Dealing with Diabetes. Common Complications of DM. Part 2

courtesy www.juvenon.com

In the last post you were introduced to some common complications of Diabetes Mellitus . Besides the ones covered, there are others that are common. These complications affect not only your vision but also your sexual health.

If you are recently joining in on this post series but are unsure about what Diabetes is, check out our previous posts about the definition of diabetes, its risk factors, and its symptoms and signs.

Onward we go.

Common Complications of Diabetes Mellitus

Diabetic Retinopathy

If you remember the last post, we spoke on how the ending -pathy means disease or disorder. In this case the disorder or disease is of the retina. 

The retina is a structure at the back of the eye that is sensitive to light. Diabetes causes damage to the blood vessel that nourish the retina, and as a result can lead to vision loss. Generally the longer a person suffers from diabetes, and has uncontrolled blood sugars, the more likely they are to develop diabetic retinopathy.

courtesy stantonoptical.com

Symptoms include:

• Blurred Vision
• Vision that comes and goes
• Seeing dark spots or strings floating
• Seeing empty areas within your vision
• Vision Loss

Hyperglycaemia

courtesy eyecandoit.org

This complication would seem to be a bit obvious to some of you who are reading, since Diabetes Mellitus in the first place is a result of high blood sugars or hyperglycaemia. If blood sugars are not controlled adequately, be that by lifestyle changes or medication, hypergleycaemia will prevail.

On the other hand, another complication of Diabetes Mellitus is....

Hypoglycaemia

courtesy 2.bp.blogspot.com

Interestingly enough, low blood sugar is also complication of diabetes. This is more treatment/lifestyle related, and can occur with persons using tablet, and/or insulin combined with poor dietary structure most commonly. For example hypoglycaemia can be the result of the following:

• Skipping meals for whatever reason, or not eating adequately while maintaining the same dose of medication prescribed.
• Having been prescribed a higher dose of medication than needed for individual needs.

Usually hypoglycaemia is associated with insulin users.

While some symptoms can overlap, here is a general symptom overview of both hyper and hypoglycaemia.

Adapted from www.dailyhealthpost.com

Last but by no means least:

Sexual Dysfunction

Most men and women with diabetes are able to have normal sexual lives, however, for some people diabetes can contribute to sexual dysfunction. 

courtesy www.medicalnewstoday.com

• Erectile Dysfunction

Among men, diabetes can contribute to erectile dysfunction. Erectile dysfunction is defined by the inability to achieve or maintain an erection that lasts during sexual intercourse. It is known more popularly as a disorder stemming from psychological factors, however,  diabetes mellitus  via its neuropathic complications as we discussed in Common Complications of DM. Part 1 can also cause erectile dysfunction. Cardiovascular disease stemming from diabetes can also play a role in this disorder.

courtesty www.medfactor.es

• Women, Diabetes and Sexual Dysfunction

Women with diabetes can also experience certain elements of sexual dysfunction.  These include:

Decreased libido

Vaginal dryness

Reduced ability to orgasm

Painful intercourse

If you felt you learned something about common complications of Diabetes, from Part 1 or this post, Part 2, be sure to like our facebook page, and more importantly share this information with your loved ones.

That's all for now. 

Blessings to you and yours.

©July 2018

Dealing with Diabetes. Common Complications of DM. Part 1

Very often, I refer to Diabetes and Hypertension as gateway diseases. Here's why.
Picture a long wall with just one door.

Courtesy: yescandoproperty.com

That door is a gateway, and it represents in this case, Diabetes Mellitus.

When you open that door, this is what you get...

Courtesy: aceandrich.com

A hall way with multiple doors that lead to other illnesses...conditions that are complications of diabetes. (This analogy also applies to Hypertension as well...)

In this first post of two we'll be considering some of the more common doors within that hallway. Let's have a look.

Common Complications of Diabetes Mellitus

Diabetic Ketoacidosis

Lamentably, sometimes Diabetes Mellitus can first introduce itself in person's life via a complication of the disease. Diabetic Ketoacidosis also known as DKA is frequently associated with Diabetes type 1. With a dangerous mixture of consistently high levels of blood sugars, and a lack of insulin to regulate those levels, the body begins to produce high levels of blood acids known as ketones, this in turn contributes to the symptoms listed below:

Diabetic Foot

Many of you reading already know a bit about this common complication of Diabetes Mellitus. Diabetic Foot is actually a complication...of a complication of Diabetic Mellitus known as Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy.
I'm sure some of us can think of common cases of diabetic foot within our own families/villages/parishes etc. Perhaps someone with a known/or unknown history of diabetes mellitus stepped on a sharp object, and then realized the wound would not heal, or had a small wound or ulcer on a toe, that just never got better. These wounds are many times painless.

                                                                                                               courtesy www.solfoot.com

Now, from here on out, you'll be seeing some conditions that end in '-pathy'. Don't be alarmed or feel confused about it. In the following complications, the ending '-pathy' is used as a way of saying disorder or disease.

Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy

The name sounds complicated, but its simply refers to a disorder of the nerves, peripheral referring to the ends of our bodies or our limbs. In summary it can be simply understood as  disorder of the nerves related to the limbs.

It is one of the complications that lead to Diabetic Foot. In Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy high blood sugars damage nerves throughout the body, most often those of the lower limbs and feet are affected. It happens slowly over a long period of time, as a result a person may not know they have diabetes till encountering the symptoms of Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy.

                                 courtesy www.pinterest.com

Side note :

This is the reason why one ought not discount or discredit that friend or family member with a diabetic foot who says something like:

 "Honestly me nuh min feel wen ma get dig jack, ma jus see dah cut dey"

 or 

"Ma nuhmin eb'n realise dat da grung min so hot man"

This is highly possible as painful and thermal sensation are decreased in Diabetic Neuropathy.

 Peripheral Vascular Disease

Peripheral vascular disease together with Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy contribute to Diabetic Foot.
As its name suggests this is a condition that affects the limbs however in this case it is the blood vessels. High amounts of sugar in blood contributes to blood vessel narrowing.
As a result of narrowed blood vessels, the blood cannot adequately nourish parts of the body that it. As it relates to Diabetic Foot, reduced blood supply to the feet, can cause cells and tissues to die due to lack of nourishment.

  courtesy www.podiatrytoday.com

Heart Attack and Stroke

Now let's link what you just read to understanding the relationship between Diabetes and Heart Attack and Stroke. Usually when we think about these two conditions, we immediately think high blood pressure. However, high glucose levels also affect all other blood vessels in the body, it is not just limited to the limbs. Therefore, since all other blood vessels are affected by high sugar concentration in the blood, they will also experience narrowing, and this is the reason why diabetics are at risk for Heart Attacks and Strokes.

  courtesy www.newhealthadvisor.com

Side note :

Diabetes just like Hypertension is a systemic disease, meaning it affects all systems, therefore not only the limbs, heart and brain are affected, but also other major organs like the kidneys.

Diabetic Nephropathy

Diabetic Nephropathy is just the same as saying Diabetic Kidney Disease. The 'nephro-' is a prefix that simply means kidney. Diabetic Nephropathy is also a complication that progesses slowly over time, and its cause is also related to the narrowing of the blood vessels as we've discussed above.
The symptoms of Diabetic Nephropathy are not unlike those in Chronic Kidney Disease, read that article here.

courtesy www.workouttrends.com

There you have it.

In the next post we'll speak on complications of diabetes related to sexual health and more, so be on the look out for Common Complications of DM-Part 2.

Now that you have an understanding of some of the common complications of Diabetes Mellitus, spread the word, teach someone something they didn't know about shugah.
It's all a part of building our Antigua & Barbuda #wadadlianstrong.

Would you like to learn even more about Diabetes Mellitus? Check out the Related Posts just below my signature.

Bye for now, and blessings to you and yours.

©July 2018