Diabetes Related Health Issues and How To Reduce Your Risk

Having diabetes can lead to a range of other related health issues. As you can imagine, the process of getting glucose to the cells in the body is such an important job, it’s understandable that not managing your blood sugar levels can have a detrimental effect on the rest of your body.

• Autonomic neuropathy/nerve damage
• Heart disease
• Impotence
• Infections
• Kidney disease
• Metabolic issues
• Peripheral vascular disease (which can lead to ulcers, gangrene and
amputation)
• Pregnancy problems
• Vision disorders (retinopathy, glaucoma, cataracts and corneal
disease)

The strain that high blood sugar levels put on your body doesn’t happen overnight, thankfully. But in order to keep your long term health, you will need to manage your blood sugar levels and get help from your doctor if you find that your efforts just aren’t working.

How To Reduce Your Risk
The easiest way to avoid the problems of diabetes is to never have it in the first place. And while hereditary caused cases happen, the majority of diabetes cases in today’s world seem to be related to lifestyle.

That said, there are things you can do today to help reduce your risk of diabetes:

• Increase your physical activity each day – If you have a sedentary job,
at least try to get up and move around during the work day. Just try
to add more activity to each day in any way that you can.
• Change your diet – Try to eat a balanced diet of fruits and vegetables
with whole grains and lean meats and dairy. Avoiding high cholesterol
meals and processed foods with high sugar counts is the best thing
you can do for your body.
• Quit smoking
• Lose weight – By reducing your weight by even 10% can help to
reduce your overall risk of diabetes.
• Manage your blood pressure – If you have high blood pressure, talk
with your doctor about steps you can take to lower it.

Even though diabetes sounds like a scary and insurmountable condition – you can take charge, manage it, and even avoid it in the first place. But you do need to change your life in the process.

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