While most people are aware of the heart and high blood sugar problems diabetes causes, most aren’t aware of how many parts of your body this disease affects. Diabetes mellitus is a serious health issue that is often caused by obesity, and if you don’t take proper precautions, then you can have major complications. Some of the problems that are associated with diabetes are ignored by patients with the condition. Here are four of the lesser-known complications from diabetes.
Neuropathy
The legs and feet of a diabetic require special care to prevent infections that can lead to amputations. Nerve damage in the lower and upper areas of the skin is common in diabetics, and this makes it easier to have a foot or leg problem without realizing it. Neuropathy can cause numbness in the legs, so you should visit an ankle doctor to learn more about strengthening the muscles in your legs to avoid weakness in the ankles. A podiatrist can also make customized orthotics for your feet or a supportive brace for a weak ankle.
Retinopathy
Diabetic retinopathy is a condition that affects the eyes, and thousands of individuals develop this problem each year. If you fail to control your blood sugar levels, then you can damage the blood vessels in the backs of the eyeballs. When the retinas are damaged, it can cause a loss of visual acuity with problems that can include poor color perception and blurriness.
Kidney Damage
Kidney damage is common in diabetics, and when the kidneys aren’t functioning optimally, the toxins that are in the bloodstream will remain in the body. The kidney damage from diabetes can occur from poor blood sugar monitoring, but you can also develop high blood pressure from diabetes mellitus. Both of these health problems can increase your chances of having kidney damage. Serious kidney damage from diabetes can lead to major health issues that will require specialized medical treatment.
Loss of Hearing
A diabetic is more likely to have experienced loss of hearing. This is likely caused by nerve damage in the body along with changes in the body’s blood circulation. Experts believe that once the damage to the inner ear canals occurs, there is no way to reverse the condition, but there are hearing aids that can improve a diabetic’s hearing acuity. To avoid a loss of hearing, you must use insulin appropriately to keep your blood sugar at the proper level.
Last, if you are diabetic, then it is essential to follow your physician’s dietary requirements along with monitoring your blood sugar levels to use the proper amount of insulin. It’s important to be aware of how our body’s systems affect each other, especially when many of these health issues can initially seem to be caused by disparate factors.