Complications of Type 1 Diabetes

The complications of type 1 diabetes will normally develop at a gradual pace over the years. Therefore, they will be more prevalent in patients suffering from type 1 diabetes for an extended period of time and will be mostly attributed to ill managed blood sugar levels. Although, most of the complications will be serious to deal with, regular checkups and monitoring will attempt a successful management of these problems.

Common Complications of Type 1 Diabetes

Diabetic Nephropathy

Prolonged type 1 diabetes can destroy the delicate filters within the kidneys for filtering wastes from the blood. A severe damage can lead to complete failure of this filtering mechanism, which will eventually require a renal transplant or dialysis.

Diabetic Neuropathy

Excessive blood sugar can injure the blood vessels responsible for nourishing the nerves, specifically in the legs. This can result in complete nerve damage commonly manifested through burning sensations, pains, tingling and numbness. This might also result in problems of the gastrointestinal tract. Erectile dysfunction will also be common in diabetic men.

Diabetic Retinopathy

Diabetes can also be responsible for damaging the retinal blood vessels thereby, causing blindness. It is also known to be responsible for other serious problems such as glaucoma and cataract.

Feet Damage

Diabetes can also be responsible for poor blood circulation in the feet and nerve damage, which can jointly contribute to several complications. When left untreated, blisters and cuts can end up being serious sources of infections. In certain cases, feet amputation may be required.

Cardiovascular Complications

The risks associated with cardiovascular diseases will increase substantially when you suffer from diabetes. You can experience chest pain, stroke, heart attack, atherosclerosis etc. To put in a nutshell, diabetics are more prone to deaths caused due to cardiovascular complications than normal people.

Skin and Mouth Complications

Type 1 diabetes can also be responsible for certain complications related to the mouth and skin. You may become more susceptible to skin problems including fungal and bacterial infections. Gum infections and associated inflammations can also become more common especially when you experience poor dental hygiene.

Osteoporosis

Diabetes is responsible for reducing the bone mineral density thereby, increasing your chances of osteoporosis. Osteoporosis is a more common phenomenon in women suffering from type 1 diabetes.

Complications of type 1 diabetes can therefore, be many. Health conditions of diabetics should therefore, be monitored on a regular basis to minimise the associated risks and to administer timely control and management techniques for these complications.

Read more articles on Understand Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus