Diabetes And The Body
Diabetes affects the body and the body affects diabetes. Click on a body system or body part and see the role that organs, hormones and responses play in ensuring the body functions and how diabetes can affect them. How do I use this? This section looks at the different systems in the body, how the body’s organs work and how they can be affected by diabetes. The pancreas is recognised by many of us as having an effect on blood sugar levels but there are many more organs which play a role in diabetes. Choose a system by hovering over it and see the role that different organs, hormones and responses play in ensuring the body functions. Guides to hormones, bodily processes or biological functions can be under the biological system that they are most relevant to. Tweet Type 2 diabetes mellitus is a metabolic disorder that results in hyperglycemia (high blood glucose levels) due to the body: Being ineffective at using the insulin it has produced; also known as insulin resistance and/or Being unable to produce enough insulin Type 2 diabetes is characterised by the body being unable to metabolise glucose (a simple sugar). This leads to high levels of blood glucose which over time may damage the organs of the body. From this, it can be understood that for someone with diabetes something that is food for ordinary people can become a sort of metabolic poison. This is why people with diabetes are advised to avoid sources of dietary sugar. The good news is for very many people with type 2 diabetes this is all they have to do to stay well. If you can keep your blood sugar lower by avoiding dietary sugar, likely you will never need long-term medication. Type 2 diabetes was formerly known as non-insulin-dependent or adult-onset diabetes due to its occurrence mainly in people over 40 Continue reading >>
The Effects Of Diabetes On Your Body
When you hear the word “diabetes,” your first thought is likely about high blood sugar. Blood sugar is an often-underestimated component of your health. When it’s out of whack over a long period of time, it could develop into diabetes. Diabetes affects your body’s ability to produce or use insulin, a hormone that allows your body to turn glucose (sugar) into energy. Here’s what symptoms may occur to your body when diabetes takes effect. Diabetes can be effectively managed when caught early. However, when left untreated, it can lead to potential complications that include heart disease, stroke, kidney damage, and nerve damage. Normally after you eat or drink, your body will break down sugars from your food and use them for energy in your cells. To accomplish this, your pancreas needs to produce a hormone called insulin. Insulin is what facilitates the process of pulling sugar from the blood and putting it in the cells for use, or energy. If you have diabetes, your pancreas either produces too little insulin or none at all. The insulin can’t be used effectively. This allows blood glucose levels to rise while the rest of your cells are deprived of much-needed energy. This can lead to a wide variety of problems affecting nearly every major body system. The effects of diabetes on your body also depends on the type you have. There are two main types of diabetes: type 1 and type 2. Type 1, also called juvenile diabetes or insulin-dependent diabetes, is an immune system disorder. Your own immune system attacks the insulin-producing cells in the pancreas, destroying your body’s ability to make insulin. With type 1 diabetes, you must take insulin to live. Most people are diagnosed as a child or young adult. Type 2 is related to insulin resistance. It used to occur i Continue reading >>
Diabetic Ketoacidosis
What is diabetic ketoacidosis? Diabetic ketoacidosis is a complication of diabetes that occurs when compounds called ketones build up in the bloodstream. Ketones are produced when the body breaks down fats instead of sugars, which happens when the body does not produce enough insulin to process sugar properly. Ketoacidosis generally develops in people with type 1 diabetes, a chronic condition in which the pancreas produces too little or no insulin. It can also happen, although uncommonly, in those with type 2 diabetes, a chronic condition in which your body is either resistant to insulin or your pancreas does not produce enough insulin. Symptoms worsen over time as the body attempts to use fat instead of sugar for energy. Blood sugar levels generally increase dramatically during the development of diabetic ketoacidosis, as the liver attempts to compensate for the lack of sugar-derived energy. Diabetic ketoacidosis can lead to rapid breathing, flushing, fruity-smelling breath, nausea, vomiting, pain, fatigue, headache, and muscle stiffness. In severe cases, ketoacidosis can lead to a slowing of mental activity that can progress to a coma. The consequences of ketoacidosis can be severe, even life threatening, but modern treatments are usually very effective at preventing serious complications if treatment is obtained early. Seek immediate medical care (call 911) for serious symptoms of ketoacidosis, such as decreased consciousness, difficulty breathing, mental stupor, or unexplained fruity-smelling breath. Seek prompt medical care for any symptoms of diabetes or high blood glucose levels, as early treatment is critical for preventing life-threatening complications. Continue reading >>
How Diabetes Affects Immune System
How Diabetes affects Immune system ? Diabetes is a metabolic disorder that affects how the body uses food for energy due to insulin resistance. Diabetes affects the metabolism as well as the immune system. The disease causes the immune system to destroy insulin producing cells within the pancreas. The immune response is also much lower in people who have diabetes so they are more susceptible to getting infections that could result in the loss of a limb. Diabetes is widely recognized as one of the leading causes of death and disability in the United States. In 2006, it was the seventh leading cause of death. However, diabetes is likely to be underreported as the under lying cause of death on death certifi cates. In 2004, among people ages 65 years or older, heart disease was noted on 68 percent of diabetes-related death certifi cates; stroke was noted on 16 percent of diabetes-related death certificates for the same age group. Diabetes is associated with long-term complications that affect almost every part of the body. The disease often leads to blindness, heart and blood vessel disease, stroke, kidney failure, amputations, and nerve damage. Uncontrolled diabetes can complicate pregnancy, and birth defects are more common in babies born to women with diabetes. People with diabetes should see a health care provider who will help them learn to manage their diabetes and who will monitor their diabetes control. Most people with diabetes get care from primary care physicians—internists, family practice doctors, or pediatricians. Often, having a team of providers can improve diabetes care. A team can include a primary care provider such as an internist, a family practice doctor, or a pediatrician an endocrinologist—a specialist in diabetes care a dietitian, a nurse, and o Continue reading >>
How Does Diabetes Affect The Digestive System?
If you’ve recently been diagnosed with diabetes or have been living with the disease for a while, you’re more than likely familiar with possible complications, like kidney disease, vision loss, and even amputations. But it’s important to note that poorly controlled type 2 diabetes can also affect other parts of your body, including your digestive system, and that the longer you’ve lived with diabetes, the more likely it may be that you could experience these types of problems. In fact, some research suggests 75 percent of people visiting diabetes clinics report having significant gastrointestinal symptoms. How Diabetic Neuropathy Can Lead to Heartburn and Other Issues So how might diabetes affect the digestive system? “Advanced diabetes, whether it’s from type 1 or type 2 diabetes, can affect any organ in the body — including those organs in the digestive tract,” says James C. Reynolds, MD, a gastroenterology specialist and clinical medicine professor at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia. Dr. Reynolds notes digestive problems may be caused by the very factors that led to diabetes in the first place, such as obesity, but it’s also possible that digestive problems are the result of diabetes-related complications, such as hyperglycemia, or high blood sugar. One of the most serious diabetes complications that can result from consistent high blood sugar is diabetic neuropathy, or nerve damage. Neuropathy may lead to weakness, pain, and numbness, affecting feeling in your feet, legs, and hands, but the condition can also affect digestive functions like swallowing and constipation, Reynolds explains. If you have diabetes, this potential complication is just another reason it’s crucial to pay attention to your A1C, the average level of glucose o Continue reading >>
Diabetes And Your Eyes, Heart, Nerves, Feet, And Kidneys
Diabetes is a serious disease that can affect your eyes, heart, nerves, feet and kidneys. Understanding how diabetes affects your body is important. It can help you follow your treatment plan and stay as healthy as possible. If your diabetes is not well controlled, the sugar level in your blood goes up. This is called “hyperglycemia” (high blood sugar). High blood sugar can cause damage to very small blood vessels in your body. Imagine what happens to sugar when it is left unwrapped overnight. It gets sticky. Now imagine how sugar “sticks” to your small blood vessels and makes it hard for blood to get to your organs. Damage to blood vessels occurs most often in the eyes, heart, nerves, feet, and kidneys. Let’s look at how this damage happens. Eyes. Having high levels of sugar in your blood for a long time can harm the tiny blood vessels in your eyes. This can result in vision problems or blindness. Heart. High blood sugar may also harm larger blood vessels in your body that supply oxygen to your heart and brain. Fat can build up in the blood vessels as well. This can lead to a heart attack or stroke. Nerves. Nerves carry important messages between your brain and other parts of your body. Having high levels of sugar in your blood for many years can damage the blood vessels that bring oxygen to some nerves. Damaged nerves may stop sending pain signals. Feet. Diabetes can harm your feet in two ways. First, it can damage your body’s nerves. Nerve damage stops you from feeling pain or other problems in your feet. Another way that diabetes can cause damage to your feet is from poor blood circulation. Poor blood flow makes it hard for a sore or infection to heal. If sores don’t heal and get infected, it can lead to amputation. Kidneys. Think of your kidneys like Continue reading >>
Complications Of Diabetes – A Disease Affecting All Organs
We’re treating people with type 2 diabetes completely wrong – and it’s harming every organ in their bodies. Hyperglycemia (high blood sugar) may be the hallmark of diabetes, but does not cause most of the morbidity (the harm of the disease). Blood glucose is fairly easily controlled by medication, but this does not prevent the long-term complications. Despite blood glucose control, damage occurs to virtually every organ system. It would be difficult to find a single organ system NOT affected by diabetes. These complications are generally classified as either microvascular (small blood vessels) or macrovascular (large blood vessels). Certain organs, such as the eyes, kidneys and nerves are predominantly perfused by small blood vessels. Chronic damage to these small blood vessels causes failure of these organs. Damage to larger blood vessels results in narrowing called atherosclerotic plaque. When this plaque ruptures, it triggers an inflammatory reaction and blood clots that cause heart attacks and strokes. When blood flow is impaired to the legs, it may cause gangrene due to reduced circulation. There are other complications do not fall neatly into this simple categorization. A variety of diabetic complications are not obviously caused by injured blood vessels. These would include skin conditions, fatty liver disease, infections, polycystic ovarian syndromes, Alzheimer’s disease and cancer. Microvascular Complications Retinopathy Diabetes is the leading cause of new cases of blindness in the United States, according to the Center for Disease Control in 2011. Eye disease, characteristically retinal damage (retinopathy) is one of the most frequent complications of diabetes. The retina is the light-sensitive nerve layer at the back of the eye that sends its ‘pict Continue reading >>
Effects Of Diabetes On The Body And Organs
Over time, the raised blood sugar levels that result from diabetes can cause a wide range of serious health issues. But what do these health issues involve, and how are the organs of the body affected? Can these effects be minimized? When people have diabetes, the body either does not make enough insulin or cannot use what it has effectively. As a result, the amount of sugar in the blood becomes higher than it should be. Glucose, or blood sugar, is the main power source for the human body. It comes from the food people eat. The hormone insulin helps the cells of the body convert glucose into fuel. Fortunately, taking a proactive approach to this chronic disease through medical care, lifestyle changes, and medication can help limit its effects. Effect on systems and organs The effects of diabetes can be seen on systems throughout the body, including: The circulatory system Diabetes can damage large blood vessels, causing macrovascular disease. It can also damage small blood vessels, causing what is called microvascular disease. Complications from macrovascular disease include heart attack and stroke. However, macrovascular disease can be prevented by: Microvascular disease can cause eye, kidney, and nerve problems, but good control of diabetes can help prevent these complications. The cardiovascular system Excess blood sugar decreases the elasticity of blood vessels and causes them to narrow, impeding blood flow. The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute say diabetes is as big a risk factor for heart disease as smoking or high cholesterol. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the risk of stroke or dying of heart disease increases by 200-400 percent for adults with diabetes. The nervous system When people have diabetes, they can develop n Continue reading >>
Effects Of Diabetes
In some cases the effects may be short term and can be eliminated through appropriate treatment. In the case of long term complications, any damage sustained tends to be permanent. Whilst there are a lot of ways in which diabetes can affect the body, it’s important to note that the risks of developing health problems can be significantly reduced through good management of diabetes and living a healthy life. Heart Higher than normal blood sugar levels over a period of time can lead to an increase in risk of damage occurring to larger blood vessels in the body. This raises the risk of blood clots forming in blood vessels which can lead to heart attacks – a form of coronary heart disease. Approximately, 600,000 people die of heart disease in the United States every year–that’s 1 in every 4 deaths. Learn more about Heart disease. Brain The brain is another major organ that can pose a threat to life if it is affected by damage or blockages in its blood supply. Elevated blood sugar levels over a long period of time can cause blockages in the blood vessels supplying the brain, resulting in stroke, and can also damage the very small blood vessels in the outer part of the brain, increasing the risk of brain damage and conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease. In the short term, too low blood glucose levels can lead to a reduced ability to make decisions and cause confusion and disorientation. Nerves The nerves play a very important part throughout the body. Not only do they allow us to sense touch, nerves also allow our organs to function properly. For instance, nerves are crucial in helping the digestive system to sense how it should respond. If the nerves become damaged we can lose our ability to sense pain in parts of the body that are affected and if nerve damage (ne Continue reading >>
7 Ways Diabetes Affects The Body
Uncontrolled diabetes can lead to a multitude of complications because the disease affects the body in many ways. With this condition, your body either doesn’t make enough insulin or can’t use its own insulin as well as it should. This causes a buildup of sugars in your blood, which can wreak havoc on your body. Here what diabetes can do to your body. Having diabetes increases your risk of developing a multitude of heart disease problems, such as chest pain, high cholesterol, narrowing of the arteries, and high blood pressure. Many of these problems may be subtle or be “silent” until a major event, such as a heart attack or stroke. Diabetes remains the leading cause of vision loss in the U.S. It can lead to various eye problems, including glaucoma, cataracts, and diabetic retinopathy. Diabetes can cause wounds or sores in the skin to heal more slowly, which can result in people with diabetes being more susceptible to infections. Kidney disease is one more potential complication of poorly controlled diabetes, and, unfortunately, it can develop over a number of years before symptoms show. Symptoms include swelling of the legs and feet. Diabetes is the leading cause of kidney failure among adults in the U.S. When someone with diabetes has excess sugar in their urine, they become prone to more urinary track infections. Nearly 70 percent of people with diabetes will suffer from nerve damage. High blood sugar levels can harm nerves, and can develop either peripheral diabetic neuropathy (usually starting in the toes or feet) or autonomic neuropathy (damage to the nerves that control internal organs). Diabetic neuropathy is one of the main causes of erectile dysfunction as well. Well-controlled diabetes can keep all these effects at bay and even stop them. To better con Continue reading >>
Animation: Diabetes And Your Body
Having either type 1 or type 2 diabetes can put you at increased risk of developing several other health problems. These diabetic complications are mainly caused by the long-term effects of raised blood sugar levels on blood vessels and nerves, and develop over many years. Our animation shows how diabetes complications can affect your body. However, keep in mind that tight control of blood glucose levels (along with control of other risk factors, such as high blood pressure and raised cholesterol) can help prevent these complications from developing, and slow their progression if they do develop. 1. Brain Having diabetes can increase your risk of having stroke. This is because increased blood glucose levels can contribute to the development of atherosclerosis (hardening and narrowing of the arteries), which can lead to a stroke when it affects the arteries that supply blood to your brain. 1. Brain Having diabetes can increase your risk of having a stroke. This is because increased blood glucose levels can contribute to the development of atherosclerosis (hardening and narrowing of the arteries), which can lead to a stroke when it affects the arteries that supply blood to your brain. 2. Eyes High blood sugar levels can damage the blood vessels that supply your retina (the light-sensitive part of the eye that relays images to your brain), resulting in a condition called diabetic retinopathy. Diabetes can also increase your risk of developing cataracts (clouding of the lens within your eye) and glaucoma (increased fluid pressure within the eyeball). These conditions can cause blurred or reduced vision, as well as loss of eyesight if left untreated. 3. Heart Raised blood sugar levels can promote atherosclerosis (hardening and narrowing of the arteries). When atherosclerosis Continue reading >>
Major Organs Affected By Diabetes
Diabetes is most often feared because of the latent damages it is associated with. Apart from raising blood sugar levels, which leads to chronic fatigue and associated symptoms, major organs are affected by diabetes as well. In certain cases, the organ damages associated with diabetes may be non reversible in nature, eventually requiring transplants and artificial support systems for sustaining life. Therefore, diabetics are advised regular monitoring and supervision for early detection of damages that might have occurred. Early detection can always help in managing these problems better and in knowing how diabetes affects major organs. Major Organs Affected by Diabetes The Heart: Heart is one of the major body parts affected by diabetes and probably the most affected one. A rise in the blood sugar levels can actually end up damaging the blood vessels that transport blood to and from the heart. Hence, the heart will receive reduced blood supply and will begin encountering problems. Inadequate supply of blood will force the heart to overwork thereby, causing chest pains, breathlessness and irregular heart rhythms etc. In extreme cases, these can lead to cardiovascular complications such as strokes and blockages. The Kidneys: Damaged blood vessels because of spiraling blood sugar levels will make it difficult for the kidneys to remove waste products from the blood. In extreme cases, this waste build-up can cause the kidneys to fail. Therefore, you may have to resort to a kidney transplant or start off with dialysis to sustain life. The Eyes: Diabetes can cause severe problems in the eyes, leading to complete vision loss. It also makes the eyes more susceptible to diseases such as glaucoma and cataract. The Feet: Diabetes is also known to be primarily responsible for causi Continue reading >>
How Does Diabetes Affect Homeostasis?
A little Something About Diabetes Diabetes is a health condition that affects the ability of your body to deal with your blood sugar. Your blood sugar comes from the food you eat. To break this sugar into energy, your body needs a hormone called “insulin”. Insulin is a chemical your body produces that helps you break sugar down into energy. What is homeostasis? Homeostasis is a combination of two words: homeo means “similar” and stasis means “stable”. In other words, homeostasis is the ability for something to remain stable. Here is an example for you to understand better. Take your body for example. When you feel hot, you start to sweat. Your sweat is basically a way your body uses to cool you down. This way, your body does not allow your temperature to rise even in summers. In other words, your body maintains a balance or homeostasis. Why Does Diabetes Affects Homeostasis? Your temperature is just one example of how the system tries to maintain a balance of every process in your body. There is so much going on inside your body, if it were not for your closely monitored homeostasis, survival wouldn’t be possible. This is how the human body evolved over thousands of years. But diabetes affects this state of balance in your body. When you have diabetes, it means a lot of extra sugar in your system, which is just there doing nothing. Excess of everything is bad and same is true for excess of sugar. When something disturbs your bodies homeostasis, you should expect some consequences. It’s like you’re crashing your car into something. When that happens, you should expect some damages to your vehicle. Similarly, the following are some outcomes of excess sugar in your body: Extra sugar damages your brain. It hurts your heart. It makes you pee more. You eat m Continue reading >>
How Diabetes Affects Body Systems
Circulatory system The circulatory system helps to maintain a healthy Blood Glucose level. If Blood Glucose Level is too high, the blood vessel will help to reduce the damage. Digestive system The small intestine plays plays an important role in regulating the Blood Glucose Level, as it secrete and maintain hormones which instructs pancreas on how much insulin and glucagon to be released. Endocrine system The diabetes affects how our body regulates Blood Glucose Level. The insulin helps to maintain a healthy level of Blood Glucose Level. In contrast, Glucagon increases the Blood Glucose Level when imbalance between the effects of insulin and glucagon occur. Immune system When the Type 1 and Type 2 develop in human body, they can develop to a long term chronic disease. Thus, problems with immune system occur. Muscular system Human muscular system is made up of 650 muscles and can control the movement of the body. People with diabetes have a high chance of developing osteoporosis. Reproductive system As diabetes is a long term diseases it can affect the blood vessels and nerves of the female genitals which can result in difficulties in arousal and lubrication Respiratory system Uncontrolled Diabetes can lead to different types of long and short term health complications such as nerve damage, vision problems and amputations. Nervous system Nervous system can be affected by diabetes which can lead to poor visions and nerve damages. Continue reading >>
Which Organ Is Damaged Early In Diabetic Patient?
We know that in the microvascular complications of diabetes, cells are more committed capillary endothelial cells of the retina, mesangial cells in the renal glomerulus and neurons and Schwann cells in peripheral nerves, so we must start thinking that makes these cells vulnerable to hyperglycemia, this response is based on that most cells are able to reduce the transport of glucose into the cell when exposed to hyperglycemia so that their internal glucose concentration remains constant, in contrast to these cells above which do not efficiently, So their rates of glucose transport does not fall rapidly as a result of hyperglycemia. Each of these routes damages the cells under discussion, we must understand is which is the most labile cell for damage, you can find several articles that looks to diabetic retinopathy as the most important but you must have intoaccount that this is that is the most disabling occupationally, (The cutoff for the diagnosis of diabetes mellitus was performed when the prevalence of retinopathy increases) but if you review is neuropathy which can be found even in patients with pre-diabetes where there is already damage by hyperglycemia, that is if we talk about microvascular damage, because if we speak of macrovascular the relationship is to other insulin-resistance metabolic finding Continue reading >>
