Type 2 Diabetes Long Term Complications and How to Prevent Them
Type 2 Diabetes Long Term Complications and How to Prevent Them
Did you know that type 2 diabetes is the most common form of diabetes? It affects millions of people worldwide. While type 2 diabetes is a chronic condition that cannot be cured, there are steps you can take to prevent or delay the onset of complications. Here are some of the most common complications associated with type 2 diabetes and what you can do to prevent them.
Complication #1: Cardiovascular Disease
Diabetes doubles your risk of developing cardiovascular disease, which can lead to heart attacks and strokes. To lower your risk, try to maintain a healthy weight, exercise regularly, eat a healthy diet, and quit smoking.
Complication #2: Kidney Disease
Diabetes is the leading cause of kidney disease. Kidney disease can lead to kidney failure, which requires dialysis or a kidney transplant. To lower your risk, try to maintain a healthy weight, exercise regularly, eat a healthy diet, and monitor your blood pressure closely.
Complication #3: Nerve Damage (Neuropathy)
High blood sugar levels can damage the nerves in your body over time. This is called diabetic neuropathy and it can cause numbness, tingling, or pain in your extremities. To lower your risk, try to maintain tight control of your blood sugar levels, exercise regularly, eat a healthy diet, and don't smoke.
Complication #4: Eye Damage (Diabetic Retinopathy) High blood sugar levels can damage the blood vessels in your retina over time. This is called diabetic retinopathy and it can lead to blindness. To lower your risk, try to maintain tight control of your blood sugar levels, have regular dilated eye exams, eat a healthy diet, and don't smoke...
These are just a few of the long term complications associated with type 2 diabetes. By making lifestyle changes such as maintaining a healthy weight, exercising regularly, eating a healthy diet, monitoring your blood pressure closely, and not smoking, you can help prevent or delay the onset of these complications. Talk to your doctor about other ways you can stay healthy if you have type 2 diabetes.