Hypoglycemia
Hypoglycemia is a condition that occurs when your blood sugar (glucose) is too low. Blood sugar below 70 mg/dL is considered low but poorly controlled diabetes can have symptoms of hypoglycemia at higher blood glucose levels.
Diabetic Ketoacidosis
Diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) is a medical emergency that can occur in people with diabetes. It occurs when the body cannot use sugar (glucose) as a fuel source because there is deficiency of insulin. Fat is used for fuel instead. Byproducts of fat breakdown, called ketones, build up in the body. Ketone bodies are acidic in nature and their accumulation shifts the pH of blood towards acidic range.
By definition DKA is characterized by the triad of
1. Uncontrolled hyperglycemia (high blood glucose)
2. Metabolic acidosis
3. Increased total body ketone concentration.
Diabetic Kidney Disease
Diabetes is the most common cause of kidney failure, accounting for nearly 44 percent of new cases. The chance of developing kidney failure can be prevented to a large extent by control of blood glucose (sugar). People with kidney failure undergo either dialysis, an artificial blood-cleaning process, or transplantation to receive a healthy kidney from a donor. It has been found that high blood pressure and high levels of blood glucose increase the risk that a person with diabetes will progress to kidney failure.
Diabetic Neuropathy
Long term high blood glucose (sugar) levels can cause damage to the nerve fibers and give rise to various manifestations of diabetic neuropathy.
The diabetic neuropathies are heterogeneous with diverse clinical manifestations.
They may be focal or diffuse.
Most common among the neuropathies are chronic sensorimotor distal symmetric polyneuropathy and autonomic neuropathy.
Diabetic Foot Care
Diabetes can be dangerous to your feet – even a small cut can produce serious consequences. Diabetes may cause nerve damage that takes away the feeling in your feet. Diabetes may also reduce blood flow to the feet. Contact your doctor for even minor problems.