Health Complications
Having diabetes can affect many different parts of your body. If you do not keep your blood sugar under control, you can get complications that will have an impact on your daily life. Diabetes can damage blood vessels in your body, affecting many different areas. Below is a list of areas of the body that can be directly affected by diabetes:
- Kidneys (nephropathy)
- Eyes (retinopathy)
- Nerve damage (neuropathy)
- Skin complications
- Heart complications
- Dental/gum disease
- Sexual dysfunction
Taking care of your diabetes is an important first step in preventing or reversing some of these complications. Knowing when there is a problem will help you take the right steps so you can feel better. There are certain things you can do to lessen your change of having kidney, eye, heart, nerve and skin problems down the road.
Talk with your provider about setting goals for important numbers related to your diabetes such as your Hemoglobin A1c, blood pressure and cholesterol. If your numbers are higher than your goal, your risk of having additional health issues is higher. Work with your provider to lower your numbers and reach your healthy goal.