Type a new keyword(s) and press Enter to search

Diabetes

 


             Blindness.
             Diabetes is the leading cause of new cases of blindness in people ages 20-74. Each year, from 12,000 to 24,000 people lose their sight because of diabetes. This is caused by the disease diabetes which can strike both children and adults. What happens is that the blood vessels or tubes in the back of the eye break and blood floods into or damages parts of the eye that help a person see. Sometimes surgery or medicines can help a person with diabetic retinopathy and also with the disease diabetes.
             Kidney Disease.
             Diabetes is the leading cause of end-stage renal disease, accounting for about 43 percent of new cases. In 1999, approximately 38,160 people with diabetes initiated treatment for end stage renal disease (kidney failure), and 114,478 underwent dialysis or kidney transplantation. People who have had diabetes for some time often suffer from damage to the small blood vessels of the body, the delicate blood vessels in the filters of the kidney may also be damaged. At the early stage, this damage is shown by finding protein in the urine.
             Sometimes at a later stage, so much protein is lost from the blood that water from the blood moves into the body tissues and causes swelling (edema). After a number of years, the kidneys' filters can become so damaged by diabetes that the kidneys fail.
             Diabetes can also damage the nerves in many parts of the body. When the bladder is affected, it may be difficult to pass urine. If urine builds up in the bladder, the pressure can cause it to back up to the kidneys causing damage there.
             The urine of people with diabetes also has a high sugar content. This encourages the growth of bacteria and kidney infections may occur. People with diabetes must take special care to avoid infections and have them treated immediately.
             Heart Disease and Stroke.
             People with diabetes are 2 to 4 times more likely to have heart disease present in 75 percent of diabetes-related deaths (more than 77,000 deaths due to heart disease annually).


Essays Related to Diabetes