Diabetes is a disease of uncontrolled glucose production and not enough insulin to metabolize it. The chronic disease can progress quickly if blood sugars are not controlled. The complications of long-term uncontrolled diabetes can be devastating and irreversible, according to University of Washington Women's Health.
Diabetic Nephropathy
Kidney insufficiency is a hallmark of diabetes. High blood glucose impairs the small arteries of the kidneys and eventually may lead to a need for dialysis. Diabetics with high blood pressure are particularly susceptible to kidney damage. The kidney is made up of thousands of filters called nephrons and each nephron has a cluster of tiny blood vessels that feeds it. These structures work together to remove waste from the body. High blood sugars cause the nephrons and blood vessels to become thickened and scarred, according to MedlinePlus. Eventually these units cease to work and, to survive, a patient needs dialysis to remove waste from the body.
Diabetic Retinopathy
The leading cause of blindness in adults is diabetic retinopathy, according to the National Eye Institute. High blood sugars cause the blood vessels of the retina to swell and leak fluid. There are four stages of retinopathy. Mild nonproliferative retinopathy creates small microaneurysms or balloon-like swelling in the retina's tiny blood vessels. With moderate nonproliferative retinopathy, blood vessels that nourish the retina are blocked and the retina is deprived of oxygen and nutrients. In severe nonproliferative retinopathy, many blood vessels are blocked, depriving areas of the retina of its blood supply. These areas of the retina send signals to grow new blood vessels for nourishment. In the final stage, proliferative retinopathy, the damage triggers the growth of new blood vessels, which are abnormal and fragile. Because they are fragile, they leak blood and severe vision loss and even blindness can result.
Diabetic Neuropathy
According to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, 60 to 70 percent of diabetics have some form of nerve damage. Severe nerve damage typically occurs after 25 years of diabetes and is a late stage symptom. This nerve damage is frequently in the feet and lower extremities but can occur in any organ system, including the digestive tract, heart and sex organs. Damage occurs when the blood vessels that bring nutrients to the nerves are damaged and the nerves eventually are destroyed. Patients complain of numbness, tingling or burning sensation that won't go away. Patients with numbness in their feet are subject to nonhealing foot ulcers or injuries that become gangrenous.
