Complications of Diabetes

When you have diabetes, it is vitally important to take good care of yourself. When diabetes is not carefully managed, the resulting complications can be serious, as shown by the following list.

· Diabetic neuropathy. This is one of the most common complications of diabetes. It involves damage to the nerves that run throughout the body, connecting the spinal cord to the skin, muscles, blood vessels, and other organs.
· Eye problems. People with diabetes have a higher risk of blindness than the rest of the population. Early detection and treatment of an eye problem is essential.
· Kidney disease. Diabetes can damage the kidneys, making them lose their ability to filter out waste products.
· Heart disease and stroke. Diabetes involves an increased risk for heart attack, stroke, and complications of the circulatory system.
· Foot problems. Because of poor circulation and/or nerve damage, diabetes can lead to many foot problems.
· Skin complications. About a third of those with diabetes have a related skin complication at some time in their lives. Fortunately, when caught early, these problems can usually be resolved.
· Gastroparesis. This condition, which involves extremely slow emptying of the stomach, affects people with both type 1 and type 2 diabetes.
· Depression. Depression has been associated with diabetes for almost three hundred years. In one out of every four patients, symptoms are severe enough to warrant treatment.