According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there were 1.644 million new cases of diabetes in 2008 compared to 493,000 in 1980. This is a reflection of the spreading obesity epidemic in the United States. Diabetes is a difficult to manage disease with many problems and complications.
Diabetic Ketoacidosis
Diabetic ketoacidosis occurs when blood glucose is high and the body cannot produce insulin. The body needs insulin in order for glucose to get into the cells. Without glucose, the cells need another source of energy and the body starts to burn fat. Burning fat for energy produces ketones. Burning ketones produces a sweet smell on the breath. Also elevated ketones and sugar come out in the urine and can be detected by using a urine dipstick. These dipsticks are commonly used by diabetics. High ketones in the blood can put the body into a metabolic acidosis, meaning that the body's pH becomes acidic to a degree that makes it difficult for key organ systems to function. The high sugars, known as hyperglycemia, along with the ketones, can produce coma, nausea, vomiting, confusion, fast heart rate and generalized weakness and fatigue.
Diabetic Polyneuropathy
Diabetic polyneuropathy is the term to describe the multiple sites of nerve damage that diabetes can cause. According to the "5-Minute Clinical Consult" textbook, 10 percent of diabetics have some nerve damage at the time of their initial diagnosis. Fifty percent of diabetics will have nerve damage after living with the disease for 25 years. The most common form of neuropathy is the symmetric sensory deficits of the feet and legs. Diabetic patients can have numbness, tingling and pain in their feet and legs, which is usually worse at night. Some patients will have ataxia or loss of muscle coordination, usually noticeable when they are walking. Other forms of nerve damage include gastroparesis, or the slowing down of digestion, erectile dysfunction and incontinence of urine.
Diabetic Nephropathy
Because the kidneys contain millions of tiny blood vessels that act as filtering agents for the body, they are subject to injury from diabetes. Diabetes affects the blood vessels of the body, causing constriction that diminishes blood flow. Diminished blood flow ultimately leads to tissue death and the kidneys become less able to filter toxins from the body. Diabetics with uncontrolled sugars risk having end-stage renal disease, requiring dialysis, MayoClinic.com notes.
References
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Diabetes Data & Trends
- "The 5-Minute Clinical Consult"; Frank J. Domino, MD, Editor. 2009
- MayoClinic.com: Diabetes Complications
