How High-Blood Sugar Can Affect Your Body

Share On Social!

Many people are aware of the effects that diabetes can take on your body. However, what can just having high-blood sugar do to you?

Latino adults are almost twice as likely as non-Hispanic white adults to be diagnosed with diabetes by a physician. In 2010, Latinos were three times more likely to start treatment for end-stage renal disease related to diabetes and Latinas were 1.5 times as likely to die from it compared to whites.

Glucose, or sugar, is the fuel that helps power cells through your body. Levels of it rise and fall in your blood depending on what you eat. However, when cells don’t absorb the glucose, the results can include damage to nerves, blood vessels, and organs.

“If you keep glucose levels near normal, you reduce the risk of diabetes complications,” Dr. Robert Ratner, the chief scientific and medical officer of the American Diabetes Association told Health magazine.

Some of the major complications of high blood sugar include:

Fatigue

If your cells aren’t getting glucose, they literally are being starved of energy. This can make you feel tired all the time. If you have elevated blood sugar levels, your blood is thicker and your heart has to work harder to pump it.

Poor Eyesight

Over time, high blood sugar can seriously damage your eyesight. Blood sugar spikes can cause blurry vision and over time, these spikes can cause damage to the small blood vessels in your retinas. The macula, the center part of your eye can also become damaged.

Infected limbs

People with high-blood sugar often lose sensitivity in their lower limbs, especially in their feet. This loss of sensation can extend from their toes to their heels. Any small injury, such as an ingrown toenail or a blister, can become infected and “snowball” into a much larger problem.

G.I. Problems

The nerves that control bodily functions such as digestion are highly susceptible to blood sugar levels too. Symptoms ranging from severe constipation to diarrhea, and often both, are caused by uncontrolled blood sugar levels. Severe cases can lead to gastroparesis, a condition where food moves slowly through or stops in the small intestine.

Read more about the symptoms and conditions related to high blood sugar here.