Sexual Dysfunction
Sexual dysfunction is common among people with diabetes. Diabetes can cause damage to blood vessels and nerve endings in the genitals, leading to a loss of feeling and making orgasm difficult. Other complications can include vaginal dryness in women and impotence in men. It’s estimated between 35% and 70% of men with diabetes will have at least some degree of impotence in their lifetime. And about 1 in 3 women with diabetes will experience some form of sexual dysfunction.
Long-Term Damage: Kidneys
The longer you have diabetes, the greater the risk of developing chronic kidney disease. Diabetes is the leading cause of kidney failure, accounting for 44% of new cases in 2008. Controlling risk factors such as uncontrolled diabetes, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol reduces your risk of developing this complication. Annual screening for kidney disease and medications, which slow the development and progression of kidney disease, are used to reduce your risk of kidney failure.
Long-Term Damage: Eyes
High blood sugar can damage the tiny blood vessels that bring oxygen and nutrients to the retina, a critical part of the eye. This is known as diabetic retinopathy, and it can cause progressive, irreversible vision loss. It is the leading cause of new cases of blindness in people between the ages of 20 and 74. Pools of blood, or haemorrhages, on the retina of an eye are visible in this image.
Long-Term Damage: Feet
Diabetic nerve damage can make it difficult to feel your feet and detect injury. At the same time, hardening of the arteries results in poor blood flow to the feet. Foot sores and gangrene can occur, even from small injury. In severe cases, infections can go unchecked and result in an amputation.
Preventing Type 2 Diabetes
One of the most astonishing things about type 2 diabetes is that such a life-altering condition is often preventable. To lower your risk, follow the same guidelines for warding off heart disease:
? Eat a healthy diet.
? Exercise for 30 minutes, five days a week.
? Maintain a healthy weight.
? Talk to your doctor about being screened for prediabetes.
In people with prediabetes, lifestyle changes and medication can help prevent the progression to type 2 diabetes.
Risk Factors You Can’t Control
Other risk factors are out of your control, including:
? Race or ethnicity: Hispanics, African Americans, Native Americans, and
Asians have a higher than average risk.
? Family history of diabetes: Having a parent or sibling with diabetes
boosts your risk.
? Age: Being 45 and older increases your risk of type 2 diabetes.
The more risk factors you have, the greater your odds of developing type 2 diabetes.