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5 Major Complications Facing Diabetes Patients

By: Aubrey Moulton


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There are a lot of Americans suffering with diabetes. In 2007, the A.D.A. affirmed that 23.6 million children and adults in the U.S. have diabetes. In 2006, it was the seventh leading cause of death claimed on death certificates. These stats illustrate that diabetes is a considerable health issue in the United States. It becomes an even greater concern as individual health worsens among Americans. Diabetics require millions of dollars worth of help and supplies in order to treat complications which are related to diabetes. These are 5 circumstances that many diabetics deal with on a daily basis:

Neuropathy
Roughly half of individuals with diabetes suffer from some kind of nerve damage and that is known as neuropathy. However, if individuals are able to monitor and maintain glucose levels in the right range, it’s feasible to prevent nerve damage or further deterioration from occurring. Typically, neuropathy is more rampant in people who have lived with diabetes for many years. Regrettably, the accumulated effects of dealing with this disease for an extensive time period can eventually bring about other health concerns. It can contribute to peripheral, autonomic, and other types of neuropathy.

Retinopathy
Roughly 80 % of individuals who have had diabetes for at least a decade will develop retinopathy. It is a leading cause of blindness among American adults. This takes place when there are shifts in the blood vessels of the retina. There are 4 stages in retinopathy and some may note that their vision has changed, while others do not. It leads to lasting damage. The good news is that an eye exam may stop increased damage.

Kidney Disease
It is figured that 43.8% of all kidney failures in America are associated with diabetics and the effects of diabetes. The kidney's function is to rid the body of waste. Dialysis is required when the kidneys shut down and no longer pump out the waste. This is a blood cleaning process. If dialysis does not take care of the problem, the patient may require a kidney transplant. Nearly 24 million people in the U.S. have diabetes and of those an estimated 180,000 are living with kidney failure according to the National Kidney and Urologic Diseases Information Clearinghouse.

Gastroparesis
Most people with Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes end up being afflicted with Gastroparesis which is a condition where the stomach takes too long to empty. The vagus nerve which controls how the food moves through the digestive tract to the stomach can either be damaged or completely stop working because of diabetes.

Hyperosmolar Hyperglycemic Nonketotic Syndrome (HHNS)
This condition mostly afflicts older folks with type 2, but people with type 1 may also be diagnosed with it as well. HHNS is frequently triggered through an infection or illness that causes blood sugars to rise. This makes it harder for the body to get rid of the surplus sugar, so it’s passed into the urine. People need to make sure that they keep drinking liquids because if they grow overly dehydrated it can lead to seizures, a coma, or even death. It is best for diabetics to know the warning signs for their bodies so they can take the best care of themselves possible.

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