Weekend Plus Desk :
Diabetes or high blood sugar levels is a common medical condition among people today, owing to sedentary lifestyles and unhealthy eating habits. Diabetes affects the production of insulin in the body or obstructs the body from responding properly to insulin. Usually people suffering from diabetes also suffer from fluctuating blood pressure levels, but in addition, other vital organs of the body are also severely affected, if proper care is not taken. The heart, eyes, nerves, kidneys and the skin are severely affected to the extent that sometimes amputation is the only solution left, to stop the infection from spreading throughout the body.
In some cases, people themselves are unable to detect signs of damage due to diabetes, because the initial symptoms are very obscure and are often taken lightly. On this World Diabetes Day, Sudha Vasudevan, senior scientist and Head of Department of Foods, Nutrition and Dietetics Research at the Madras Diabetes Research Foundation, Chennai, and Dr Madhavi Marathe, Senior Nutrition Manager (Medical and R&D) at Danone Nutricia India, Maharashtra, talk to indianexpress.com about the many complications that arise from chronic diabetes.
Diabetic Nephropathy – This is a complication that involves extensive damage of the kidneys. Glomeruli, the filters in the kidneys, become damaged due to high blood sugar levels. As a result, an abnormal amount of proteins are lost from the blood into the urine.
Diabetic Retinopathy – Another serious complication caused by prolonged diabetes, this condition leads to partial and even complete loss of vision. The blood vessels in the retina’s light-sensitive tissues are affected. Although the symptoms do not come out clearly in the initial stages, only mild vision problems are experienced.
Diabetic Dermopathy – The soft skin tissues in the body gets affected as a result of diabetes. Lack of oxygen, blood supply and nutrition to these tissues will lead to itching, redness and drying of the skin.
Gangrene – When blood doesn’t flow and supply oxygen to all the organs of the body, the organs starts deteriorating and die. High blood sugar levels obstruct the flow of oxygen-carrying blood in the body, and as a result, in extreme cases, amputation of the affected organ is the only option left.
Diabetic Heart Disease – High blood sugar levels in the body affects the heart. Coronary Heart Disease (CHD), in addition to high diabetes and blood pressure levels, leads to serious complications for the heart, and in no time, affects its ability to pump out blood into the system.
Gestational Diabetes – This condition is predominantly seen among obese women and those with a history of health conditions like PCOD ( Polycystic Ovary Syndrome). In such cases, there are increased chances of women giving birth to babies with excessive body weight, which is a condition called macrosomia.
Diabetic Neuropathy – People with diabetes can, over time, develop nerve damage throughout the body. Since high blood sugar levels hamper the proper flow of blood to all organs of the body, the nerves which are very sensitive, are affected. While some people experience no symptoms, pain, twitching, numbness and tingling are some of the common symptoms of nerve damage.
Diabetes or high blood sugar levels is a common medical condition among people today, owing to sedentary lifestyles and unhealthy eating habits. Diabetes affects the production of insulin in the body or obstructs the body from responding properly to insulin. Usually people suffering from diabetes also suffer from fluctuating blood pressure levels, but in addition, other vital organs of the body are also severely affected, if proper care is not taken. The heart, eyes, nerves, kidneys and the skin are severely affected to the extent that sometimes amputation is the only solution left, to stop the infection from spreading throughout the body.
In some cases, people themselves are unable to detect signs of damage due to diabetes, because the initial symptoms are very obscure and are often taken lightly. On this World Diabetes Day, Sudha Vasudevan, senior scientist and Head of Department of Foods, Nutrition and Dietetics Research at the Madras Diabetes Research Foundation, Chennai, and Dr Madhavi Marathe, Senior Nutrition Manager (Medical and R&D) at Danone Nutricia India, Maharashtra, talk to indianexpress.com about the many complications that arise from chronic diabetes.
Diabetic Nephropathy – This is a complication that involves extensive damage of the kidneys. Glomeruli, the filters in the kidneys, become damaged due to high blood sugar levels. As a result, an abnormal amount of proteins are lost from the blood into the urine.
Diabetic Retinopathy – Another serious complication caused by prolonged diabetes, this condition leads to partial and even complete loss of vision. The blood vessels in the retina’s light-sensitive tissues are affected. Although the symptoms do not come out clearly in the initial stages, only mild vision problems are experienced.
Diabetic Dermopathy – The soft skin tissues in the body gets affected as a result of diabetes. Lack of oxygen, blood supply and nutrition to these tissues will lead to itching, redness and drying of the skin.
Gangrene – When blood doesn’t flow and supply oxygen to all the organs of the body, the organs starts deteriorating and die. High blood sugar levels obstruct the flow of oxygen-carrying blood in the body, and as a result, in extreme cases, amputation of the affected organ is the only option left.
Diabetic Heart Disease – High blood sugar levels in the body affects the heart. Coronary Heart Disease (CHD), in addition to high diabetes and blood pressure levels, leads to serious complications for the heart, and in no time, affects its ability to pump out blood into the system.
Gestational Diabetes – This condition is predominantly seen among obese women and those with a history of health conditions like PCOD ( Polycystic Ovary Syndrome). In such cases, there are increased chances of women giving birth to babies with excessive body weight, which is a condition called macrosomia.
Diabetic Neuropathy – People with diabetes can, over time, develop nerve damage throughout the body. Since high blood sugar levels hamper the proper flow of blood to all organs of the body, the nerves which are very sensitive, are affected. While some people experience no symptoms, pain, twitching, numbness and tingling are some of the common symptoms of nerve damage.
