Diabetes is a chronic disease that occurs when there is a problem with the hormone insulin. Insulin helps your body to control the level of sugar in your blood. When you have diabetes, your body either does not make enough insulin or does not use it properly. This can cause the sugar level in your blood to become too high. It’s estimated that about 37 million Americans have diabetes, and a much higher number of Americans are left undiagnosed with the disease.
Diabetes can affect many body parts, including your heart, blood vessels, nerves, eyes, and kidneys. Over time, diabetes can lead to serious health problems such as heart disease, stroke, kidney disease, blindness, and amputation. The good news is that you can help prevent or delay these health problems by managing your diabetes.
Heart Problems
Diabetes can damage your heart and blood vessels. This damage can lead to heart disease and stroke. Heart disease is the leading cause of death for people with diabetes. Thankfully, this can be prevented through three easy ways:
Eat a Healthy Diet or Fast
A healthy diet is one of the best ways to prevent heart disease. A diet low in sodium, saturated fats, and cholesterol can help control your blood pressure and cholesterol levels. In addition, this will help protect your arteries from damage.
Exercise Regularly
Staying active is key to preventing heart problems. Try to include at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity each week. You can also break up your exercise into small sessions throughout the day if you don’t have time for an entire workout session.
Manage Your Stress Levels
High-stress levels are linked to increased heart disease rates in those with diabetes. Luckily, there are many techniques you can use to manage stress, including meditation better, yoga, and deep breathing exercises.
Blood Vessels
Damage from diabetes can also affect the blood vessels in your body. This damage can lead to problems such as peripheral vascular disease and diabetic neuropathy. Peripheral vascular disease happens when the arteries that supply blood to your legs and feet become narrowed or blocked. Diabetic neuropathy is a type of nerve damage that can occur in people with diabetes. It usually affects the feet and legs but can also affect other body parts, such as the hands, arms, stomach, and bladder. Diabetic neuropathy can cause tingling, numbness, pain, or weakness in these body areas. If left untreated, diabetic neuropathy can lead to severe problems such as ulcers or infection of the feet or legs, which could result in amputation.
Nerves
Diabetes can also damage the nerves in your body. This damage is called diabetic neuropathy, which can cause tingling, numbness, pain, or weakness in the affected body area. It affects other body parts, such as the hands, arms, stomach, or bladder. If left untreated it could lead to severe problems such as ulcers or foot infections, which could result in amputation.
Eyes
Diabetes can also damage the eyes leading to diabetic retinopathy. Diabetic retinopathy is when the tiny blood vessels in your retina become damaged or leak blood. This can lead to blurred vision and blindness. In addition, people with diabetes are at an increased risk of developing other eye problems, such as glaucoma and cataracts. If you have poor eyesight due to diabetes, consider these three options:
Glasses
Getting glasses is the first step in dealing with poor eyesight due to diabetes. You should visit your local eyeglass shop to test your eyesight and find the appropriate lens strength. This can help with vision during daily tasks such as driving, working, or watching TV.
Surgery
If your poor eyesight is caused by diabetic retinopathy, you may need surgery to repair the damaged blood vessels in your eyes. A few different types of surgeries can be performed depending on the severity of your condition. Talk with your doctor about which surgery is right for you.
Vision Services
If your poor eyesight makes it difficult to manage daily tasks, consider signing up for vision services. These services can provide home-based care and training on using assistive devices that can help with reading, writing, and other tasks. With the proper support, you can overcome vision problems due to diabetes.
Diabetes is a lifestyle disease that affects the body’s ability to use glucose properly. As a result, it can lead to severe complications. However, if needed, manage your diabetes through a healthy diet, regular exercise, stress management techniques, and vision services. With these steps, you can live a happy, healthy life.
