12 Diabetes Complications You May Have Without Knowing

By The Captain September 29, 2020

Wellness Captain Diabetes Complications

7. Poor eyesight

As I said at the beginning of this post, sight loss due to diabetes is extremely rare these days. However, altered glucose levels may make the lens of the eye to swell, which leads to blurry vision.

Note that most patients who are just beginning their diabetes treatment might experience extremely blurry vision at first. In this case, it’s completely normal because the lens are literally changing shape due to the drop in blood sugar levels.

8. Ringing in the ears

You know that sound that sticks with you after a loud concert? Diabetes can also damage certain nerves in the ear, which might cause a ringing sensation. The medical term is tinnitus and it can be easily fixed by managing blood glucose levels.

9. Sleep apnea

According to Dr. King, thin people diagnosed with diabetes are more likely to suffer from sleep apnea. However, this disease is also often linked to being overweight and other poor lifestyle choices, so you should be aware of it even if you don’t have diabetes.

Sleep apnea is a condition in which you suddenly stop breathing for short periods of time during sleep. There are usually multiple episodes a night and the disease increases risks for high blood pressure.

10. Fatty liver

Fatty liver can increase your risk of diabetes – and for those already diagnosed with the disease, it may increase the risk for complications. A study published in 2018 in the Indian Journal of Endocrinology and Metabolism found that 70% of people diagnosed with diabetes also have a considerable amount of fat in their liver.

Having a fatty liver makes it increasingly difficult for you to control your blood glucose levels. This is a silent sign which can nevertheless lead to inflammation and scarring, both of which affect the liver functionality.

11. Foot problems

There’s a wide range of foot problems which can occur due to type 2 diabetes, but thankfully few of them are serious. According to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, diabetes can damage nerves in your feet which might cause a loss of sensation, or other strange symptoms such as pain, heat, or cold.

However, it’s easy to overlook these subtle signs, which is why they can worsen in time. If you just pay attention to your feet on a daily basis, though, there’s absolutely nothing to worry about.

12. Increased heart rate

Unfortunately, Diabetes Canada found that people diagnosed with diabetes might develop heart disease 15 years earlier than healthy individuals. Blood vessels in diabetics are more vulnerable and when you mix it with poor lifestyle choices like smoking, alcohol or a bad diet, chances are you’ll get a heart disease much earlier in your lifetime.

Thankfully, it’s very easy to prevent those complications simply by living a healthier life. Here are some basic tips: