Serious Health Problems Linked to Diabetes

Having diabetes means you’re at greater risk of developing other health problems like high blood pressure, neuropathy, and heart disease. But there’s no reason you need to let your diabetes dictate your life or your future health.

At Weston Medical Health & Wellness, Dr. Andrea Bretal, specializes in treating diabetes. Though medications may be needed to treat certain types of diabetes, we take a more holistic approach to care, encouraging nutrition and lifestyle changes to manage diabetes. 

Yes, there are serious health problems linked to diabetes, but you can take steps to delay or prevent these complications. Here, we want to share with you the health problems related to diabetes and how we can help you manage your diabetes and protect your health.

About diabetes

When you have diabetes, your blood sugar — or blood glucose — is higher than normal. The glucose in your blood comes from the food you eat and serves as the preferred source of energy for all the cells in your body. 

Your pancreas makes a hormone called insulin that helps get the glucose from the blood into the cells. Diabetes occurs because of problems with your insulin. Either your pancreas doesn’t make the hormone (Type 1 diabetes) or the hormone is malfunctioning (Type 2 diabetes).

In either case, too much glucose in your blood damages your body. 

Health problems linked to diabetes

Diabetes can affect any part of your body. There are many serious health problems linked to diabetes, including:

Heart disease

If you have diabetes, your risk of developing heart disease is two times greater than someone without diabetes. In addition to damaging your blood vessels, the excess glucose in your blood also damages the nerves that control the function of your heart and blood vessels. 

Kidney disease

High levels of blood glucose also damage the blood vessels in your kidneys, affecting normal structure and function and increasing your risk of kidney disease. 

Blindness

Diabetes affects fluid pressure in the eye, increasing the risk of glaucoma. When left untreated, the excess pressure damages the retinal nerve, causing permanent vision changes and blindness.

Amputations

Damage to your blood vessels and nerves increases your risk of developing hard-to-treat infections, especially in the feet. Amputations may be needed to stop the infection from spreading and causing more serious, life-threatening health complications. 

Neuropathy

Neuropathy, which is nerve damage, is a common health problem linked to diabetes. It may involve any nerve in your body, causing pain, tingling, numbness, or muscle weakness. Neuropathy may also cause heat intolerance or excessive sweating. 

Improving diabetes and health

The serious health problems linked to diabetes usually develop over a long period of time. That means taking control of your diabetes and your health now may prevent or delay these health complications.

A healthy lifestyle is the best way to control your diabetes and your health. This includes:

• Eating a healthy diet
• Getting regular exercise
• Taking steps to manage stress
• Losing weight

We offer many services that can help you manage your diabetes, including our digital weight-loss program to help you lose weight and Reiki therapy for stress management. We also offer the keto diet as a treatment option for people with diabetes. 

Don’t let your diabetes take over your health. We can help you take charge of your diabetes. Call our office in Weston, Florida, or use our website scheduling tool to book your in-office or telemedicine consultation today.