye disease – Diabetes is the leading cause of adult blindness. Over time, the blood vessels in your eyes deteriorate, increasing your risk of developing glaucoma and cataracts
• Kidney disease – Over 25% of people with diabetes develop kidney disease. Diabetes damages the small blood vessels in the kidneys and also affects the nerves that control your bladder
• Nerve damage – Nerve damage caused by diabetes can lead to numbness or tingling in your limbs, insensitivity to pain and, if the damage is great enough, possible amputation
• Infections – Because diabetes interferes with blood supply and damages nerves, you are at higher risk of infection. Wounds heal more slowly and your immune system no longer functions properly
• Impotence – Between 8% and 13% of all men with diabetes are impotent, a condition caused by blocked blood vessels
• Pregnancy complications – Women with diabetes have a higher risk of complications in their pregnancies and are more likely to deliver babies with birth defects