Both types of diabetes can give rise to a wide range of related diseases. Many of these diabetes-related diseases can be debilitating or even fatal, according to the Life Clinic. As such, constant monitoring and early detection are vital in preventing further complications from occurring. It is also highly advisable to keep blood sugar levels as close to normal parameters as often as possible.
Skin-Related Diseases
Diabetes may affect the skin in various ways. Current data suggests that about 33 percent of people with diabetes develop some form of skin disorder, according to the American Diabetes Association. Some common examples of diabetes-related skin disorders are diabetic dermopathy, necrobiosis lipoidica diabeticorum, atherosclerosis, diabetic blisters and acanthosis nigricans, notes the American Diabetes Association. Moreover, it is also possible for diabetes to allow bacterial infections, fungal infections and itching to occur more easily.
Hypertension
Diabetes also causes some circulatory and cardiovascular diseases. About two-thirds or about 65 percent of adults with diabetes have hypertension, according to the American Diabetes Association. Hypertension raises the risk of heart attack.
Stroke
The chances of stroke are as much as four times higher among people with diabetes than without, notes WrongDiagnosis.com. The risk of stroke and other types of heart disease is also affected by cholesterol levels. Diabetics with abnormally high levels of cholesterol are at a much higher risk, according to the American Diabetes Association.
Peripheral Arterial Disease
Peripheral arterial disease, or PAD, is a diabetes-related disease. PAD occurs when the arteries in the legs become narrower or blocked by fat, explains the American Diabetes Association. Some symptoms of PAD may include numbness or tingling in the calves and feet, slow-healing foot infections or sores, as well as leg pain that occurs during walking or exercise.
Coronary Artery Disease
Coronary artery disease is another diabetes-related disease. This is likely to develop among diabetics with high levels of cholesterol and fat. Coronary artery disease occurs when fat deposits restrict or block blood flow to the heart.
Eye Damage
Diabetes can damage the eyes. Diabetic retinopathy is a diabetes-related eye condition. Retinopathy occurs when the retina is damaged due to damaged blood vessels connecting to the back of the eyes. This can result in blurred vision or even loss of vision. Diabetics are also 40 percent more likely to develop glaucoma, and 60 percent more likely to develop cataracts than people who don't have diabetes, notes the American Diabetes Association.
Ketoacidosis
Ketoacidosis occurs because the body's cells are unable to draw energy from blood sugar as a result of either a lack of insulin or an inability to utilize insulin. Both of these conditions are the result of either type 1 or type 2 diabetes. Starved of blood sugar, the body resorts to breaking down fat. The process of converting fat into energy produces acids known as ketones, which build up in the blood and urine. Excessively high levels of ketones can cause a diabetic coma and even death, explains the American Diabetes Association.
Diabetic Kidney Disease
Diabetes is a common cause of kidney failure, according to the Life Clinic. Diabetes increasingly damages the kidneys' ability to filter blood. This eventually results in the kidneys' inability to remove waste products from blood.
Diabetic Neuropathy
Excessively high levels of blood sugar damage the blood vessels that supply blood to the nerves. The impaired blood flow to the nerves can lead to nerve damage, or neuropathy, explains the American Diabetes Association. Neuropathy can affect the nerves in the extremities, but can also affect the nerves associated with various body systems. Gastroparesis is a kind of neuropathy involving damage to the nerve responsible for moving food through the digestive system, notes the Life Clinic.
Hyperosmolar Hyperglycemic Nonketotic Syndrome
Hyperosmolar hyperglycemic nonketotic syndrome, or HHNS, is condition that is more common in older people with type 2 diabetes, explains WrongDiagnosis.com. People with HHNS attempt to get rid of excess blood sugar via urine, at first increasing the frequency of urination. However, as HHNS progresses, the frequency drops, but severe dehydration tends to occur, and the body requires high amounts of liquid to stay properly hydrated, according to the American Diabetes Association.
