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Effects

High blood sugar from diabetes can damage the heart, kidneys, feet, nerves, mouth, and eyes. Studies have also shown a link between diabetes and an increased risk of certain types of cancer, such as pancreatic cancer, kidney cancer, and colorectal cancer.

Diabetic Neuropathy

High blood sugar would damage nerves that weaken the capillaries (small vessels) from delivering enough nutrients and oxygen to nerves, leading to “diabetic neuropathy”. This can affect limbs within their abilities to send signals and feelings, including feet, hands, legs, and arms.​

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Symptoms:

  • Difficult to manage the high blood pressure

  • Swelling of feet, ankles, hands or eyes

  • Foamy urine (protein loss in urine)

  • Confusion or difficulty thinking

  • Shortness of breath

  • Loss of appetite, leading to weight loss

  • Hard to eat

  • Nausea and vomiting

  • Itching (because of the toxic substances in the blood)

  • Tiredness and weakness

Diabetic Foot

Diabetes can cause nerve damage due to high blood sugar levels, leading to vascular complications that stop nerves from receiving nutrients. This condition is known as diabetic neuropathy. It typically affects the extremities (toes and fingers), with symptoms starting in the toes and gradually spreading upward.

Patients may experience dry, cracked skin and a loss of sensation in their feet, making them unaware of wounds, which can lead to bacterial infections and even ulcers.

 

Additionally, high blood sugar can cause inflammation and damage to blood vessel walls, making it difficult for wounds to heal. In severe cases, when tissue necrosis and blood vessel blockage occur, ulcers may penetrate deep into the joints, requiring amputation. If diabetic foot complications are not managed in time, they can lead to systemic infections (sepsis) and even death!

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Remember to NOT SMOKE! As it significantly increases the risk of amputation. Smoking accelerates vascular and nerve damage, weakens the immune system—raising the risk of infections—and impairs wound healing. In severe cases, it can even lead to tissue necrosis and gangrene.

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Call for help when:

  • A cut, blister, or bruise on your foot that doesn’t start healing after a few days.

  • Red, warm, or painful skin on your foot, which could mean an infection.

  • A callus with dried blood inside—it might be a sign of a wound underneath.

  • A black, bad-smelling foot infection, which could be gangrene.

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Diabetic Nephropathy

A long-term effect, a common complication of type 1 and type 2 diabetes. Since the kidneys relied on glomerulus  (tiny blood vessel clusters in kidneys) to filter body waste from the blood to make urine [collected by the tubules], the damage on glomerulus and tubules due to high blood sugar (diabetes) would lead to diabetic nephropathy. From this, the kidneys will lose abilities to implement those essential works, which means they will not be able to remove waste and excess fluid from the body, causing kidney failure, also known as “end-stage kidney disease”. This may threaten life.

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Symptoms:

  • Difficult to manage the high blood pressure

  • Swelling of feet, ankles, hands or eyes

  • Foamy urine (protein loss in urine)

  • Confusion or difficulty thinking

  • Shortness of breath

  • Loss of appetite, leading to weight lost

  • Hard to eat

  • Nausea and vomiting

  • Itching (because of the toxic substances in the blood)

  • Tiredness and weakness

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