How Diabetes Can Affect Your Body
Having high blood sugar from diabetes over time can cause serious health complications.
- Heart
Damaging blood vessels and causing high blood pressure, a heart attack, or heart failure
- Eyes
Damaging the small blood vessels at the back of the eyes, leading to vision loss
- Feet
Reducing blood flow and damaging nerves, making a wound more likely to get infected and harder to heal, and increasing the risk of amputation
- Ears
Affecting how nerve signals travel from the inner ear to the brain, causing hearing loss
- Nerves
Causing numbness or pain that makes it hard to do daily activities
- Mouth
Increasing harmful bacteria and causing cavities and gum disease
- Blood Vessels
Damaging blood vessel walls and decreasing blood flow
- Stomach
Damaging the nerves in the stomach and slowing or stopping digestion
- Brain
Damaging blood vessels in the brain and causing a stroke or memory loss
- Sexual Health
Damaging nerves and reducing blood supply, causing erectile dysfunction and vaginal dryness
- Skin
Causing skin infections or changes such as dark patches on the skin
- Kidneys
Reducing how well kidneys filter waste, leading to chronic kidney disease
The good news? Keeping your blood sugar levels in your target range can help prevent or delay all these conditions.