How Diabetes Affects the Body

Diabetes is dangerous because it affects the whole body, not just the pancreas. There are trillions of cells in the body and every one of them has diabetes. Insulin is the key that unlocks the cell door to let the nutrition in. In diabetes, sugar builds up in the bloodstream instead of entering the cells of the body because there is little or no insulin to allow the nutrition into the cell.

Signs of Diabetes: Increased thirst, frequent need to urinate, fatigue, blurred vision and tingling or pain in the hands and/or legs.

For all diabetics one of the most difficult issues to deal with is the possibility of developing diabetic complications. Complications are conditions that come from having the disease. Complications are usually, but not always, associated with poor management and persistent high blood sugar levels. Even if you do have tight control, you will probably experience some type of complications; this is just the nature of the disease. You may be able to delay and/or prevent these complications with a good glycemic regime.

The target range for diabetics is about 80mg/dl to 120mg/dl before meals, and postprandial (one to two hours after the start of a meal), around 180mg/dl.

There are two types of complications you should learn to deal with immediately:

Hyperglycemia is when you have consistent high blood sugar readings, usually over 200mg/dl. You may not experience any symptoms unless you have an extremely high number for several hours. Hyperglycemia can build up to dangerously high levels. If the diabetic appears to be comatose, call the paramedics immediately. Hyperglycemia can be prevented through good management. Symptoms are frequent urination, extreme thirst, hunger, dry skin, blurred vision, and nausea.

Hypoglycemia normally occurs when blood glucose (sugar) falls below 60mg/dl. The more hypoglycemic occurrences you experience, the more likely it is that your body will not show signs of low blood sugar until you have dropped even lower than that. Habitual low blood sugar readings indicate a serious problem and should be checked by a doctor.

An episode of low blood sugar can usually be stopped within a few minutes by consuming a food or beverage that contains sugar. Bring your blood sugar up slowly so you do not raise it too high. You can treat low blood sugar with glucose tablets, 3-4 oz. fruit juice, a glass of milk, a few pieces of hard candy, or one or two teaspoons of sugar or honey. After fifteen minutes, check your blood sugar to make sure it registers above 70mg/dl. If the reading isn't in the proper range, eat a little more. If you will not be eating for a few hours, you may need to eat a snack.

To help prevent hypoglycemic episodes, take your medication and/or insulin on time. Do not skip meals or snacks. Consider eating something if you are going to be more active that usual. Carry emergency supplies for treating low blood sugar. Hypoglycemic symptoms can resemble drunkenness, so you should wear a medical alert identification, especially if you are going to be driving.

When you have a bedtime blood sugar reading lower than 100mg/dl, it may lead to a low blood sugar episode during the night. Eat a little before going to bed. Know the signs of Hyperglycemia as well as hypoglycemia; it could save your life.