Diabetes: How is it Affecting Your Body System?

Glucose or blood sugar is the main fuel of your body obtained from the food you eat. If your body does not adequately produce insulin or effectively use it, it leads to diabetes. Knowing how diabetes can affect your body will help you to avoid and manage the complications well.

These typical signs and symptoms in a person may be indicative of diabetes-

• Increased thirst

• Increased frequency of urine

• Fatigue

• Blurred vision

• Tingling sensation in the hands and legs or feet

How does diabetes affect your body?

If you do not seek immediate medical care, then diabetes can have long-term effects on each system of your body.

The circulatory system-

• High blood pressure

• Atherosclerosis (your blood flow is restricted due to fatty deposits in the blood vessels)

• Infections or ulcers of the foot

• Heart attack and stroke

The nervous system-

• Peripheral Neuropathy (the nerves in your foot and legs may get damaged)

• Vision problems (due to swollen and leaky blood vessels in your eyes)

• Seizures

• Brain stroke

• Coma or death

The endocrine system-

Inadequate insulin in your body can produce high levels of toxic chemicals, which will make you more thirsty, weak and tired. You can identify this problem if you have an unexplainable sweet scent in your breath.

The digestive system-

Diabetes causes the delaying of the movement of food into the small intestine and prevents stomach emptying. This condition, known as gastroparesis, shows the following symptoms-

• Nausea

• Vomiting

• Acid reflux

• Bloating  

• Abdominal pain

• Weight loss

The urinary system-

High blood sugar level destroys the cells in your kidney, ultimately, leading to kidney failure.

The reproductive system-

Gestational diabetes can occur sometimes in pregnant women. It will go away once you deliver your baby but until then there is a high risk of increased blood pressure, repeated infections of the vagina and the bladder. Your baby might have high birth weight and you may acquire Type 2 diabetes later in life.

The integumentary system-

You might get dry skin or dark patches in the skin but you may face some serious problems like:

• Eruptive xanthomatosis- Hard yellow bumps with a red rink

• Dermopathy- Brown patches on the skin

• Digital sclerosis- Thick skin on the limbs

How can you manage the ill effects of diabetes on your body system?

Now that you know how your diabetes is affecting your body, you can follow these simple steps to manage it-

• Learn about your diabetes- Talk to your doctor; learn which type of diabetes you have and research well on it. The more you know, the better you can manage it.

• Know the ABCs of your diabetes: Keep a record of your blood sugar levels, blood pressure and cholesterol levels. Know what the optimum numbers are to lower the chances of stroke, heart attack and other problems.

• Learn how to live with your diabetes- It is difficult to cope with all the consequences of diabetes but you can stay healthy if you eat well and sleep well, exercise regularly and effectively manage your stress.

• Go for regular health checkups- It is important that you get all the required tests done to keep track of your progress and to make any necessary lifestyle changes.

Diabetes affects more than millions people every year. If necessary preventive measures are not adopted from its onset, the condition can impair the other parts/organs of your body. Therefore, it is imperative that you get yourself diagnosed frequently and seek proper treatment if required.