Diabetes is a chronic condition which requires careful and continuous management. Excess of glucose can damage your blood vessels. Therefore, diabetes is linked to serious health conditions including vascular diseases.
A vascular disease includes any condition which affects your circulatory system. If your sugar levels are too high, it can affect your circulatory system too. If diabetes is not managed well or your lifestyle habits are not on the right track, you can develop conditions like blindness, kidney issues, stroke, heart attack or feet problems.
Let us try to understand some vascular diseases which can be caused due to diabetes.
Vascular Diseases Linked to Diabetes
Some known vascular diseases linked to diabetes are:
- Retinopathy– this is the abnormal growth of blood vessels in the retina
- Nephropathy– this is the when the filtering units of the kidney are damaged
- Neuropathy– this is a condition that causes loss of sensation of the feet and toes
- Stroke
- Peripheral Artery Disease-this is a condition where the arteries are narrowed and reduce blood flow to your limbs.
What is the cause for this?
Diabetes causes vascular disease if there is too much sugar in the blood. This excess glucose damages the blood vessels. For type 1 diabetes, doctors don’t really know what causes it, but it is believed to have a hereditary link.
Type 2 diabetes is usually associated with old age, obesity and inactivity. It can also be passed on through a family history of diabetes.
The current time is seeing a lot of adolescents and children also being diagnosed with type 2 diabetes.
Here are a few things you can do to avoid this vascular diseases:
- Stay active
- Eat healthy and control your blood sugar levels
- If you are overweight, shed the extra kilos
- Quit smoking if you do
- Monitor your blood pressure
- Be aware of any sudden changes in your body
- Have regular medical examinations
- If on medication follow religiously as prescribed by your doctor
Follow all the recommendations given by your health coach and keep a tab on your sugar levels. Regular monitoring is the key to diabetes management. It is only when you know whether your sugar levels are in the high or low range that you will be able to optimize your diet and lifestyle.
