Type 2 diabetes can present short and long term complications as stated below.
Type 2 Diabetes Short Term Complications
High Blood Sugar (hyperglycemia) – Blood sugar can rise for many reasons, including eating too much in one sitting, being sick, stressed, or not taking enough glucose-lowering medication.
Low Blood Sugar (hypoglycemia) – If your blood sugar level drops below your target range, it’s known as low blood sugar. Your blood sugar level can drop for many reasons, including skipping a meal and getting more physical activity than normal.
However, low blood sugar is most likely if you take glucose-lowering medications that promote the secretion of insulin or if you’re receiving insulin therapy.
Diabetic Ketoacidosis – As blood sugar goes up, the body tries to flush it out through the urine. When glucose is lost in urine it pulls fluid out with it. When these fluids are lost, the first danger is dehydration.
Cardiovascular disease – This complication is caused by decreased blood flow to the heart. As this happens, the heart can no longer pump blood throughout the body. Blood flow is cut off due to high levels of sugar in the blood deteriorating blood vessel walls.
Neuropathy – Excess sugar deteriorates blood vessel walls that nourish nerves, especially in the legs and can cause tingling, numbness, burning or pain that usually begins at the tips of the toes or fingers and over a period of months or years gradually spreads upward. Left untreated, all sense of feeling in affected limbs could be lost. Damage to digestion specific nerves can cause problems with nausea, vomiting, diarrhea or constipation.
For men, it may lead to problems with erectile dysfunction.
Kidney Damage – Kidneys contain millions of tiny blood vessel clusters (glomeruli) that filter waste from blood. Diabetes can deteriorate this delicate filtering system which can lead to kidney failure or irreversible end-stage kidney disease, requiring dialysis or a kidney transplant.
Eye Damage – Diabetes can damage blood vessels of the retina (diabetic retinopathy), potentially leading to blindness.
Foot Damage – Nerve damage in the feet or poor blood flow to the feet increases the risk of various foot complications.
Left untreated, cuts and blisters can become serious infections, and severe damage might require toe, foot or even leg amputation.
Skin and Mouth Conditions – Because blood sugar levels run so high, people with diabetes are more susceptible to skin problems, including bacterial infections, fungal infections and itching.
Gum infections also may be a concern, especially if you have a history of poor dental hygiene.
Stay informed about what is happening at Ramey Nutrition by signing up for our free monthly newsletter.
Type 2 Diabetes Short Term Complications
High Blood Sugar (hyperglycemia) – Blood sugar can rise for many reasons, including eating too much in one sitting, being sick, stressed, or not taking enough glucose-lowering medication.
Low Blood Sugar (hypoglycemia) – If your blood sugar level drops below your target range, it’s known as low blood sugar. Your blood sugar level can drop for many reasons, including skipping a meal and getting more physical activity than normal.
However, low blood sugar is most likely if you take glucose-lowering medications that promote the secretion of insulin or if you’re receiving insulin therapy.
Diabetic Ketoacidosis – As blood sugar goes up, the body tries to flush it out through the urine. When glucose is lost in urine it pulls fluid out with it. When these fluids are lost, the first danger is dehydration.
- Meanwhile, body cells are starved for sugar due to a lack of insulin then fat and protein from muscle tissue in order to maintain energy.
- The body normally prefers carbohydrate (sugar) for maintenance, but because there isn’t enough insulin in the body to transfer it to cells, the body starts burning fat in an unhealthy way. The liver is involved in fat-burning, and the by-product of this burning is ketones.
- Ketones build up and your blood becomes acidic, which prompts the body to shift electrolytes around to neutralize the acid and the result is the body retaining sodium and losing potassium.
- An imbalance of potassium affects the brain and heart rhythm. Potassium is needed for the electrical system to keep your heart beating, and the brain needs glucose and electrolytes to be fueled and for electric transfer of information, respectively. Without sugar or electrolytes the brain becomes at high risk for coma.
Cardiovascular disease – This complication is caused by decreased blood flow to the heart. As this happens, the heart can no longer pump blood throughout the body. Blood flow is cut off due to high levels of sugar in the blood deteriorating blood vessel walls.
Neuropathy – Excess sugar deteriorates blood vessel walls that nourish nerves, especially in the legs and can cause tingling, numbness, burning or pain that usually begins at the tips of the toes or fingers and over a period of months or years gradually spreads upward. Left untreated, all sense of feeling in affected limbs could be lost. Damage to digestion specific nerves can cause problems with nausea, vomiting, diarrhea or constipation.
For men, it may lead to problems with erectile dysfunction.
Kidney Damage – Kidneys contain millions of tiny blood vessel clusters (glomeruli) that filter waste from blood. Diabetes can deteriorate this delicate filtering system which can lead to kidney failure or irreversible end-stage kidney disease, requiring dialysis or a kidney transplant.
Eye Damage – Diabetes can damage blood vessels of the retina (diabetic retinopathy), potentially leading to blindness.
Foot Damage – Nerve damage in the feet or poor blood flow to the feet increases the risk of various foot complications.
Left untreated, cuts and blisters can become serious infections, and severe damage might require toe, foot or even leg amputation.
Skin and Mouth Conditions – Because blood sugar levels run so high, people with diabetes are more susceptible to skin problems, including bacterial infections, fungal infections and itching.
Gum infections also may be a concern, especially if you have a history of poor dental hygiene.
Stay informed about what is happening at Ramey Nutrition by signing up for our free monthly newsletter.
Posted in Diabetes Management by Scarlett at July 20th, 2010.
Tags: diabetes treatment, type 2, type 2 diabetes, type 2 diabetes complications
Tags: diabetes treatment, type 2, type 2 diabetes, type 2 diabetes complications
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