1. What can happen if diabetes is not treated correctly or controlled?
Uncontrolled diabetes can lead to immediate short-term and long term consequences. The short-term consequences result from the very high blood glucose itself described in Chapter 2: Pathophysiology.
Diabetes can affect various parts of the body
The longer-term consequences of less than adequate diabetes control result from damage to the small (micro) and larger (macro) vessels of the circulation.The most common manifestations for the Microvascular complications are as follow:
diabetic eye disease (retinopathy), which is the leading cause of blindness among people with diabetes.
diabetic kidney disease (nephropathy), which is the leading cause of severe kidney failure necessitating dialysis or transplantation in working-age
nerve damage (neuropathy), which is present in about 1 out of 3 people with diabetes at the time of diagnosis and in over 7 out of 10 by the time diabetes has been present for 10 years.
Both retinopathy and nephropathy can be entirely without symptoms until they reach an advanced and irreversible stage, leading to blindness and the need for kidney dialysis or
transplant. Diabetic neuropathy can cause very troublesome symptoms and lead to loss of sensation, mainly in the feet, which places the patient at high risk of trauma, infection, and amputations of the legs and feet.
Macrovascular complications (damage of the large blood vessels) may lead to a high rate of heart attack, stroke, heart failure, and amputation of the (usually lower) limbs. About two of every three patients with diabetes will die as a result of large vessel disease. Fortunately, studies have shown that good control of diabetes can prevent or delay the progression of many of these serious problems. Still, other contributing factors, such as blood pressure and cholesterol, must also be given careful attention.
Note: To understand more about macrovascular and microvascular complications and their management, please enrol for level 2 of the course “Basics of Diabetes Management”
2. What care should be taken for the foot?
To know more about Diabetic Neuropathy and Foot care management, refer to the link below:
Video 4: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xHZEfGsOoFM
3. What is diabetic coma?
Diabetic coma is a loss of consciousness occurring as a result of very high blood sugar. Its causes are similar in both type 1 and type 2 diabetes.
In the case of type 1 diabetes, diabetic coma can occur solely as a result of having insufficient insulin in the body (e.g., running out of or not taking one’s insulin), while in the case of type 2 diabetes, there is almost always another stress to the body that precipitates the coma, such as infection, dehydration, etc. In addition, if the severe abnormalities of blood chemistry that led to diabetic coma are not corrected rapidly, death can occur.
Diabetic coma, also known as diabetic ketoacidosis, is characterized by abdominal pain and manifests with breathlessness, vomiting, altered sensorium, and dehydration. The symptoms of diabetic coma are predominantly neurological; dehydration is usually more profound, but abdominal pain is uncommon.
Steps to be taken:
1. Monitor glucose levels
2. Check for urine ketones
3. Intravenous saline infusion at 1 litre in half hour should be started immediately and refer to hospital
To know more about Diabetic Coma, refer to the link below:
Video 3: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=baQ6S53QM-o
Video 4: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xHZEfGsOoFM
3. What is diabetic coma?
Diabetic coma is a loss of consciousness occurring as a result of very high blood sugar. Its causes are similar in both type 1 and type 2 diabetes.
In the case of type 1 diabetes, diabetic coma can occur solely as a result of having insufficient insulin in the body (e.g., running out of or not taking one’s insulin), while in the case of type 2 diabetes, there is almost always another stress to the body that precipitates the coma, such as infection, dehydration, etc. In addition, if the severe abnormalities of blood chemistry that led to diabetic coma are not corrected rapidly, death can occur.
Diabetic coma, also known as diabetic ketoacidosis, is characterized by abdominal pain and manifests with breathlessness, vomiting, altered sensorium, and dehydration. The symptoms of diabetic coma are predominantly neurological; dehydration is usually more profound, but abdominal pain is uncommon.
Steps to be taken:
1. Monitor glucose levels
2. Check for urine ketones
3. Intravenous saline infusion at 1 litre in half hour should be started immediately and refer to hospital
To know more about Diabetic Coma, refer to the link below:
Video 3: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=baQ6S53QM-o
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