Your blood vessels and heart can be at serious risk if your diabetes is not properly treated and cared for. Too much blood glucose, also known as blood sugar, can severely damage parts of your body. Damage of the heart and blood vessels can cause diseases that lead to strokes and heart attacks. These serious illnesses are the leading cause of mortality for those with Diabetes Type 2. However, things can be done to help avoid and slow down the side effects caused by Diabetes Type 2. The best thing to do is find out more information about Type 2 diabetes and how to help yourself stay healthy.
Your circulatory system is made up of your blood vessels and heart. The blood is pumped through your body with your heart. Oxygen rich blood is carried off to the large and small blood vessels. When you have diabetes, the cholesterol level can be raised very high and thus begin to clog your blood vessels. This makes it harder for adequate amounts of blood to get all parts of your body. This condition also begins to start the onset of other illnesses. When your blood vessels get clogged, you will start to have problems like angina, heart attack or even stroke.
Angina is a chest pain that you will feel not only in your chest, but in your arms, back or shoulders. The pain can increase when your heart beats faster as you move about. Pain in the chest area will be seen more frequently if treatment is not sought. This can be a result of diabetes having damaged the nerves of your heart. Some of those with Type two Diabetes may not feel pain as the nerves may be already damaged. If this is the case, you may suffer something far worse than just angina. Heart attacks occur when the heart doesn’t receive the full amount of blood it needs. The heart muscles stop and your heart will gradually grow weaker. Sometimes you can have symptoms of a heart attack, other times you have none.
Stroke is the worse effect of a damaged heart and blood vessels. This means that the supply of blood to your brain has been blocked. Strokes typically result in brain damage, which is far worse than most cardiac cases. Diabetes can take a patient’s blood pressure up very high causing much damage to the heart and blood vessels. Type two diabetes already affects a patient’s eyes and kidneys; having high blood pressure will also make it worse. It’s important to speak with your doctor or a dietitian to find out how to control your blood pressure with proper diabetes diet and exercise.
Tags: blood vessels, cardiovascular, diabetes, heart
