People with diabetes either cannot produce sufficient insulin or are unable to use it properly. This causes low glucose in the cells and high glucose levels in the blood, leading to severe damage to different body parts. Also, low hemoglobin can lead to diabetes complications. So, we must know how to increase hemoglobin to avoid diabetes complications. But before that, let us delve into the details of the different complications that occur due to diabetes.
Diabetes complications are of two types: chronic and acute. Chronic complications arise over years and decades, causing significant damage even before showing any symptoms. Therefore, routine screening is crucial to diagnose and treat them before they occur and become worse.
Acute diabetes complications are severe and life-threatening, arising very quickly. Luckily, these complications recede as soon as they occur, provided you know how to deal with them.
Retinopathy is a diabetes-related eye disease that affects an individual’s eyesight. An eye screening test can diagnose this complication.
Diabetes-related foot complications are dangerous and can cause amputation if left untreated. High blood glucose levels hamper proper blood circulation making it slower for cuts and sores to heal in people with diabetes. Any changes in the feel and look of the feet should be discussed with a diabetologist immediately.
High blood glucose levels for a specific time can damage the blood vessels causing strokes and heart attacks.
High glucose in the blood can damage the kidneys over time, making it difficult for their bodies to eliminate metabolic waste and toxic fluids.
Some individuals with diabetes can develop neuropathy- a condition where the nerves cannot transfer messages between the brain and different body parts. This condition can adversely affect how a person sees, hears, feels, and moves.
Excessive blood glucose leads to more sugar in the saliva. This causes acid-producing bacteria buildup in the mouth that attacks the tooth enamel, damages the gums, and even damages the blood vessels.
People with diabetes have a higher chance of developing different cancers. Even cancer treatment can affect diabetes, making it difficult to control blood glucose levels.
Acute complications occur due to uncontrollable high blood glucose (hyperglycemia) or low blood glucose (hypoglycemia). These are emergencies that arise either due to medicine overdose or deficiency.
A life-threatening diabetes complication, DKA, shows ketone buildup in the blood because of high blood glucose and insufficient insulin.
Another life-threatening condition, HHS, generally happens in individuals with type 2 diabetes. Major causes of this complication include high blood glucose levels and dehydration.
Different ways to prevent the above complications include:
Get in touch with your diabetes specialist to know more about the disease. They can offer support to avoid any complications. Indulge in some physical activities, like yoga, dancing, swimming, cycling, and jogging. Eat a balanced meal comprising fruits, fresh vegetables, whole grains, lean meat, and fish to maintain a healthy weight. Regularly check your blood glucose levels and do as your health care specialist instructs. Take medicines as directed and ask for help whenever required.
You must know how to increase hemoglobin in your body because it is one of the most important proteins found in red blood cells. Insufficient hemoglobin in the red blood cells can increase your risk for diabetes complications, such as nerve and eye damage. It can also worsen artery, heart, and kidney diseases commonly found in people with diabetes.
People with low hemoglobin levels can benefit from eating more iron-rich foods like spinach, kale, legumes, beetroot, chicken liver, whole grains, and low-fat dairy products. People with diabetes and low hemoglobin levels should also include good sources of folate in their regular diet. These include foods like kidney beans, lettuce, avocados, and black-eyed peas.
Wondering how beetroot good for diabetes? This jewel-colored superfood significantly influences diabetes complications, risk of chronic infections, and blood glucose regulation. It contains alpha-lipoic acid, which reduces nerve damage in individuals with diabetes.
Beetroot is good for diabetes also because it contains nutrients like neo betanin and betalain that help lower blood glucose levels while improving insulin sensitivity. The antioxidants in beetroot reduce free radicals and oxidative stress that further prevent diabetes complications, like kidney disease, cardiovascular disease, neuropathy, and retinopathy.
Undoubtedly, diabetes is a chronic health condition where the daily efforts of an individual play an important role. It becomes easy to manage and prevent diabetes complications when following a strict treatment plan and a healthy lifestyle. Easy access to proper healthcare, regular screenings, and follow-ups are crucial in minimizing diabetes complications.
