Diabetes is a chronic illness that causes detrimental health complications. If left unchecked, it influences the rise of your cholesterol and blood glucose which can wreak havoc on your general health.

Some of the more common complications from diabetes are neuropathy or nerve damage, a condition characterized by tingling and numbing sensation in your hands and feet, nephropathy or commonly known as kidney failure and retinopathy, a vision problem that starts with a blurry eyesight and progresses to total blindness.

There are other more dangerous complications from diabetes. Here are some of them

Skin Diseases

Among many other health problems, skin disorders are usually the first noticeable signs of diabetes. Share on X

Having this condition makes you more at risk of bacterial and fungal infection causing blister breakouts, itchiness and other irritations.

A bacterial infection is characterized by an inflamed skin that is swollen and painful to touch. Examples of these are eyelid styes, boils, carbuncles and hair follicle infections. Staph infection caused by the bacterium Staphylococcus Aureus is also common but can be treated with the use of antibiotics.

A fungal infection on the other hand causes itchy bumps and rashes in the moist areas of your body. They can be surrounded by blisters, scales and can produce a white film. Most fungal infections can be treated with fungal creams.

Other Infection

As diabetes suppresses your immune system, it makes you more vulnerable to the dangers of pathogen invasions that can cause yeast infection, urinary tract infection (UTI), or surgical site infection. As neuropathy or nerve damage is also common among diabetics, it makes it even more difficult for your body to quickly detect injuries on your feet.

Be vigilant about paying attention to any changes in your body that could signal an infection as an early diagnosis is crucial. Changes like a rise in body temperature, a painful and frequent urination, foul-smelling urine, changes in bowel movement, redness or swelling and vaginal discharge are all signs of potential infection.

Depression

Diabetes and depression are two conditions that can go hand-in-hand. According to a growing body of research, diabetes can increase your risk of depression. Conversely, depression can also increase your risk of type 2 diabetes.

Depression and diabetes is seen in the medical field as a vicious cycle. A diabetic person can feel overwhelmed and isolated due to the changes and complications brought by their condition. This intense feeling can lead to anxiety and depression. As their depression gets worse, they tend to stop managing their diabetes effectively, leaving them sicker than they already were.

Unfortunately, many depression cases are left not recognizes by their physicians due to the patient’s reluctance in disclosing their thoughts and feelings. There are also other patients who do not realize that they are already depressed.

Cardiovascular Diseases

Being diabetic doubles your risk of developing coronary artery diseases compared to the rest of the population. Hypertension and stroke are also common complications that come along with diabetes. To explain this further, here are three reasons why diabetes increases your risk of cardiac problems:

1. There is a strong correlation of high blood glucose levels with endothelial dysfunction. This is a condition in which the inner lining of your blood vessels fails to function normally. Endothelial dysfunction has a major role in the development of plaque formation in your blood vessels.

2. Platelets is the clogging element in your blood that stops bleeding. As high glucose levels aggravate your platelets making them stickier, it increases the coagulation potential of your blood plasma and causes abnormal blood clotting or thrombosis.

3. The plaques that formed within the blood vessels of diabetic patients have been shown to contain more inflammatory cells and lipids compared to non-diabetic patients who are suffering from atherosclerosis. This differences make diabetics more prone to blood vessel rupture.

Diabetes is a condition that causes many other problems. However, these medical issues can be prevented and well managed with proper diet and lifestyle medication programs.

If you have diabetes or fear that you are at risk of getting this disease, be smart in dealing with it. See your doctor and start becoming proactive. The sooner you find out the progression of your case, the better your chances of treating this disease.