The Danger Of Diabetes

 If the sugar is not controlled over time, high amounts of sugar in the blood will damage tiny blood vessels and nerves.

The effects of chronic high blood sugar cause widespread damage in the body.

Eyes:

High levels of sugar in the blood cause damage to the small blood vessels within the retina leading to worsening vision and possibly blindness. In fact, diabetes is the leading cause of new cases of blindness among adults 20 - 74 years old.

Kidneys:

High blood sugar damages tiny blood vessels in the kidneys, which decreases this organ's ability to filter blood. High blood  pressure, which is common in diabetes, only increase kidney damage. If kidney function decline is severe, blood must to be filtered by a machine - a process called dialysis. Dialysis is costly, time consuming and exhausting for those with kidney disease.

One dialysis session takes 4 hours and must be done 3 times per week.

Nerves :

High blood sugar can lead to nervous system damage leading to impaired sensation in the hands or feet, slowed digestion and other nerve problems, ulcers may form on the hands or feet , if left untreated can lead to amputation. More than 50% of all lower limb amputations occur in people who have diabetes.

Brain and Heart:

Diabetes are at greater risk for stroke, dental and heart disease. Approximately 20% of diabetic will die of stroke, making it a leading cause of death in this population. Adults with diabetes have heart disease death rates about 2 to 4 times higher than adults who don't have diabetes.

People with diabetes are twice as likely to have depression:

This can complicate diabetes management which requires a high level of self- care. In addition, depression is associated with a 60 percent increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes.