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Diabetes complications are divided into early (acute) and late (chronic). For people with diabetes whose blood sugar levels are out of balance, cardiovascular disease is the greatest risk, as it can lead to disability or death. Diabetics can also struggle with frequent infections and sexual problems. Check what other complications of diabetes may be.

Complications of diabetesare classified intoearly (acute)andlate (chronic) . The acute complications of diabetes mellitus include acidosis and keto coma, lactic acidosis, hyper- and hypoglycaemia. In turn, chronic complications of diabetes include changes in the vessels and nerves that lead to their damage. The consequence can be cardiovascular diseases, e.g. stroke or heart attack. Diabetics with uneven blood sugar levels are also at risk of kidney failure, blindness, leg amputation, and sexual problems. In addition, improperly treated diabetes weakens the immune system, which results in bothersome, difficult to treat and often recurring infections.

Acute (early) complications of diabetes

  • ketoacidosis - usually a consequence of untreated or poorly treated diabetes (missing insulin dose, taking too little drug, discontinuing treatment, not diagnosing diabetes). It can occur with any type of diabetes, but most often it is life-threatening for patients with type I diabetes. Its symptoms include abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, headache, fatigue, excessive thirst and frequent urination. The smell from the mouth is also characteristic, which resembles the smell of rotten apples. If it is not treated, it will result in a diabetic coma, even death
  • lactic acidosis - is the result of an excessive accumulation of lactate in the body. Lactic acidosis can occur, inter alia, in in people with diabetes, although it happens very rarely, and usually is a side effect of taking metformin or biguanides (anti-thrombotic drugs), in conditions of non-compliance with contraindications (e.g. renal failure, atherosclerosis)
  • hypoglycemia - is a decrease in the amount of sugar in the blood. In people with diabetes, hypoglycaemia can be caused by too much injected insulin. From oral medicationsantidiabetic hypoglycemia can be caused by old generation drugs - especially sulfonylureas (but less frequently than insulin). The next-generation drugs - gliptin - are "smart" and only lower blood sugar when it is too high.
  • hyperglycemia - this is an increase in the amount of sugar in the blood above normal. In diabetics, hyperglycemia is most often the result of poorly treated diabetes, i.e. taking the wrong drugs, incorrectly selected insulin dose, using inactive insulin, and skipping the dose of antidiabetic drugs. Hyperglycaemia can also occur if treatment is discontinued (withdrawal of insulin or oral hypoglycaemic agents).

Diabetes - late complications. Stroke, heart attack

The most common complication of diabetes and the main cause of increased mortality are diseases of the cardiovascular system, mainly ischemic heart disease caused by premature development of atherosclerotic lesions in the coronary vessels. It is estimated that more than 50% of people die of coronary heart disease. diabetics. The presence of diabetes and coronary heart disease increases the risk of death by 2-3 times in men and as much as 3-5 times in women.

Chronic complications of diabetes include changes in the vessels and peripheral nerves that lead to their damage.

Diabetes also increases the risk of a heart attack. Studies have shown that the risk of cardiac death in a group of diabetic patients who have not had a heart attack is similar to that in non-diabetic patients who have had a heart attack.

Apart from ischemic heart disease and myocardial infarction, one of the most serious complications of diabetes is stroke, which often leads to permanent disability or premature death. One study found that diabetes increases the risk of stroke by 3%. with every year. In turn, in people who have been suffering from diabetes for over 10 years, the probability of having a stroke increases threefold.

Diabetes - late complications. Kidney damage

Elevated blood sugar levels can lead to diabetic kidney disease (diabetic nephropathy), damage to the kidneys that may result in kidney failure. As a result of hyperglycemia, there are, among others, to increase the blood flow through the kidneys and the accumulation of substances in the glomeruli and blood vessels of the kidneys, which interferes with their work.

The disease initially shows no symptoms. It can only be detected by performing a urine test (then there is an excessive excretion of albumin in the urine). Only at an advanced stage of development, disturbing symptoms appear, such as general weakness, easy fatigue, swelling, highblood pressure and grayish color of the skin. If the kidneys are very failing, dialysis is necessary.

Studies show that the risk of kidney damage in people with diabetes is 12-17 times higher than in people who are not diabetic.

Diabetes - late complications. Nerve damage

Diabetics with decompensated blood sugar levels have an increased risk of nerve damage (diabetic neuropathy). In type 2 diabetes, neuropathy develops gradually. In type 1 diabetes - rapidly, often immediately after the onset of the disease, and after 2-3 years it stops or continues to develop very slowly. However, the symptoms of neuropathy are the same in both cases. Initially, the patient feels tingling in his feet and hands, and the sensitivity to temperature, light touch or a gentle sting is also reduced. A little later there is numbness and an alternating feeling of being cold or hot. The skin burns or itches intensely. The patient feels as if they are walking on rough ground, e.g. stubble or sheep's wool.

Diabetes - late complications. Loss of sight

Too high blood glucose can lead to adverse changes in the retina of the eye. In medical terminology, this condition is called diabetic retinopathy, or diabetic eye disease. Diabetic retinopathy is a very insidious disease, because it does not cause any symptoms in the early stages of development - the patient does not see any deterioration in vision or pain. Only later does visual acuity deteriorate gradually. Additionally, there may be "floaters" in the field of vision or visual disturbances. Retinopathy in people with diabetes is one of the most common causes of vision loss.

Diabetes - late complications. Leg amputation

Diabetes may damage e.g. nerves in the lower extremity, which - together with ischemia - leads to the diabetic foot syndrome. This term covers deep tissue ulceration (wounds) and weakening of the structure of bones and joints, and further deformation of the foot, making it impossible to walk.

As a result of nerve damage, the perception of pain disappears, therefore minor and larger cuts do not cause any discomfort and may go unnoticed by the patient for a long time. Then you can get infected quickly. In turn, lower limb ischemia impairs the entire healing process. As a result, diabetic foot syndrome can lead to the loss of a limb in a short time.

Diabetes - late complications. Frequent infections

People whose diabetes is not treated correctly are at high risk of infection because they disrupt the body's defenses.High sugar concentration promotes the development of fungal infections, mainly in the oral cavity. In the course of oral candidiasis, whitish deposits are visible on the mucosa of the cheeks, tongue and palate. Patients often complain of a burning sensation in the oral mucosa, especially burning of the tongue. Diabetics may also complain of persistent chews. Also, high levels of glucose in the discharge from the genital tract in women suffering from diabetes contribute to the development of fungal infections. The disease can be persistent, protracted or with frequent relapses.

Diabetes - late complications. Diseases of teeth and gums

People with diabetes who have uneven blood sugar levels are more prone to gingivitis, periodontitis, and caries than he althy people. The structure of blood vessels changes in the course of diabetes. As a consequence, the blood supply to the gums deteriorates, which may result in weakening of the gums and the adjacent bone tissue, and greater susceptibility to infection. In addition, in diabetics, the composition of saliva changes (the concentration of glucose in saliva, which is a breeding ground for bacteria), becomes more viscous and much less than in a he althy person. These are ideal conditions for the development of caries. Often there is xerostomia - dryness of the oral mucosa due to damage to the salivary glands.

Diabetes - late complications. Sexual problems

Diabetes in men can lead to erection problems. Diabetes can damage the vessels through which blood flows necessary to achieve an erection. Men with diabetes are 3 times more likely to develop this problem than men who have normal blood sugar levels. In turn, in women, diabetes may cause the already mentioned intimate infections, e.g. vaginal mycosis, which cause pain during intercourse, itching, and burning. On the other hand, the already mentioned diabetic neuropathy causes a worse feeling of stimuli, also from the genital area.

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Diabetes - complications. Complications in pregnancy

Diabetes in pregnancy poses a threat to both the baby and the mother. The baby is at risk of developing malformations and prematurity.

The mother is at risk of pregnancy poisoning, miscarriage, premature birth, and recurrent urinary tract infections. It used to be mostly vision loss in the mother. More detailed research in the 1990s revealed that a significant deterioration in eyesight or even blindness is the result of too rapid glycemic control for the needs of pregnancy.

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Diabetes - complications. Cancer

People with diabetes are also more likely to develop some cancers, and sometimes they are detected soon after diagnosis, argue scientists from the University of Toronto (Canada). Rather, it is because when diabetes is diagnosed, patients are screened more often and, incidentally, are diagnosed with cancer that has been developing over the years. They give colon cancer as an example. Researchers argue that both cancers are caused by an inappropriate lifestyle. The risk of their development is increased by obesity, a slow-moving lifestyle, alcohol abuse, smoking and improper diet, including, above all, too much consumption of processed red meat, scientists calculate.

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Diabetes