Diabetes Complications

Type 2 Diabetes Complications

Type 2 diabetes is referred to as non-insulin dependent diabetes.
In majority of the cases, type 2 diabetes is preventable, but its
prevalence is on rise. If you are suffering from type 2 diabetes, it
means your body becomes resistant to the actions of insulin, a
bodily hormone responsible for the regulation of sugar absorption
in the body. Type 2 diabetes can not be diagnosed in early stages
as it comes with fewer complications, however, as it progresses -
it brings several complications along with.

Type 2 diabetes complications can be categorized under two
sub-headings – short term complications and long term
complications. For short term complications for diabetes type 2, it
needs immediate care. Left untreated, these types of diabetes
complications may even lead to coma, eventually death. Long term
complications of diabetes type 2 develop gradually on time. These
types of diabetes complications depend on a wide variety of factors
such as onset of the disease, inability of control blood sugar level,
etc.

Short Term

The major short term type 2 diabetes complications are high blood
pressure or hyperglycemia, diabetic ketoacidosis and hypoglycemia.
Your blood pressure level may increase at any time due to several
reasons such as excess food consumption, other illnesses or
inadequate administration of glucose-lowering drugs. Since the body
becomes resistant to insulin, the energy production process gets
severely hampered. At this time, body may start breaking fat content.
During this process, toxic acids, known as ketones, are produced.
This condition is known as diabetic ketoacidosis.

Long Term

The long term diabetes complications of type 2 take long time to
develop. However, in most of the cases, these diabetes
complications can be disabling and even fatal. These diabetes
complications are heart and blood vessel disease, nerve damage or
neuropathy, kidney damage or nephropathy, eye damage, foot
damage, skin and mouth disorders, osteoporosis and Alzheimer's
disease. Diabetes basically heightens the risk of developing coronary
health complications to a greater extent. Excess accumulation of
sugar may harm the soft walls of the tiny capillaries or blood vessels
that protect the nerves.

Diabetes can heighten the risk of kidney failure by damaging the
filtering system of the kidney cells, leading to irreversible and
progressive kidney disease. Diabetic retinopathy is also one of the
most common long term diabetes complications mostly prevalent in
type 2 diabetes. Nerve damage as a result of diabetes may lead to
develop various foot complications. If it is left untreated, it may lead
to leg amputation. Individuals with type 2 diabetes are at higher risk
for developing Alzheimer's disease.