Jane (not real name), a middle-aged woman, found herself losing weight despite "eating well”. After a check-up, her blood glucose levels were found to be very high. Later on, she revealed that she was diabetic. Since she was feeling okay, she had stopped taking medicines on her own. That was a few months ago.

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Some people suffering from diabetes do not realise the risks of uncontrolled high blood glucose levels. The kidneys are one of the organs damaged early by high blood glucose levels present in the body, over a certain period of time. Gradually, their function is deranged, leading to kidney failure, which is an irreversible condition.

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The heart is another organ affected by high blood glucose levels. Uncontrolled diabetes is a risk factor for coronary artery disease. In this, blood supply to the heart is reduced due to fat deposition in the inner walls of the coronary blood vessels, leading to a heart attack. In fact, a person with high blood sugar is at risk of having a "silent heart attack”, that is, a heart attack without pain or other symptoms. This happens because of damage to the nerves caused by diabetes.

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Cardiac failure can also occur. High blood glucose makes one more susceptible to strokes. High blood pressure is a common morbidity with diabetes, and the two together form part of a metabolic syndrome, which is again a strong risk factor for coronary artery disease.

Uncontrolled diabetes with high blood glucose levels can damage the eyes, making a person virtually blind. The retina, part of the eye over which the image is focused, is affected early in diabetes, which results in a person seeing spots and halos in front of the eyes. Cataracts appear in the eyes much earlier in a diabetic and in a more severe form.

The nervous system is also damaged by uncontrolled diabetes. Peripheral nerves supplying the limbs are affected in diabetes, even when blood glucose is good after long-standing diabetes. This manifests as uncomfortable tingling, numbness, etc., and abnormal sensations. Damage to the involuntary nervous system causes sexual impotence, alteration in bowel habits, and syncope.

Apart from these complications, a person with high blood glucose levels develops weakness and starts losing weight. This occurs because the body is not able to utilise the available glucose level efficiently.

Obesity, use of alcohol, and mental and physical stress are factors that contribute to these problems. Poor compliance with dietary measures, lack of physical exercise, and poor compliance with medicines also prevent good control of blood glucose.

Therefore, once somebody is diagnosed with diabetes, they should be vigilant to keep their blood glucose levels within normal limits. It is important to follow the dietary restrictions, as a healthy, nutritious sugar-free diet helps much in bringing down blood glucose levels.

Regular physical exercise is useful in maintaining ideal body weight and also keeping blood glucose levels within normal limits. This occurs because exercise helps to burn the blood glucose. Therefore, one should try to do regular physical exercise.

It is equally important to be regular with the treatment prescribed. Regular monitoring of blood glucose helps adjust the dose of drugs or insulin to be adjusted to an optimal level as per the requirements of the patient. If possible, one can keep a glucometer to monitor blood glucose levels at home. This also helps in adjusting the dose as per dietary indiscretion, stress, or any lifestyle changes. A diabetic can lead a good quality of life as any other person, only the blood glucose levels have to be kept under control.

Dr Rachna Pande is a specialist in internal medicine