TYPE 2 DIABETES

Side Effects of Type 2 Diabetes — Conclusion

By Sherry Baker @SherryNewsViews
 | 
November 03, 2023

A rare life-threatening complication: ketoacidosis

If your cells don’t get enough glucose to produce energy, your body begins to burn fat over time, producing chemicals called ketones. When ketones build up in your blood, your diabetes is out of control, and you may develop diabetic ketoacidosis. Extremely high ketones can poison your body and cause coma and even death.

Although ketoacidosis is a rare side effects of type 2 diabetes, it’s more likely to develop if you’re sick with another illness, such as the flu or a cold.

Talk to your doctor about how you can quickly detect ketones with a simple urine test strip. Seek medical help if you experience any of the symptoms of ketoacidosis, including:

  • Unusual tiredness
  • Breath with a fruity odor
  • Excessive thirst
  • Nausea
  • Vomiting

Long-term side effects of type 2 diabetes

Damage to your small blood vessels over time from high blood sugar levels can cause problems in your eyes, kidneys, and nerves.

Diabetic retinopathy, the most common cause of vision loss in people with diabetes, affects blood vessels in the light-sensitive tissue called the retina, found in the back of your eye. Nearly 10 million Americans diagnosed with type 1 or type 2 diabetes have some stage of diabetic retinopathy.

Diabetic macular edema results from a build-up of fluid in the part of your retina called the macula, which is crucial for the straight-ahead vision you need to drive, recognize faces, and read. The condition is the primary cause of vision loss in people who have diabetic retinopathy.

People with diabetes are also 40 percent more likely to develop potentially vision damaging glaucoma and 60 percent more likely to develop cataracts compared to people without diabetes. See an ophthalmologist every year for an eye exam to check for any damage and to start treatments if you have eye problems.

Kidney disease (also known as diabetic nephropathy) is another potentially serious complication of type 2 diabetes. Left untreated, it can cause impaired kidney function and kidney failure, eventually leading to dialysis or a kidney transplant.

Most people with diabetic kidney disease do not have symptoms. A kidney function check is the only way to know if you have diabetic nephropathy. The National Institute of Diabetic and Digestive and Kidney Diseases advises people with type 2 diabetes to see their doctor every year for blood and urine tests for kidney disease.

Nerve damage (diabetic neuropathy) is another common complication of type 2 diabetes. About half of all people with type 1 or type 2 diabetes have nerve damage. Diabetic neuropathy usually affects your hands and feet, causing pain, tingling, weakness, and numbness.

Losing sensation in your feet from this complication can be dangerous; you may not realize you have a foot injury or infected sore. People with diabetes have an increased risk of skin problems, too, including bacterial and fungal infections, itching, and diabetic blisters.

Type 2 diabetes can also damage large blood vessels, raising your risk for heart attacks, strokes, and blocked blood vessels in your legs (peripheral artery disease).

To prevent complications of type 2 diabetes, regulate your blood sugar and live a heart-healthy lifestyle. Don’t smoke, treat high cholesterol levels, and keep your blood pressure under control.

 

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Updated:  

November 03, 2023

Reviewed By:  

Janet O’Dell, RN