Different Side Effects of Diabetes

Diabetics are at a higher risk for many complications than for someone who does not have diabetes. In the top six, you are looking at several conditions with heart disease and stroke being a major risk factor. The other five are high cholesterol, hypertension, lack of exercise, being overweight and smoking. Those with diabetes have a greater chance of these problems due to the amount of cholesterol that can make a home in the arteries. And, once they have their first heart attack, the risk for a second is great.


Nerve damage is another concern and worry for those that are diabetic. Although neuropathy can hit at anytime during the your life of having diabetes, it is usually found in those who have been living with the disease for longer than twenty five years or in those who do not have control over the disease. The three most common neuropathy diagnoses are autonomic, proximal and focal and peripheral. Autonomic is when the heart, digestion, blood pressure, sex function and urinating become affected. In proximal neuropathy, there is pain in the butt and hips but at some point sufferers will experience trouble standing and getting up from sitting down. The last, focal and peripheral, is when there can be pain in the chest and lower back, blurry or double vision and the patient cannot get the eyes to focus.


Another big concern for diabetics is failure of the kidneys. In the early stages of diabetes (first ten years) is when a patient will generally develop kidney disease. However, they may not have kidney failure until 25 years down the road. There is no treatment for this except for dialysis or a transplant. Even when taking good care of your health, diabetics are at a very high risk for kidney disease no matter what.

Getting the inside scoop on these medical conditions and others that affect those with diabetes can help to make you a lower risk and keep you healthy. Taking your medications, eating a proper and healthy diet and getting the right amount of exercise can help you to stay healthy and keep many of the medical complications that diabetics are at a higher risk for at bay. They say that knowledge is power and when it comes to diabetes there is no better weapon. Speak with your doctor to learn as much as you can and find out what you need to do in order to be a low risk factor.