Prolonged high blood sugar levels can deter smooth functioning of your body and lead to health complications. These complications develop gradually, often go unnoticed at first, but carry the power to affect the quality of life. It is important to stay informed about the most common complications of Type 2 Diabetes, to seek medical attention on time.
This blog seeks to give you a glimpse into the potential complications associated with Type 2 diabetes.
Cardiovascular Diseases
When you have type 2 diabetes, your blood sugar stays high for prolonged periods. This leads to a condition called endothelial dysfunction, where the inner lining of blood vessels gets damaged. When this happens, it negatively impacts the blood vessel’s ability to regulate blood flow, leading to a condition called atherosclerosis, the buildup of fat deposits inside the blood vessels.
Besides this, individuals with type 2 diabetes often have high levels of triglycerides and low levels of HDL (aka) good cholesterol. When your blood has abnormal levels of fat, this leads to a condition called dyslipidemia, which leads to a buildup of plaque in the arteries, increasing the risk of blockages.
As a result of all this, the arteries narrow and harden, thereby increasing the risk of heart attacks (when blood flow to part of the heart is blocked) and strokes (when blood flow to the brain is blocked.)
High Blood Pressure
Insulin resistance, typical to Type 2 Diabetes, stimulates the kidney to retain sodium, leading to increased blood volume pushing against the artery walls and damaging it. The damage causes stiffened blood vessels and significant resistance to blood flow, thereby raising blood pressure.
Diabetic Neuropathy
This is a condition characterised by nerve damage. The reason is quite simple – when the nerves don’t function as normal, it affects the way the cells function and the signals sent to your brain. Nerve damage can lead to numbness, pain, weakness, or tingling. This can affect how you see, hear, feel, and move.
Hyperosmolar Hyperglycemic State
This is a condition characterised by extreme blood sugar levels without a significant buildup of ketones, leading to increased serum osmolality and severe dehydration. If not treated on time, it will even lead to death. This leads to extreme thirst, frequent urination, dry mouth & skin, fatigue, muscle weakness, altered mental state, blurred vision, seizures, and even coma & death if left untreated.
Hypoglycemia
This is a condition where your blood sugar levels drop too low, especially with the intake of diabetes medications. When you take insulin or sulfonylurea drug to make your body produce insulin throughout the year, your blood sugar levels might dip too low sometimes. This leads to rapid heartbeat, sweating, paleness, anxiety, numbness, sleepiness, confusion, migraines, and slurred speech.
Diabetic Nephropathy
High blood sugar levels keep your kidneys working extra hard to excrete the excess sugars. If you don’t undergo treatment to address the excess sugars in your bloodstream, it can lead to diabetic nephropathy, a kidney disease that leads to inflammation and scarring in the kidney tissues. This can lead to kidney damage and end-stage renal disease. You might have to undergo a kidney transplant or regular dialysis to lead a normal life.
Diabetic Ketoacidosis
This is a condition that happens when the body breaks down fat at a rapid rate to feed the cells, thereby leading to production of ketones (a by-product of fat breakage in your liver) When the ketone level become too high, your blood becomes acidic, which can be life-threatening.
Dementia
Recent research has revealed that poor vascular health and inflammation due to Type 2 Diabetes leads to cognitive impairment, raising the risk of some individuals developing certain types of dementia, including Alzheimer’s disease.
Eye/Vision Issues
Excess blood sugar levels damage the blood vessels in the retina and may even block some. This deprives the retina of necessary nutrients, and may lead to diabetic retinopathy, a chronic condition that affects your eyesight. In extreme cases, abnormal blood vessels grow in the retina and bleed into the vitreous area, causing significant vision loss. It can even lead to retinal detachment. The good news is that this condition is treatable and can be picked up at an eye screening test. High blood sugar levels can also lead to rapid incidence of cataracts.
Foot Issues
Foot problems are quite common in Type 2 Diabetes. High blood sugar can damage nerves, especially in the feet as we normally tend to put more pressure there. This leads to numbness, tingling, or lack of sensation, making it hard to notice injuries or pressure sores. The nerve damage can also weaken the bones in the foot, leading to deformities and increased risk of ulcers. The raised blood sugar levels affect the way your cuts and sores heal, thereby keeping the door open for severe infections. Sometimes, amputation becomes necessary to stop the spread of infections.
Gum Issues
Too much blood sugar can lead to high sugar content in your saliva. This leads to a rapid build of sugar-loving bacteria which attacks your tooth enamel and gums. Additionally, you might also experience yeast infection/diabetic sores in your mouth, leading to more gum Issues.
Skin Issues
High blood sugar levels lead to dehydration and reduced moisture retention in the skin. This leads to flaky or itchy skin. Overtime, the blood vessels under the skin go through significant damage and lead to brown scaly patches, fungal infections, bacterial infections, ulcers, and acanthosis nigricans.
Fatigue
When blood sugar levels stay high, your body cannot effectively use glucose for energy, thereby leading to feelings of tiredness and lethargy. Additionally, frequent urination, the key characteristic of Type 2 Diabetes, leads to energy loss and fatigue.
Hearing Impairment
Elevated blood sugar levels can damage blood vessels and nerves throughout the body, including those in the inner ear, affecting sound transmission and processing. High blood sugar levels can also reduce blood flow and oxygen supply to the ears. Overtime, this leads to partial or full hearing loss.
Other Acute Complications
If your blood sugar levels are high and left unchecked, it might even lead to cancer, sexual dysfunction, and life-threatening emergencies like Diabetic Ketoacidosis, coma, and even death.
Most Type 2 Diabetes complications often loom out of the blue, yet affect the normal functioning of your body. It is imperative to be well informed about the potential health complications associated with Type 2 Diabetes, to treat it effectively and lead a normal life in the long-run.
