There are two types of Diabetes: Type I and Type II. Type I and Type II are chronic diseases caused by the body’s inability to regulate blood sugar. In Type I Diabetes, the body produces no insulin.
In Type II Diabetes, the body doesn’t react to insulin as it should. Both Type I and Type II Diabetes lead to high blood sugar levels and require treatment.
Type I Diabetes usually develops in early childhood or in adolescence, although it can also occur develop later in adulthood.
Four Detrimental Side Effects of Untreated Diabetes
One of the reasons it is so important to detect both types of Diabetes as soon as possible is that left untreated, Diabetes results in detrimental side effects. The four most serious and consequential major side effects are:
- Heart disease which includes high blood pressure, stroke and atherosclerosis
- Kidney damage
- Nerve damage
- Auditory and visual impairment
Note that Diabetes causes these side effects if left untreated over a short and long term. This is why it is so important to have a physician perform an annual blood test to monitor your vital signs and quality of your organ functions.
Kidney Damage
One of the reasons kidney damage is prevalent among untreated diabetics is that high blood sugar levels damage blood vessels of the kidneys.
Over time, if untreated, the percentage of kidney function decreases to the point where kidneys no longer filter out waste in the bloodstream. This results in toxic uremia.
Nerve Damage
Untreated Diabetes also causes nerve damage. This results in pain, numbness and tingling in the arms and legs. It may also cause nerve damage to the digestive system.
Auditory and Visual Impairment
Another of the side effects of untreated diabetes is hearing loss and visual impairment such as cataracts, floaters and blindness.
Cataracts develop as damage to the lens of the eyes. With cataracts, the lens of the eyes become cloudy and vision is impaired. Single Dose Cataract Surgery Steroids is often used post cataract surgery with much success.
Heart Disease
According to the U.S. Center for Disease Control (CDC) more than 29 million Americans have been diagnosed with Diabetes. That is approximately one out of every 11 people and about eight million do not know they have Diabetes. It ranks as the seventh leading disease diagnosed in the U.S.
Diabetics develop heart disease as a result of the percentage of body fat. With this in mind, female diabetic are more likely to develop heart disease as a result of women having more body fat than men.
Diet, regular exercise and regular medical exams are important factors in monitoring and controlling Diabetes. However, diabetes is not something to feel shameful about. Many people, of all sizes, have diabetes. Some people get diabetes when they are young and some in their senior years. There are athletes with diabetes and people with varying degrees of active lifestyles. Many individuals are predisposed to this disease through their DNA. The last thing you want to do when a loved one is diagnosed is to shame or police their activity and food consumption. This can lead to anxiety and a feeling of hopelessness. Those are counterproductive to someone taking charge of their own body and health. Shame and micromanagement can lead to excess anxiety which can result in lack of energy, increased appetite, and make the symptoms worse.
