What Organs Do Diabetes Affect? By Jamie Mazique Apr 8, 2012 The leading cause of many body disorders is none other than diabetes. According to the American Diabetes Association, over 8 percent of the U.S. population has this disease. It affect many body organs and the lack of blood sugar control is the reason behind this. Damaged organs can lead to life-threatening problems such as kidney disease, blindness, and other complications. Heart and Blood Vessels The heart and blood vessels (aka, the circulatory system) are responsible for delivering vitamins and nutrients throughout the body. When blood glucose levels are high, the increased sugar flows throughout the body and effects the vessels. High blood sugars causes plaque to build in the …show more content…
The presence of this large molecule in the urine suggest that the filter has been damaged allowing the large protein molecule to pass through. Scar tissue will form where the filter once was if untreated. This will result in the body retaining waste products, ultimately requiring dialysis to clean the blood of impurities. Sexual Organs A frequent first sign of diabetes is infections dealing with the sexual organs. Another really common problem is sexual dysfunction. The problems relate to both circulation and nerve damage. If the blood vessels supplying blood to the sexual organs are weaken, less blood flow can get to the sexual organs. Also if the nerves are damaged, signals of arousal and climax to the brain may not happen. Feet (Not an organ but is worth mentioning) Diabetic foot problems are extremely common. It is the leading cause of non-traumatic amputation in America. Diabetes affects the circulation and the nerve endings in the feet. Blood flow is limited if vessels supplying blood to the feet are damaged. If they become completely blocked, this can lead to gangrene where the tissue dies from a lack of blood flow. With damaged nerves, an person may experience numbness, tingling, or burning in their feet. If permanent damage happens, all sensation could be lost. This increases the risk for
Burning and tingling in his feet is another red flag when thinking about diabetic neuropathy. When a patient does not properly watch his or her blood sugar levels it can lead to damage within the circulatory system. Signs of symptoms of peripheral neuropathy include numbness, tingling, sharp pains or cramps, “increased sensitivity to touch, muscle weakness, loss of reflexes, loss of balance and serious foot problems” (“Diabetic Neuropathy,”
Excess of the blood glucose leads to the capillaries walls to thicken and so this makes it less permeable for nutrients to pass from the blood to the cells. To maintain the average amount of nutrients the capillary wall, undergoes high pressure this leads to high blood pressure. If you have diabetes then this eventually can lead to high blood sugar levels which damages your nerves and blood vessels in your leg. If the nerve is damaged then you may not feel any pain in those legs. Foot problems caused by damaged nerves and poor blood flow can later in the future lead to amputation.
Neuropathy (nerve damage) - Extra sugar builds up in the tiny vessels that provide circulation to your nerves. When sugar builds up, the diabetic begins to lose feeling in extremities, usually lower limbs, starting with tingling and leading to complete nerve damage. Nerve damage to the stomach can cause constipation or diarrhea as well as erectile dysfunction in men.
Diabetics have an insulin problem Diabetes is a result of insulin not performing its job correctly. Since insulin does more than remove glucose from the bloodstream, including producing proteins, storing fats, and other metabolic processes, diabetes can have severe consequences. If it is not treated properly diabetes can lead to heart disease, stroke, eye problems (including blindness), kidney failure, problems with teeth and gums, male sexual problems, nerve problems, and circulation problems. The circulation problems could result in foot or leg amputation (Reddy 2).
One of the most common complications of diabetes is diabetic neuropathy. In fact, between 60 to 70 percent of people with diabetes have some form of neuropathy according to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. If someone you love has neuropathic diabetes they may be experiencing pain, tingling, or numbness (loss of feeling) in the hands, arms, feet and legs. And they could even have nerve problems in every organ system, including the digestive tract, heart and sex organs. The type of pain he or she feels depends on the type of neuropathy they have. There are four classifications of diabetic neuropathy — peripheral neuropathy, autonomic neuropathy, proximal neuropathy and focal neuropathy — and each affects different parts of the body in a different way.
. It also proves to be fatal due in part to the development of other complications or conditions. Complications include, nerve disease, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, periodontal (gum) disease, hearing loss, erectile dysfunction, depression, and complications of pregnancy and many others. People with diabetes have higher rates of death due to cardiovascular disease and higher rates of hospitalization for heart attacks and stroke. Diabetes is a leading cause of kidney failure, retinopathy, and nontraumatic lower limb amputations (CDC,
Diabetes mellitus, or better known as Diabetes, is an endocrine system disorder. In this case, your body is unable to produce enough or any insulin at all. Insulin, produced by the pancreas, has a very important role. When sugar is ingested from food, it is turned into energy for the cells in our body. Without insulin, the transfer of sugar into the cells would be compromised. Insulin is also vital to keep the right balance of sugar in the bloodstream (Hess-Fischl, 2015). If too much insulin is produced, blood sugar levels are decreased resulting in hypoglycemia. Hyperglycemia occurs when the blood sugar levels are increased (Sargis, n.d.).
There are two serious complications that affect those who suffer from diabetes, poor circulation and nerve damage. A simple blister or cut on the foot can quickly progress to a serious infection due to the numbness and lack of feeling that results from nerve damage and poor blood flow. Neuropathy, which is chronic nerve damage caused by the disease, can produce cracked, dry skin which provides an opening for bacteria to enter and cause infection.
This composition case study will discuss Diabetes Mellitus, and how it affects the body. Diabetes can cause organ failure, cause injuries to heal slowly and amputations.
Diabetes can cause harm to any organ of the body. Diabetic Retinopathy is an eye disease which cause damage to retina of eye due to diabetes. Similarly abnormalities caused by diabetes in kidneys is known as diabetic nefropathy and damage to nervous system is known as diabetic neuropathy. The diabetes is also a major risk factor in cardiovascular diseases. Diabetic retinopathy is a microvascular complication associated with diabetes, causing abnormalities in the retina. As this disease is associated with eye it affect the vision of person and in worstcase it cause blindness.
Neuropathy. Nearly 70% of diabetics have some form of diabetic neuropathy. Symptoms of nerve damage include pain, tingling, or numbness in the legs, feet, arms, and hands. Nerve damage also occurs in other areas of the body, such as the heart, the digestive track, and in sexual organs. Neuropathies usually occur in
The heart is the largest organ and is affected negatively by Sugar intake. It can cause insulin resistance and excessive insulin in the blood stream. When taken in high doses it can adversely affect the health of your arteries and double your risk of heart disease. It increases blood pressure, inflammation and can cause gum disease,
Sexual dysfunction is quite common in Diabetics because poorly controlled glucose levels damage both the blood vessels and the nerves resulting in reduced blood flow and possibly
Diabetic neuropathy can occur with long-term diabetes, usually after several years of uncontrolled high blood glucose. Glucose proteins, called glycoproteins, form in the nerves primarily those in the legs and feet. When the nerves in the feet are damaged, the brain cannot recognize pain in that area. Nerve damage from diabetic neuropathy can lead to weakness in the muscles in the legs and feet. Since the muscles work as a system, neuropathy can lead to other foot problems, such as hammertoes, calluses, bunions, and other foot deformities. These deformities are dangerous because of the risk of infection. A simple blister from a tight shoe can spell disaster
Most patients who have diabetes for an extended amount of time may end up with diabetic neuropathy, which is damage caused to the nerves; it affects the peripheral nerves, autonomic nerves, and focal nerves. From the high blood sugar, it can destroy parts of the patient’s blood vessels, heart, and kidneys. If diabetes is not treated, it will almost always cause heart disease or kidney disease.