There's probably not much time in your life for wondering what's happening next weekend, let alone time to consider how having diabetes affects your future. But thinking about your diabetes a little bit now — and taking some steps to prevent problems — might make things easier down the road.
You may have wondered why doctors talk so much about keeping blood sugar levels in a healthy range. Here's why: Long-term diabetes problems — or complications — are often linked to higher blood sugar levels over a long period of time. These complications can affect several different parts of the body.
But blood sugar control isn't the only thing that determines a person's risk for diabetes complications. Other factors, like genes, can also play a role.
Many of the complications of diabetes don't show up until after many years — even decades — of having the disease. They usually develop silently and gradually over time, so even if people with diabetes aren't having any signs of complications, they may still eventually develop them.
Talking or thinking about long-term complications can be scary. And, let's be realistic, it can be hard for anyone to make changes in how they live today to decrease the risk of health problems that may not show up for decades. But it's important to start now. Managing your diabetes by eating right, getting regular exercise, and taking your medication under the supervision of your diabetes health care team is the best way to reduce the risk of developing complications.
Parts of the body that can be most affected by diabetes complications are the:
People with diabetes have a greater risk of developing eye problems, including:
Your doctor will probably check your eyes for early signs of these problems during routine exams. He or she may also recommend that you see an ophthalmologist (pronounced: opf-thul-MAH-luh-jist, a doctor who specializes in treating diseases of the eye) or optometrist (pronounced: op-TAH-muh-trist, a person who examines your eyes and tests your vision).
Keeping your blood sugar and blood pressure levels under control and avoiding tobacco may also help you avoid eye problems associated with diabetes.
When blood sugar is high, it can cause damage to the blood vessels in the kidneys, leading to kidney disease. This is sometimes called diabetic nephropathy (pronounced: neh-FRAH-puh-thee).
Kidney disease is more likely to happen in people who haven't controlled their blood sugar levels over a long period of time. Kidney disease can worsen if someone also has high blood pressure or uses tobacco.
In its early stages, kidney disease doesn't cause symptoms. Over time, though, it can cause kidney failure, which means the kidneys stop working. So kidney disease is a serious health problem.
If a person has gone through puberty and has had diabetes for several years, doctors will probably test for kidney disease about once a year. Doctors may do a urine test to measure the amount of protein called albumin (pronounced: al-BYOO-mun) in the urine.
If the amount of protein in the urine increases beyond a certain point, or if there are other signs of kidney disease, doctors may look at a piece of the kidney (a biopsy) under a microscope to make sure someone really has kidney disease.
If doctors detect kidney disease early enough, the damage can sometimes be reversed with proper treatment. Doctors may tell a person with diabetic nephropathy to eat less protein and also might prescribe medications.
If the kidney disease gets worse, a person may develop kidney failure, which requires dialysis (regular use of a machine to clean the blood as the kidneys normally would) or a kidney transplant. The good news is that these days kidney disease is less likely to end up as kidney failure because of earlier detection and better treatment than in the past.
The best way to help prevent diabetic kidney disease is to keep your blood sugar levels under control by following your diabetes treatment plan. It's also important to get regular blood pressure checks and urine albumin tests — your diabetes health care team will tell you when you need these.
In addition, steer clear of smoking, which can increase the risk of kidney problems and other diabetes complications and health problems.
Another complication that people who have had diabetes for a long time might develop is a type of nerve damage called diabetic neuropathy (pronounced: noo-RAH-puh-thee).
Diabetic neuropathy can affect nerves in many different parts of the body. The most common early symptoms of the condition are numbness, tingling, or sharp pains in the feet or lower legs.
If it's not treated, nerve damage can cause a number of problems. For example, because of the numbness, people with nerve damage might not realize that they have a cut, and it could become seriously infected before they discover it.
Because nerve damage can happen anywhere in the body, problems can occur in almost any organ system, including the digestive tract, urinary system, eyes, and heart.
Doctors usually diagnose nerve damage by giving a person a physical exam. A biopsy of nerve tissue or other special tests may also be necessary. The doctor might recommend that the patient see a nerve specialist (neurologist).
Doctors believe nerve damage is linked to high blood sugar levels over time. So controlling blood sugar levels by following a diabetes treatment plan can help reduce a person's risk of developing this complication.
People with diabetes have a higher risk of developing certain problems with the heart and blood vessels. (These are called cardiovascular diseases.) Some of these problems are:
How well blood sugar is managed probably plays a role in heart and blood vessel problems, too. And if a person smokes, is obese, has abnormal levels of blood lipids (triglycerides or cholesterol), high blood pressure, or a family history of heart attack or stroke before age 50, he or she definitely has a higher risk of these problems.
One thing you can do to reduce your risk of cardiovascular diseases is to be a healthy weight. If you're overweight, your doctor can suggest ways to help you lose weight and stay there. The doctor may also check your blood lipid levels (cholesterol and triglycerides) and blood pressure regularly to be sure they're in a healthy range.
Following your diabetes meal plan, getting regular exercise, and taking diabetes medications as prescribed may also help prevent or delay the development of heart and blood vessel problems. Also, smoking increases the risk of heart and blood vessel problems, as well as other diabetes complications.
People with diabetes are more likely than others to develop gum disease (also called periodontal disease) because they may have:
All of these factors can contribute to gum disease. Signs and symptoms of gum disease include bleeding, sensitive, and painful gums. The gums may also recede (receding gums no longer cover the root surfaces of teeth) or be discolored. Dentists can diagnose gum disease during regular checkups.
Fortunately, you can prevent gum disease by managing your blood sugar levels, taking good care of your teeth by brushing and flossing daily, and getting regular dental checkups.
Someone who has had diabetes for many years can develop foot problems because of poor blood flow in the feet and nerve damage.
Starting at puberty, your doctor will check your feet for any signs of problems. You should tell your doctor about any foot problems you're having, such as ingrown toenails, calluses, and dry skin. Even if your feet just feel irritated because you've been wearing certain shoes or because you've had a minor sports injury, you should tell your doctor.
To prevent foot problems, wear comfortable shoes that fit properly and keep your toenails trimmed to the shape of the toe. Exercise, which increases blood flow to the feet, can also help keep feet healthy.
Smoking can increase the risk of foot problems or make them worse.
Some complications of diabetes occur after years — even decades — of having the disease, and sometimes people don't even have any noticeable symptoms. That's why it's so important to follow your diabetes management plan and taking an active role in your health by getting regular medical care and checkups with your diabetes health care team. They can detect many diabetes problems before they start causing symptoms and help you get the treatment you need.
Reviewed by: Steven Dowshen, MD
Date reviewed: August 2013
|National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases This group conducts and supports research on many serious diseases affecting public health.|
|American Diabetes Association (ADA) The ADA website includes news, information, tips, and recipes for people with diabetes.|
|Children With Diabetes This website offers true stories about kids and teens who have diabetes.|
|Joslin Diabetes Center The website of this Boston-based center has information about how to monitor blood sugar and manage diabetes.|
|Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation International (JDRF) JDRF's mission is to find a cure for diabetes and its complications through the support of research.|
|National Diabetes Education Program (NDEP) NDEP is a partnership of the National Institutes of Health, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and more than 200 public and private organizations. Its mission is to improve the treatment and outcomes for people with diabetes, to promote early diagnosis, and to prevent the onset of diabetes.|
|Diabetes Control: Why It's Important People who have diabetes may hear or read a lot about controlling, or managing, the condition. But what is diabetes control and why is it so important?|
|Kidney Disease Sometimes, the kidneys aren't able to do their job properly. Other than kidney infections, the two most common kidney conditions among teens are nephritis and nephrosis.|
|Diabetes Center Our Diabetes Center provides information and advice for teens about treating and living with diabetes.|
|Gum Disease Gum disease doesn't just happen to people your grandparents' age - it can happen to teens too. Get the details here.|
|When Being Overweight Is a Health Problem A couple of pounds of extra body fat are not a health risk for most people. But when people are severely overweight, it can cause health problems.|
|Your Diabetes Health Care Team It takes all of your team members - you, your parents, doctors, certified diabetes educators, dietitians, and mental health pros - to help you take care of your diabetes.|
|Other Diseases That Are More Common in People With Type 1 Diabetes People with type 1 diabetes have a greater risk for certain health problems, such as thyroid disorders, celiac disease, and Addison's disease. Find out more about these autoimmune disorders.|
|Hypertension (High Blood Pressure) High blood pressure, also called hypertension, is more common in adults, but it can happen at any age. Learn what it is, how to prevent it, and how to treat it.|
|Weight and Diabetes Weight can influence diabetes, and diabetes can influence weight. Managing weight can really make a difference in a person's diabetes management plan.|
|Kidneys and Urinary Tract The kidneys perform several functions that are essential to health, the most important of which are to filter blood and produce urine.|
|Sports, Exercise, and Diabetes Teens with diabetes can exercise and play sports at the same level as everyone else, so whether you want to go for the gold or just go hiking in your hometown, diabetes shouldn't hold you back.|
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