1. Complications of Diabetes Sarine Trochakerian, M.S. MD Candidate 2015 Eastern Virginia Medical School

2. General Information Diabetes can lead to many complications, especially if your sugar is not well controlled It is important to diet, exercise and take your medications to prevent yourself from developing the complications of diabetes It is important to see your doctor regularly to get a routine physical exam, laboratory work done, routine eye and foot exams and certain vaccinations

3. Important! It is important for you to understand what can happen if your sugars are not well controlled. Diabetes is a serious disease with many complications, but if you diet, exercise, take your medications and see your doctor regularly you can help prevent yourself from these complications

4. Why do you get complications? If your sugars are not controlled, a very high level in your body can start to build up and effect other parts of your body This is why it is important to monitor and check your blood sugars often so you and your doctor can know if changes need to be made in your medications

5. What parts of the body can Diabetes effect? Eyes Feet Kidneys Heart Intestines Brain

6. Eye complications People with diabetes are at increased risk for eye problems such as cataracts, glaucoma and diabetic retinopathy Cataracts = clouding of the lens in the eye Glaucoma = increased pressure in the eye Diabetic retinopathy = blood vessels that provide nutrients to the eye become blocked These eye problems can cause difficulty seeing and maybe even vision loss It is very important to see an eye doctor at least once per year if you have diabetes

7. Cataracts

9. Glaucoma

11. Diabetic retinopathy

12. Diabetic Retinopathy

13. Feet complications Diabetes can affect your nerves. If this happens it may be hard for you to feel the difference between hot, cold and pain. If you happen to injure your foot, you may not notice it because you cannot feel pain! The injury may go unnoticed causing even more complications like ulcers or infections Diabetes affects blood vessels. Sometimes the blood vessels that provide nutrients to your feet may be blocked which can cause problems. It is very important to have a foot exam every year by your doctor, but it is also very important that you check your own feet often, keep your feet clean and dry and change your socks often!

14. Feet complications

15. Kidney complications Kidneys have a lot of blood vessels that help our bodies filter waste and keep important things like protein. Diabetes affects these blood vessels, preventing us from filtering waste and keeping protein. As a result, protein may spill into the urine (microalbuminuria). If the kidneys become affected, your blood pressure will increase It is important to see your doctor regularly so that they can check some laboratory work that will tell you how damaged your kidneys are (microalbuminuria) and to check your blood pressure

16. Kidney problems

17. Heart complications Because diabetes affects blood vessels, the blood vessels that deliver oxygen and other nutrients to your heart may become blocked. If these vessels become blocked, your heart will not have the energy to beat correctly and pump blood to the rest of your body. This may lead to a heart attack

18. Heart complications

19. Complications to Intestines - Gastroparesis Diabetes can affect your nerves. If your nerves that lead to your stomach and intestines are affected, it may be more difficult for them to work. That means it may be harder for food to go through your stomach and intestines. You may start feeling heartburn, nausea, vomiting, bloating, loss of appetite, reflux If food takes too long to pass through your stomach and intestines, it may just sit there and accumulate infection

20. Complications to Intestines - Gastroparesis

21. Brain complications - Stroke Diabetes affects blood vessels. If your blood vessels become blocked then they cannot carry oxygen and other nutrients to your brain and you may suffer from a stroke. A stroke means that you have damage to your brain which may then cause you problems with movement, pain, numbness, thinking and speaking.

22. Brain complications - Stroke

23. Reducing the risk of complications from diabetes Stop smoking! Daily aspirin – talk to your doctor Control your blood pressure Control lipids (fat in your body) Diet Exercise Check your blood sugar often! Take your medications! See your doctor regularly!