Type 2 Diabetes

Why Manage Diabetes?

Managing diabetes means keeping your blood sugar from getting too high or too low. This helps you feel better from day to day. It can also limit serious health problems later on. Managing your diabetes is the best thing you can do for yourself and the people who care about you.

Limiting Problems

Over time, people with diabetes can develop certain health problems (complications). Problems are more likely to occur if blood sugar is often too high. Keeping blood sugar in a healthy range helps prevent or delay problems, or make them less severe. The following are possible complications of diabetes:

• Blood vessel (vascular) disease can lead to circulation problems, heart attack, or stroke.
• Eye problems include damage to blood vessels in the eyes (retinopathy), clouding of the eye's lens (cataracts), and pressure in the eye (glaucoma). These problems can lead to vision changes or blindness.
• Gum problems (periodontal disease) can lead to infections and tooth decay. This can cause problems with eating and chewing.
• High blood pressure (hypertension) makes the heart work harder to pump blood. It can worsen heart disease and lead to stroke.
• Kidney disease (nephropathy) affects the kidneys' ability to clean waste out of the blood. This can lead to kidney failure.
• Nerve problems (neuropathy) can cause pain or loss of feeling in the feet or other parts of the body. It can also affect the body's ability to regulate digestion or blood pressure.
• Sexual problems in men and women can result from nerve and blood vessel damage.