Diabetes gives rise to many different problems in the body, known as Diabetes Complications, which is why diabetes is called 'Mother of diseases’. It is not a single disease, but a bundle of diseases. It causes - eye problems, kidney disease, heart problems, blood pressure, blood circulatory problems, sexual problems, nervous disorders, foot problems, digestive problems etc. Diabetes complications are silent and irreversible. We need to control diabetes to save ourselves from these complications. There are 2 types of diabetes complications –
1. Short term complications: These occur suddenly; and are a result of sudden rise/drop of blood glucose levels.
- Hypoglycemia - When blood glucose level drops down to too low. In such a case, take some sugar immediately and call the doctor
- Hyperosmolar Hyperglycemic Non-ketotic Syndrome - When blood glucose level shoots up to too high. It mostly occurs when you are sick. It is characterized by a typical fruity smell from mouth. In such a case, contact doctor immediately. To avoid it, monitor your BG levels closely when you are sick and keep yourself adequately hydrated.
- Diabetic ketoacedosis - A life threatening condition which occurs due to shortage of insulin. The body starts burning fatty acids & producing ketones, which can be detected in urine. It occurs due to poor compliance of insulin therapy, dehydration, illness etc and requires immediate hospitalization.
2. Long term complications: These take time to develop; and are results of extra glucose in the blood damaging different organs slowly over time. The affected parts are - heart, kidney, eyes, foot, nerves, blood vessels, brain. These complications usually start coming 5-15 years after onset of diabetes. If your blood glucose values are higher, complications come sooner. You can stop/delay complications by keeping your blood glucose levels under control. Get yourself tested regularly to check for onset of complications. Remember, diabetes complications are silent you will generally not see symptoms till complication has advanced. By the time symptoms appear, the organ has already been damaged and cannot be reversed. Recommended test frequency:-
- Eye examination, foot examination, neuropathy, dental examination, skin examination, ECG - once a year
- Lipid profile, Kidney Function test, urine micro albumin, urine routine, SGPT, SGOT - every 6 months
- HbA1c - every 3 months