Emma Sutton

The Effects of High Blood Glucose Levels Over Time

Type 1 diabetes is an incredibly inconvenient autoimmune disease that is becoming more

and more common throughout America. It occurs when the pancreases halts its insulin
production and the inflicted person must manually account for any carbohydrates they take in.
They also must regulate their blood sugar and take corrective actions when it becomes too high
or low. It is incredibly important for people with Type 1 to actively take care of their body for
many reasons. Although poor management of this disease wont have an immediate effect, it can
have several negative long term effects that cannot be reversed. However, if a type1 diabetic did
not regulate their blood sugar at all, it would also have short term effects.
One short term complication that is quite common with poor monitoring is
hypoglycemia. This is another word for low blood sugar, and there are many physical symptoms
that come along with it. Rapid heartbeat, sweating, slurred speech, numbness and shaking,
dizziness, anxiety, hunger, irritability, confusion, headaches, paleness, and lethargic behavior are
just a few likely effects. Hypoglycemia can be caused by more than just an overdose of insulin
too. Low blood sugar can also be a result of alcohol intake, skipping a meal, increased activity,
medication overdose, or extreme stress, so it is very important to be aware of such issues.
Treatment of this issue includes testing your sugar, taking the correct amount of carbohydrates
and rechecking 15 minutes afterwards to ensure you your numbers are normal. It is important to
take corrective action as soon as possible because hypoglycemia can potentially lead to
unconsciousness or seizures if left untreated. If this does happen, you must use a glucagon kit to
rapidly increase sugar.

Another short term effect caused by mistreatment of sugar levels is hyperglycemia.

Hyperglycemia is the medically correct word for high blood sugar, and it is very dangerous to
have for long periods of time. It can be caused by lack of insulin, too much food, extreme stress,
or illness. Symptoms of hyperglycemia include thirst, frequent urination, drowsiness, blurred
vision, hunger or especially dry skin. To treat this condition, you can check your blood sugar and
check for ketones. Ketones are chemicals created by the body when blood sugars are high.
Exposure to this chemical can cause the blood stream to become more acidic. If no ketones are
present, you can correct your blood sugar with insulin. If ketones are present you must drink 8 oz
of water every half hour to flush ketones and correct your sugar until it returns to the normal
level. If ketones are not flushed from the body in a timely manner, they can potentially lead to
diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA). Symptoms are the same as hyperglycemia, but also include
abdominal pain, weight loss, fruity breath, and cold skin. Ketoacidosis is incredibly severe and
requires immediate hospitalization. Possible effects of DKA include low potassium levels,
respiratory distress, renal failure, fluid leakage into the brain, and in worst cases, death.
The previous complications were only short term. Poor treatment for long periods of time
can have effects that tend to be much more severe. These complications will usually take effect
on adults, but if type 1 goes untreated, they can affect kids as well (though it is less likely). If
glucose is out of range for long periods of time, it is possible for blood vessels to be permanently
damaged. This will lead to other problems throughout the body involving the eyes, kidney, and
nerves. Your eyes could face permanent damage including retina damage, cataracts, and even
blindness. As it pertains to your kidney, poor management can lead to kidney failure and possible
mandatory kidney transplants. Diabetic neuropathy is also a common long term issue your body
faces with ignorant care. This is when your nerves dont get blood from your blood vessels and
they eventually stop functioning properly. There are four main types of neuropathy correlated

with diabetics: peripheral, autonomic, proximal, and focal. Peripheral nerve damage is the most
common and it connects to your feet. This type of damage causes diabetics to either completely
lose feeling in their feet, or some might experience excruciating pain. Even though it might not
seem like it, it is far more dangerous to lose the feeling in your feet. If you were to get an injury,
such as an open wound on your foot, it is likely that you would not be aware of it. If it were left
untreated long enough, it could become infected. In many cases, this could lead to amputation of
the feet. Imagine how difficult that would make day to day life. This is why caring for your
diabetes is so incredibly important. These problems are permanent and once they occur, it is
either incredibly difficult or unimaginably expensive to treat.
Lack of care of your blood sugar can also eventually lead to damaging of the large blood
vessels causing plaque to build up within the body. Large buildups of plaque have been proven
to eventually lead to heart attacks and potentially heart diseases as well. Research has shown that
suspending diabetic care for 10 year has the same effect on your heart as smoking, or processing
incredibly large amounts of cholesterol. This is not an unheard of outcome either. According to
the American Heart Association, at least 68 percent of people age 65 or older with diabetes die
from some form of heart disease. This is a terrifying statistic that is dangerously high. If that
doesnt influence someone to care for their blood sugar, Im not quite sure what will. It has also
been observed that 16 percent of type one diabetics over 65 die from a stroke. This is likely
caused by an excess of fluid in the brain.
After researching all the effects (long term and short term) of poor care seen with type 1
diabetes, I truly understand the importance of regulating your blood sugar levels. The older you
get while continuing unsafe care, the more likely you are to face these awful complications.
Luckily, these health issues can be prevented with meticulous care of your diabetes and constant
monitoring of your blood glucose levels.

Sources:
-

http://www.endocrineweb.com/conditions/type-1-diabetes/type-1-diabetes-complications

Pediatric Endocrinology Binder

http://www.dlife.com/diabetes/blood_sugar_management/blood_sugar_lows/233.blood_
glucose.effects_of_long_term_dka

http://www.dlife.com/diabetes/blood_sugar_management/blood_sugar_lows/233.blood_
glucose.effects_of_long_term_dka

http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/Conditions/Diabetes/WhyDiabetesMatters/Cardiovas
cular-Disease-Diabetes_UCM_313865_Article.jsp/#.VtjS630rK9I