Harmful impact of diabetic complications on our body and treatments of diabetes mellitus. Essay

Diabetes can cause damage to our body in long term. This damage is commonly referred to as diabetic complications. It affects our blood vessels and nerves and hence affects other parts of the body. Diabetic complications will usually take some years of poorly controlled diabetes to develop. The kidneys are one of the organs that are at particular risk of damage as a result of diabetes and the risk is increased by poorly controlled diabetes, high blood pressure and cholesterol. Diabetic nephropathy is the name for kidney disease as a result of diabetes.
Diabetes and coronary heart disease are closely related too. Diabetes contributes to high blood pressure and is linked with high cholesterol which increases the risk of heart attacks and cardiovascular disease. Besides, a relatively common complication of diabetes is diabetic retinopathy. It is caused by blood vessels in the retina swelling and leaking.
The consequences of diabetes on the nerves can be serious as the nerves play an important role in our body, from movement and digestion to sex and reproduction. Diabetes can also affect digestion in numerous ways. If diabetes causes nerve damage, this can lead to nausea or constipation. Diabetes effect on the skin is usually a result of its effect on the nerves and circulation which can lead to dry skin, slow healing of cuts, burns and wounds, fungal and bacterial infections and loss of feeling in the foot (6).
Here are some treatments of diabetes mellitus. People with diabetes must be responsible for their daytoday care. This includes monitoring blood glucose levels, dietary management, having physical activity, keeping weight and stress under control, monitoring oral medications and have injections or pump of insulin if required. Changing eating habits and increasing physical activity are generally the first steps towards decreasing the blood sugar level. People with type 1diabetes require multiple insulin injections each day to maintain insulin levels and insulin is often required to treat type 2diabetes too.
Sometimes, even though people with type2 diabetes have healthy lifestyle , their blood sugar levels remain high. Medications taken in pill form may be prescribed when this happens. The medications work in different ways. These include improve the effectiveness of the body's natural insulin, decrease blood sugar production, enhance the insulin production and inhibit blood sugar absorption. Sometimes, oral diabetes medications are taken in combination with insulin (7).
We know that prevention is better than cure so here are also some ways to prevent diabetes mellitus. First is to get more physical activity. Exercise is helpful in losing weight, lowering blood sugar and boosting sensitivity to insulin. Next is to get plenty of fiber. It may help to reduce risk of diabetes by improving blood sugar control, lowering the risk of heart disease and causing loss of weight. Besides, go for whole grains which may reduce the risk of diabetes and help to keep the blood sugar levels steady. There are many foods made from whole grains such as various breads, pasta products and many cereals (8).