{"id":910,"date":"2025-02-25T09:20:00","date_gmt":"2025-02-25T14:20:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mickeylieberman.com\/diabetes\/?p=910"},"modified":"2025-02-24T09:52:29","modified_gmt":"2025-02-24T14:52:29","slug":"how-can-diabetes-affect-your-body","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mickeylieberman.com\/diabetes\/how-can-diabetes-affect-your-body\/","title":{"rendered":"How Can Diabetes Affect Your Body?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Diabetes Affects Your Body<\/span><\/p>\n

Diabetes has many complications, some leading to other serious health conditions.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Eye problems are of particular concern to diabetics.<\/span><\/p>\n

Diabetes can play havoc with your eyes, and sometimes there are no early symptoms. So you may have no idea anything is wrong until your eyesight is in danger.<\/span><\/p>\n

Here are the main eye problems that can be caused, or made worse, by diabetes.<\/span><\/p>\n

Cataracts<\/span><\/p>\n

These are often described as a clouding of the lens of the eye. They are treatable by surgery in most cases.<\/span><\/p>\n

Glaucoma<\/span><\/p>\n

Our eyes are largely made up of fluid, and when the pressure of that fluid builds up too much inside the eye, you have glaucoma. Left untreated, it can damage the optic nerves, and even lead to blindness.<\/span><\/p>\n

Diabetic retinopathy<\/span><\/p>\n

Lining the back of our eyes is light-sensitive tissue known as the retina.<\/span><\/p>\n

The retina contains very small blood vessels that can be damaged by diabetic retinopathy.<\/span><\/p>\n

Sometimes there are symptoms such as blurred vision, but often you won’t even know anything is wrong until the condition is well advanced.<\/span><\/p>\n

In the worst case, it leads to blindness.<\/span><\/p>\n

Early detection is the key to battling all of these conditions, and the best diagnostic tool available is a thorough dilated eye examination.<\/span><\/p>\n

This is a test in which special eye drops temporarily enlarge your pupils, allowing the doctor to see the back of your eyes. This test (which is painless) can detect cataracts, glaucoma, or diabetic retinopathy in their early, treatable stages.<\/span><\/p>\n

Eyesight is precious, so if you have diabetes do yourself a favor and make an appointment for your eye examination. And then do it again every year from now on.<\/span><\/p>\n

Feet<\/span><\/p>\n

Diabetes has many complications, some leading to other serious health conditions.<\/span><\/p>\n

Diabetics need to pay particular attention to their feet.<\/span><\/p>\n

Diabetics have to take special care of their feet, or you can find them troubled in two ways: reduced blood circulation and nerve damage.<\/span><\/p>\n

Here’s what to look for and some prevention ideas.<\/span><\/p>\n

Symptom:<\/span><\/p>\n

If your feet are constantly cold, your legs are sore when you walk, or your feet hurt in bed at night, you may be suffering from poor blood circulation. This, in turn, can slow down the process of healing when you have cuts or other damage to your feet.<\/span><\/p>\n

Prevention:<\/span><\/p>\n

Staying physically active is one way to help improve your circulation. You also need to control your blood sugar levels, as well as your blood pressure. And of course, don’t smoke.<\/span><\/p>\n

Symptom:<\/span><\/p>\n

If your feet are numb, you have a burning sensation on the soles of your feet or pins and needles in your feet, you have signs of possible nerve damage.<\/span><\/p>\n

Foot nerves are the longest in our bodies and are therefore susceptible to damage by diabetes. If these nerves are damaged, the feelings are lessened, so we could have cuts or blisters that can lead to ulcers, and we wouldn’t even know about it.<\/span><\/p>\n

Prevention:<\/span><\/p>\n

Check your feet regularly to be sure there are no signs of injury. If you develop corns or calluses, have them treated immediately by a podiatrist.<\/span><\/p>\n

Wash and dry carefully between your toes, and keep your nails trimmed and smooth.<\/span><\/p>\n

Everyone likes to have their feet pampered, but for us diabetics it not only feels good, but it also prevents serious health problems in the future.<\/span><\/p>\n

Heart<\/span><\/p>\n

Diabetes has many complications, some leading to other serious health conditions.<\/span><\/p>\n

Heart health is one more reason to take control of your diabetes.<\/span><\/p>\n

Diabetes is one condition that must be treated as soon as it is diagnosed, even though in its early stages it doesn’t hurt, cause inconvenience, or create any worrisome symptoms.<\/span><\/p>\n

But ignoring it is a mistake because the blood sugar imbalance diabetics live with can cause a variety of complications, even leading to other serious health conditions.<\/span><\/p>\n

One major cause for concern is the adverse effects on our hearts. Our unstable blood sugar levels can cause poor circulation\u2014a big step on the road to heart problems.<\/span><\/p>\n

Here are some things to watch for.<\/span><\/p>\n

Hypertension<\/span><\/p>\n

Diabetes often goes hand-in-hand with high blood pressure or hypertension.<\/span><\/p>\n

Your doctor will tell you that diabetics must work to get their blood pressure down even lower than other people.<\/span><\/p>\n

While a systolic pressure (the top number) of 140 might be acceptable for the general population, diabetics should aim for 130 or lower. It’s all part of the battle against possible heart disease.<\/span><\/p>\n

Blood fats<\/span><\/p>\n

Cholesterol and triglycerides, or blood fats, also need to be kept lower in diabetics.<\/span><\/p>\n

Lots of fruits and vegetables, and fewer packaged or fried foods are your best bets for dietary blood fat control.<\/span><\/p>\n

Blood sugar<\/span><\/p>\n

Blood sugar levels need monitoring too, as consistently high levels damage blood vessels and can lead to cardiovascular difficulties.<\/span><\/p>\n

Weight level<\/span><\/p>\n

And of course, you know it’s important to maintain a healthy weight.<\/span><\/p>\n

Why is that particularly important for us diabetics?<\/span><\/p>\n

First, if you are overweight your heart muscle needs to work harder to pump blood through your system.<\/span><\/p>\n

This weakens your blood vessels, which are then more susceptible to damage from fluctuating blood sugar levels. It’s a vicious cycle you don’t want to create.<\/span><\/p>\n

Your heart is the main engine of your whole body, so you need to do everything possible to keep it in good shape. For the sake of a healthy heart, take control of your diabetes.<\/span><\/p>\n

Mouth<\/span><\/p>\n

Diabetes has many complications, some leading to other serious health conditions.<\/span><\/p>\n

Diabetics are prone to several problems of the mouth, requiring special care.<\/span><\/p>\n

Diabetics have to pay even more attention to their teeth and gums than other people.<\/span><\/p>\n

We are at greater risk of cavities, gum disease, and tooth infections. Not only that, but those infections can cause our blood sugar to rise, so it becomes a vicious cycle.<\/span><\/p>\n

Here are some mouth problems common in diabetics.<\/span><\/p>\n

Plaque<\/span><\/p>\n

Plaque is, of course, a problem for many people, not just diabetics. But it’s caused by starches and sugars, and of course, we have more than our share of those! So diabetics are highly prone to plaque.<\/span><\/p>\n

Dry mouth<\/span><\/p>\n

Sometimes your mouth is so dry in the morning you can hardly speak.<\/span><\/p>\n

But it’s more than just inconvenient, it’s dangerous to the health of our mouths. You see, saliva washes away many of the bacteria that cause cavities and gum disease.<\/span><\/p>\n

Dry mouth cuts the amount of saliva available for this job, so the result is more cavities and gum disease.<\/span><\/p>\n

A dry mouth sometimes also creates inflammation of the soft tissue in the mouth, making eating difficult and unpleasant.<\/span><\/p>\n

While there are artificial saliva substitutes, which your dentist can tell you about, you can usually stimulate your saliva by sucking on a sugar-free hard candy.<\/span><\/p>\n

And of course, drinking water helps.<\/span><\/p>\n

Fungal infections<\/span><\/p>\n

Not only do we diabetics have less saliva than we need, but the saliva we do have is high in sugar content, so it’s double trouble for us.<\/span>
\nThis can cause a fungal infection called candidiasis, commonly known as thrush. It produces sore red or white spots in the mouth.<\/span><\/p>\n

Medication can help though, so ask your dentist.<\/span><\/p>\n

As a diabetic, you must pay great attention to oral hygiene. Brush your teeth twice a day, and floss daily. Examine your gums for signs of problems\u2014and always visit your dentist at least twice a year.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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