More Critical Reasons To Be Proactive Against Diabetes

#4 – Effects On Pregnancy And Unborn Children

It used to be that women developed type 2 diabetes later in life, after the childbearing years. However, now diabetes is more prevalent in younger women who still wish to have children. Diabetic women can still have a healthy pregnancy, but it requires much more monitoring of blood sugar levels and controlling blood sugar levels before becoming pregnant and during the pregnancy. Some sources claim that when you’re pregnant, you may need to check your blood sugar more frequently -- up to eight times daily -- to flag any blood sugar level spikes. 

If a diabetic pregnant woman does not control her blood sugar, it can have life-long consequences for her and her unborn child. According to The American Diabetes Association (2013), the risks for mother and baby include:

• Premature delivery
• Miscarriage
• Birth defects
• Having a large baby
• Hypoglycemia
• Jaundice for extended time in the infant
• Respiratory issues for the infant

There are additional detrimental risks for mothers that are important to read more about. If you are a young woman and want to have a family one day, now is the time to care for your body. Being proactive about your health will help everyone in your future to have healthier lives.

#5– Eye Complications

Preventing diabetes can also ward off the eye complications that can accompany it such as glaucoma, cataracts, diabetic retinopathy, and diabetic macular edema, or DME. All diabetic eye complications lead to vision problems each with the ability to cause severe vision complications or even blindness.

The National Eye Institute (2016) states,

Diabetic retinopathy is the most common diabetic eye disease and a leading cause of blindness in American adults.

#6 – Skin Complications

When you have diabetes, it’s easier to acquire common skin conditions including bacterial and fungal infections, but there are also conditions that diabetics acquire that are directly related to the disease.

READ Diabetes Symptoms: A Silent Killer Disease

Here are some diabetes related skin diseases:

• Acanthosis Nigricans – thickened brown skin appears in places such as elbows, neck, hands, knees, and/or groin
• Diabetic Dermopathy – light brown, scaly, oval or circular patches occur on the legs due to changes in small blood vessels
• Eruptive Xanthomatosis – yellow, itchy bumps with a red ring about the base can appear. They are about the size of a pencil eraser and form on the back of your hands, arms, feet, legs, or buttocks.
• Diabetic Blisters – In some rare cases, diabetics can break out in diabetic blisters on the extremities such as arms, legs, hands, feet, and fingers. They resemble burn blisters and usually heal on their own in a few weeks. These blisters are most common in diabetics with neuropathy, or nerve problems.
• And there are more…

The goal of informing you about these skin complications is to further motivate you to work toward preventing becoming diabetic. Diabetes brings added health risks and a wide variety of complications that no one wants to live with.

Conclusion

Do you want to live on medications and sticking your finger every day to test your blood? Do you want to worry about an increased risk of developing serious chronic illnesses? No one does.

Type 2 diabetes is one of the most preventable and controllable chronic illnesses, and by being proactive about your health, you can stop it. Small daily efforts like making good food choices and partaking in moderate exercise can completely change the outcome of your life. Your quality of life should be your number one concern.