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Diabetes is a chronic condition that affects how your body turns food into energy.

It results from either the body’s inability to produce enough insulin (a hormone that regulates blood sugar) or the body’s ineffective use of insulin.

Over time, diabetes  contribute to various symptoms and complications throughout the body.

1. Tingling, numbness, burning sensations, or pain in the hands, feet, or legs: This is often a sign of diabetic neuropathy, nerve damage caused by high levels of blood sugar over time. It affects the peripheral nerves and leads to sensations like tingling, numbness, burning, or pain, particularly when its about to move to foot ulcer.

2. Swelling in the legs and ankles: Diabetes affects blood circulation and cause fluid retention, leading to swelling in the lower extremities, particularly the legs and ankles. 

3. Slow healing wounds/foot complications: High blood sugar damages blood vessels and impair the body’s ability to heal. This  leads to slow wound healing, especially in the feet. 

4. Poor sex life: Diabetes impacts sexual function in various ways. For men, it leads to erectile dysfunction due to nerve damage and blood vessel impairment. In women, it affects sexual desire and arousal. High blood sugar levels also increases the risk of genital infections, which further impact sexual health.

5. Poor vision: Diabetic retinopathy, a condition where high blood sugar levels damage the blood vessels in the retina, leading to vision problems and even blindness if left untreated. It also increase the risk of other eye conditions such as cataracts and glaucoma.

6. Frequent urination, tiredness, increased thirst When blood sugar levels are high, the kidneys work harder to filter and absorb excess glucose, leading to increased urination. This can result in dehydration, causing increased thirst and fatigue. Over time, uncontrolled diabetes  leads to kidney damage and other complications.