Myriad Diabetes Complications
Diabetes is a common disease that seems to affect many people and cause many diabetes complications to occur. There are many side effects and complications of the disease. The disease can affect some specific parts of the body. This is the reason for you to try and control the disease as early as possible. Early identification of the disease and appropriate precautions will prevent many if not all of the diabetes complications.
Some of the common complications caused in diabetes are listed here.
1. Diabetic neuropathy
The neuropathy is the damage to the nerve that occurs because of increased diabetic levels. Neuropathy causes damage to the muscles and there can be muscle weakness or paralysis. Other than this, the sensation in the foot or other parts of the body may also be lost. This in turn leads to diabetic foot complications including foot ulcers. Foot ulcers are the leading cause of amputations in diabetics.
2. Diabetic Retinopathy
Retinopathy is nothing but damage to the retina. As the diabetes is uncontrolled in nature, the nerves that help in proper vision are affected. Many people start becoming blind because of the retinopathy. It is important to reduce the complications of diabetes by regularly visiting the Ophthalmologist to get the eye checked.
3. Diabetic Vasculopathy
Lack of blood supply to the extremities is also another major problem in diabetes. Vasculopathy is a diabetic complication that can lead to the formation of gangrene. This can also lead to amputations of the lower limb. Since this is a severe diabetes complication, prevention is the key.
4. Amputations
Though amputations are not a direct diabetes complication, there are many people who suffer from diabetes undergoing amputation to prevent septicemia from occurring. The neuropathy and vasculopathy that is seen in diabetes is a deadly combination that can kill a person. Any injury to the foot or even other parts of the body can cause the wound to become bigger.
Lack of blood supply delays the healing of the wound. There is also a high risk of infection in the wound. All this can cause septicemia to occur. When septicemia occurs, the risk of the patient dying increases. Amputation is the only option that is left to save the life of the person. On the other hand, many research studies have shown that amputations can lead to a decreased quality of life. Amputations will also increase the mortality rate of the person because of various related diabetes complications.
POSTED ON June 17, 2011,