Diabetes can affect more than the blood sugars; diabetes is a lifelong illness that can impact the circulatory system, eyes and even the kidneys. A multitude of diabetic complications can stem from erratic blood sugars, diet and lifestyle. Edema, or swelling and fluid retention, frequently affects the legs and feet due to gravity and circulatory complications. Diabetic complications with leg swelling are dependant upon the factors of time endured, accompanying symptoms, lifestyle and the severity of blood sugar fluctuations.
Neuropathy
Diabetic neuropathy is causative of a burning numbness or painful tingling of the hands and lower extremities. The nerves are bundled throughout the body and run alongside a maze of veins and arteries. Compression on these bundles, due to swelling and fluid retention, can exacerbate the symptoms of diabetic neuropathy in the legs and feet. Consequently, the increased numbness of the diabetic's foot can lead to the inability to recognize sores and ulcers that can lead to a serious infection.
Leg Sores
The American Diabetes Association estimates that almost 33 percent of diabetics will battle a skin disorder during their life. Over time, fluid retention in the legs stretches the skin and decreases the pliability of the integument. The combination of weakened skin and increasing neuropathy can lead to the development of sores, or open ulcerations, on the legs and feet. Furthermore, diabetics may have hardening of the arteries, or atherosclerosis, earlier than non-diabetics. Atherosclerosis can cause shiny, cold and hairless legs on the outside, with decreased function and pliability of the arteries inside. Paired with swelling, atherosclerosis can decrease the healing blood supply to these leg wounds, causing the potential for limb loss if ignored.
Hypertension and Kidney Failure
Leg swelling in diabetics can signal an early kidney complication, according to the National Kidney and Urologic Diseases Information Clearinghouse. The kidneys and blood pressure have a mutual effect on each other---as fluid retention increases, the kidneys must work harder to remove this fluid. Conversely, as the kidney function strains to remove fluids and waste, blood pressure elevates to boost kidney blood flow. Elevated blood sugars, heart disease and poor diet can increase the severity of this complication. Untreated kidney disorders can lead to kidney failure and the need for dialysis, or an artificial cleansing of the blood.
References
- Federal Citizen Information Center: Diabetes Complications
- National Kidney and Urologic Diseases Information Clearinghouse: Glomerular Diseases
- First Signs of Diabetes Symptoms: Diabetic Complications: Choose these complications of diabetes or a change in lifestyle
- American Diabetes Association: Skin Complications
