Hyperglycemia is the medical term for high blood sugar, and it affects individuals who suffer from diabetes. It’s very important to keep the levels of sugar in your blood within the normal and healthy range. Otherwise, you may encounter the many serious complications of having high blood sugar for a long time.
Below you will come across some of the reasons why having high blood sugar is something that you should avoid. Especially if you have family and friends who are diabetic or overweight or do not exercise regularly or eat healthily, don’t forget to share this article afterwards on your different social media sites.
It Can Increase Your Risk of Heart Disease
Heart disease, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), is the leading cause of deaths all over the planet. The reason why your risk of having heart disease can be increased by high blood sugar is because of the fact that the blood vessels can become damaged and cause the blood pressure to rise. Such is something that’s extremely stressful for your heart, thus leaving you at high risk of suffering from heart disease. The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDKD) says that having high blood sugar doubles your chance of having heart disease.
It Can Damage Your Kidneys
Aside from your heart, your kidneys are also placed in danger if the levels of sugar in your blood are constantly elevated. Your kidneys are bean-shaped organs that are tasked at removing toxins and impurities from your blood. Too much sugar in the bloodstream can eventually damage the delicate filtering units in the kidneys. Kidney damage due to high blood sugar is referred to as diabetic nephropathy. The problem with diabetic nephropathy is it tends to produce symptoms when it’s already in its advanced stages and irreversible damage is already incurred by the kidneys.
It Can Take Your Eyesight Away
High levels of sugar in the blood can damage blood vessels in various parts of your body, including those that supply your eyes with oxygen and nutrients. The retina, a layer of light-sensitive cells situated at the back of the eyeball, can be deprived of blood, thus damaging it. With the retina damaged, you may lose your vision. Health authorities refer to eye damage due to high blood sugar as diabetic retinopathy. Initially, the symptoms may be mild such as blurring of vision. However, they can worsen overtime if the levels of sugar in the blood are poorly managed.
It Can Cause Your Extremities to Feel Achy
Your blood vessels are not the only ones that can be damaged by high blood sugar in the long run, but also the nerves situated outside your brain and spinal cord. Such is called diabetic neuropathy, and it’s something that can cause your toes, feet, legs, fingers, hands and arms to feel achy. Sometimes you may encounter tingling sensations, while other times it may seem like your extremities are numb. A lot of people with diabetic neuropathy report that they also experience muscle cramps as well as muscle weakness from time to time.
It Can Cause Damage to the Feet
One of the dangers of diabetic neuropathy, which has just been discussed, is it can cause significant damage to your feet. At times the problem can be so severe that amputation may be warranted. Because of nerve damage to the lower extremities, your feet are at risk of becoming injured. Reduced sensation due to diabetic neuropathy may keep you from noticing an injury, thus increasing risk of it being infected. Since high blood sugar can also impair blood circulation to the feet, the infection may worsen and spread rather easily, which is something that may require amputation.
