When you eat, sugar in your blood stream rises. Insulin helps take the sugar from you blood stream into your cells. With diabetes, your body doesn’t make enough insulin or doesn’t use the insulin properly. Cells can’t get the sugar so too much sugar stays in the bloodstream. This is called hyperglycemia, or high blood sugar.
Complications of Diabetes
    When blood sugar levels are high for a long time, this can cause damage to the small blood vessels in the body. Those parts of the body, such as the eyes, kidneys and nerves, which are particularly dependent upon these small vessels for nourishment, are affected most often and most severely.
Your Eyes
•    Diabetes may cause diabetic retinopathy, cataracts or glaucoma.
•    See your eye doctor regularly.
•    Have a dilated-eye exam at least once a year.
Diabetic Neuropathy
    Diabetic neuropathy can sometimes result in burning tingling, numbness or loss of feeling in the feet, hands, or legs and also can cause digestion problems called gastroparesis, causing nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea, bladder problems, heart problems and impotence in men if the nerves involved with erection are damaged.
•    Tight glucose control is the best way to prevent and /or control the risk of diabetic neuropathy.
•    Test your blood sugar regularly and keep your levels controlled.
Your Kidneys
    Early in diabetes, the parts of the kidneys that work to filter the blood may be damaged. Early testing for kidney disease––before it causes permanent damage––is very important.
    A sign of this damage is protein in the urine. A urine protein (microalbumin) test can show whether you are at risk of kidney disease.
    Kidney disease may have no symptoms, or it may include a feeling of tiredness and general weakness, trouble sleeping, swelling or vomiting.
•    Talk with you healthcare provider about kidney disease.
•     Test your blood sugar regularly, and keep you levels controlled.
•    Have you blood pressure checked regularly, and ask about medicines that help control blood pressure.
•    Have a urine protein (micro-
albumin) test at least once a year.
Your Heart and Blood Vessels
    Diabetes may cause serious problems to the heart and blood vessels:
•    Fatty deposits can form in the blood vessels.
•    High cholesterol is common in people with diabetes.
•    High blood pressure is a concern.
    Diabetes also can lead to heart attack or stroke.
    Talk with your doctor about ways to control cholesterol levels, blood pressure, blood glucose and weight.
    Guidelines suggest that your LDL (bad cholesterol) should <100 mg/dL.
    Have your blood pressure tested regularly. Have your cholesterol tested at least once a year. Take aspirin daily if instructed by your doctor. Do not smoke.
Your Feet
    Diabetes may cause nerve damage and affect blood flow in the feet, making it harder for cuts or sores to heal. You may also lose feeling in your feet. This means that you may not know if your feet are injured.
•    Check your feet every day for cuts, sore, bruises, dry cracks, loss of feeling or other signs of infection or redness.
•    Treat foot infections promptly.
•    Protect your feet by wearing comfortable socks and shoes at all times.
•    If you see anything unusual, talk to your doctor right away.
•    Have your feet checked every time you visit your healthcare provider.