What is the body like when you have diabetes?

The article was professionally consulted with General Internal Medicine - Department of Examination & Internal Medicine - Vinmec Nha Trang International General Hospital.

Diabetes is a group of metabolic diseases that affect the body's ability to make or use insulin, the hormone that helps convert glucose into energy. Diabetes can cause serious heart and kidney complications or stroke. So how does diabetes affect your body?

If not well controlled, diabetes can cause damage to organs in the body, especially the heart - blood vessels, eyes, kidneys, nervous system, digestive system - stomach - intestines and gums.
However, first to understand the mechanism of action of the disease, it is necessary to understand the action of insulin in the body's endocrine system as follows:
The pancreas helps to produce and release insulin to create energy from sugar . If the pancreas produces little or even no insulin, the body will have a shortage of insulin, at which time the body will use hormone replacement to convert fat into energy, but along with it will produce a small amount of insulin. large amount of harmful substances. The amount of acid and ketones that accumulate due to the above process will lead to diabetic ketoacidosis which is a serious complication manifested by: excessive thirst, frequent urination, fatigue, and breath may have a sweet smell due to the concentration. high blood ketones. If left untreated, this condition can lead to loss of consciousness or even death. 1.1 Effects of diabetes on the heart and blood vessels: People with diabetes are very likely to have comorbidities related to the heart and blood vessels with twice the risk compared to the general population; The term "diabetic foot" refers to a condition in which blood vessels and nerves are damaged, making the risk of amputation of the foot and toe 10 times higher than that of the general population; Symptoms of these effects usually go undetected until the patient has had a heart attack, stroke, or discoloration of the skin on the feet, or cramps and decreased sensation; Controlling diabetes can help reduce the risk of these complications.
1.2 Effects of diabetes on the eyes: Diabetes is the leading cause of vision loss in adults. Some common symptoms may be: glaucoma, cataracts, retinopathy due to small blood vessels appearing in the eye; Visual acuity in patients often declines or suddenly disappears; Therefore, diabetics need to have regular eye exams and timely treatment to prevent up to 90% of vision loss caused by diabetes.

1.3 Effects of diabetes on the kidneys: Diabetes is also the leading risk factor for kidney failure in adults, accounting for up to half of all cases; Symptoms of the disease in the early stages are often unclear or difficult to recognize, in the later stages of kidney failure, there may be edema in the legs and feet; Antihypertensive drugs, if prescribed and controlled by a specialist, can reduce the risk of kidney failure by up to 33% in people with diabetes.
1.4 Effects of diabetes on the nervous system: Elevated blood sugar in diabetics can damage the nervous system; Diabetic peripheral neuropathy can cause pain, burning, or loss of sensation in the feet, often originating in the toes, which can affect the hands and other organs; Autonomic neuropathic pain results from damage to the nerves that control the body's internal organs. This condition leads to sexual symptoms, stomach paralysis or inability to feel the bladder, dizziness, fainting. 1.5 Effects of diabetes on teeth: People with diabetes have a higher risk of gum disease than normal people; Gums are prone to bleeding, swelling and redness due to daily impacts; People with diabetes need to have good oral care habits and visit the dentist regularly to keep the condition under control.

Complications of diabetes are classified into two groups: acute and chronic.
2.1 Acute complications include: Hypoglycaemia: The patient is very hungry, sluggish, tired, weak limbs, sweating and dizziness, heart palpitations. At that time, blood sugar is suddenly dropping below the allowable level (about 3.6 mmol/l). Coma: Hypoglycemia if not recognized and handled promptly will lead to coma. Conversely, when blood sugar is too high, it can also cause a sudden coma and need immediate emergency care.
2.2 Chronic complications include: Eye complications: The fundus capillary system is damaged causing the patient to decline and lose vision; Cardiovascular complications: Hypertension, atherosclerosis causing embolism are common complications; Neurological complications: These are the earliest complications that cause pain, numbness, heat in the legs, or sweating, unstable breathing; Kidney complications: High blood sugar can easily damage the microvessels in the kidneys, causing a decrease in the kidney's filtration rate, or even kidney failure; Infection complications: High blood sugar is also a favorable condition for bacteria to grow and weaken the body's immune system. Patients with diabetes can go to Vinmec International General Hospital for examination and treatment. There is a team of well-trained, experienced and qualified endocrinologists; system of modern equipment, meeting international standards; Professional service quality, high efficiency in diagnosis and treatment.