Diabetes can affect your body in a lot of different ways. It mostly depends on your blood sugar levels.

When you have diabetes, your body isn’t able to control blood sugar levels the right way. This can lead to your blood sugar getting too high. Having high blood sugar can damage many different parts of your body over time:

  • Heart – raises your risk of getting heart disease like a heart attack or stroke
  • Kidneys – raises your risk of getting kidney disease or even kidney failure
  • Nerves – can cause nerve damage, especially in your hands and feet, which can feel like pins and needles, numbness, or pain
  • Eyes – can lead to having worse vision or even going blind
  • Circulation – reduces blood flow
  • Ears – can lead to hearing loss
  • Feet – increases your risk of having foot problems like ulcers
  • Mouth – increases the bacteria in your mouth, causing cavities and gum disease
  • Stomach – can damage your stomach, which can lead to nausea and heartburn
  • Pancreas – can damage your pancreas, making it even harder to control the sugar in your blood

Having worse circulation and also having nerve damage can make it hard to feel your hands and feet. That raises the chances of getting a cut that gets infected. Because you can’t feel it, it can go on for a long time before you notice it. Some people even have to get their feet or lower legs amputated because of this.

Thankfully diabetes is treatable. It can be treated with lifestyle changes and medicines. If you have diabetes, talk to your doctor about what treatment option is right for you.

If you blood sugar control is poor, diabetes can damage your heart, kidneys, nerves, eyes, and more.