• Is Diabetes Serious?
• Diabetes Complications

Diabetes complications are serious and include kidney failure, eye damage, nerve damage and foot complications, cardiovascular disease and sexual dysfunction. If diabetes is diagnosed and managed effectively, the chance of developing complications is greatly reduced.


Kidney Failure

The kidney's act as a filtering system for waste products. This filtering system is made up of many tiny blood vessels which can be damaged by raised blood glucose levels, high blood pressure and high cholesterol levels. If this damage continues to occur over a period of time, the kidney's stop working.


Eye Damage

People with diabetes are at a high risk of eye damage. Eye damage occurs when small blood vessels in the retina (back of the eye) are damaged. It occurs over time and is a result of high blood glucose levels, high blood pressure and high blood cholesterol. This can lead to impaired vision or blindness.


Nerve Damage and Foot Complications

Having high blood glucose for a long time can damage nerves and blood vessels. Nerves are like power cords and when the insulation gets damaged by the high blood glucose levels, the signals do not get through properly.

Nerve damage can result in loss of sensations in the feet. Sores, wounds and other injuries can occur without a person noticing. Injuries unnoticed or untreated can lead to foot ulcers and amputation.


Cardiovascular Disease

High blood glucose levels cause the blood to become thicker and stickier. This makes it harder for the heart to pump it around the body and the blood vessel walls become very thick and hard. The increased pressure on the heart and blood vessels may result in heart attack or stroke (strokes occur in the brain).


Sexual Dysfunction

Erectile dysfunction for men and reduced sexual sensation for women can be a long term problem with diabetes. It occurs when nerve and blood vessels in the area are damaged. Men may find it difficult to obtain or sustain an erection.

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