The global spread of infectious diseases has ever been a threat to the human public health and national economies for many centuries. It would be difficult to overstate the impact of disease on history. Since the beginning of human existence on the planet, diseases have played a significant role in the events of every era. 

World Diabetes Day was observed on Monday 14. As far as the disease is concerned, Mauritius is the third country in the world with a high percentage of diabetics. 

IntroductionMauritius has one of the highest rates of prevalence of diabetes mellitus in the world. Diabetes Mellitus is usually a hereditary condition. Broadly, there are two main types of diabetes, Type 1 and Type 2. The majority of people in Mauritius with diabetes have type 2 (about 99%). There is an increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes if you are overweight and inactive, and a higher incidence in certain ethnic groups especially those of asian background. According to the latest survey done on adults above eighteen years old, the prevalence of type 2 diabetes is nearly 20%. The reasons for this high rate of diabetes could be explained by a combination of different factors namely, the asian genetic background of the population and the rapid economic development the country has experienced during the mid-eighties. 

This website is designed to help people with diabetes, their families and carers, the general public and Health Care Professionals. 

Type 2 diabetes mellitus is causing major public health problem since its prevalence increases with an aging population, rapid urbanization, increasing sedentary lifestyle, and the associated obesity epidemic that is occurring in our society.

Facts:There are at least 120,000 diabetics in the country, 

For every newly diagnosed diabetic, one remains undiagnosed;

Diabetes is responsible for a high rate of health complications, costing therefore a major burden to our economy; 

At least 50-60% of those on kidney haemodialysis are type 2 diabetics; 

It is the most common cause of blindness in the country; 

At least 80% of all limb amputations done in the country are from diabetes; 

More than 50% of diabetics die of ischaemic heart disease especially coronary heart disease.

The facts Diabetes is an illness which results from defects in the production, supply and effectiveness of insulin in the body. When we eat food, most of it is converted into glucose, (a form of sugar, which is a source of energy to our body.) Glucose is transported to the various parts of the body in the bloodstream. The hormone called insulin is needed for the absorption of glucose. Insulin is produced by a gland called the pancreas which is situated behind the stomach. In persons with diabetes, either the pancreas does not produce enough insulin or the body cannot effectively use the insulin that is produced. Consequently the level of glucose in the blood becomes high. Subsequently, over a period of time, problems in different parts of the body occur.

Magnitude of the Problem Many people in the world have diabetes. In 2003 it was estimated that 246 million people in the world have diabetes. It is forecasted that this number will reach 380 million by the year 2025 (IDF Diabetes Atlas 2006). In Mauritius, the NCD Survey done in 2004 shows that nearly one out of every five persons above the age of 30 years has diabetes.

Human and Economic burden of diabetes Diabetes has a tremendous human cost in terms of human suffering. Diabetes is one of the leading causes of adult blindness or partial vision loss. It is responsible for at least 50% of non-traumatic lower limb amputation. Diabetes is one of the main causes of heart attacks. Persons with diabetes have a 2 to 3 times increased risk of heart attacks and 1it makes people 2 times more likely to have strokes. It is also one of the main causes of renal failure. It frequently causes erectile dysfunction. People with pre-diabetes have similarly high risk of heart attacks as those with established diabetes. Pregnancy induced diabetes and pregnancy in persons with diabetes can result in foetal damage and congenital deformities and the diabetes risk is passed on to the infant in terms of risk of diabetes in adulthood. Type-2 diabetes was formerly a disease of adults but is now seen with increasing frequency in children and adolescents. Every 10 seconds a person dies from diabetes. The cost of treating diabetes is between 5% and 10% of total healthcare costs in many health care systems in the world.

Types of diabetes Type 1 diabetesThis accounts for less than 1% of our population. It generally occurs before the age of 30, most often in childhood or during adolescence. Type 1 diabetes results from auto-immune destruction of the pancreatic beta cells, the cells which produce insulin. In this form of diabetes, insulin is usually required for survival. Type 2 diabetes The majority of people with diabetes in the population suffer from this type of diabetes. In this case, there is a problem with both the production and the effectiveness of insulin action in the body. It has a strong genetic (familial) propensity which is unmasked by lifestyle factors such as obesity (hence the term “diabesity”) and lack of exercise. At present, there is no cure for either type 1 or type 2 diabetes but with an effective preventive programme, accurate information, quality care and proper medication, a person with diabetes can live a long, healthy and happy life. Type 2 diabetes can be prevented with lifestyle measures and certain drugs that are used in the treatment of diabetes.

Cost of diabetes Diabetes is costly and in many countries it is the leading cause of blindness, kidney failure, heart disease and amputation of leg / foot. There are often huge human and economic costs, for it is a life-long disease, and it has a profound impact on every aspect of a person’s life: physical, psychological and economic. Life expectancy is reduced by more than 20 years in type 1 diabetics and up to 10 years in type 2 diabetics, most of them dying of coronary heart disease, and cerebrovascular accidents.

There are additional risks in pregnancy with increased chances of losing the baby, the baby being born with a congenital malformation or the baby dying at birth. The cost per person with diabetes in UK is about 802 pound sterling/year plus lost earnings, but once complications have developed the personal expenditure is increased three-fold. In the United States, the healthcare and indirect cost of diabetes and its complications reached $132 billion in 2002 (21 million American diabetics).

A study in China has estimated that for the urban population, the direct medical costs of diabetes are US$ 451/year for someone without complications, rising to US$ 1694/year for people with complications In Australia costs are much higher at US$ 3012/year for those free of complications. US$ 5277/year for those with micro-vascular Complications. US$ 6784/year for macro vascular complications and US$ 7256/year for those with micro and macro complications. In other words, it is highly cost-effective to invest in the prevention of diabetes and in the prevention of its complications.

Xplik To KDiabetes affects 24% of Mauritians aged between 23 and 74 years while 25% of Mauritians have reached the pre-diabetic stage. This implies that 50% of Mauritians are either diabetics or pre-diabetics. If the blood sugar level of a person is higher than 7 mmol/litre on two occasions, the person is considered to be diabetic. The pre-diabetic stage implies that the blood sugar level of a person is between 6.1 and 7 mmol/litre when the person is still on an empty stomach. Such persons run the risk of developing diabetes in the months or years to come, explained Dr Suleiman Shimjee. 

Stress favours diabetesSeveral factors contribute to this high rate of diabetics in Mauritius: the majority of Mauritians are from Asian origin, there is an ageing population, a sedentary life, unhealthy diet and stress. Dr Shimjee insisted that stress increases the risk of diabetes, especially if a person is stressed for various reasons since his childhood. “At times we do not realise to what extent stress affects the functioning of our organism. For example, stress disturbs the functioning of pancreas, the organ which produces insulin, so as to control the blood sugar level,” he added.

Type 1 and type 2 diabetesThere are two main types of diabetes – type 1 and 2. Type 1 diabetes is more common among children. In this case, the pancreas stops working completely and is thus not in a state to produce insulin to control the blood sugar level. This explains why children who are affected by diabetes are usually very sick. They often have an insatiable thirst and some may even enter into an almost coma state, according to Dr Shimjee. 

These children have to be hospitalised as soon as possible since they require insulin injections to survive throughout their life. “As for type 2 diabetes, the pancreas becomes lazy that is, it does not function to its maximum to produce enough insulin so as to control the blood sugar level. Over time, persons affected by type 2 diabetes also need insulin to control the disease,” he pointed out. He added that more and more youths are developing type 2 diabetes in Mauritius because they are more exposed to being overweight and are becoming obese. 

Still, many Mauritians are aware of the disease and go for screening at a young age. In fact, nowadays, it is recommended to do screening tests regularly and before the age of 30. Dr Shimjee continued that, often, some persons ignore that they are affected by diabetes for months or even years. It is only when there are complications due to the disease that it is diagnosed. This is so for type 2 diabetes which is often asymptomatic. Still, some persons can have the following symptoms: thirsty sensation, weakness, drowsiness, frequent need to pass urine.

Communication is importantDr Shimjee emphasized that it is necessary for the doctor to communicate with the patient so as to reassure him and added that the patient should also take his responsibility by following the advice and instructions of his doctor to control the disease.

Diabète Full Stop by BarclaysSeven years ago, Barclays Bank launched a campaign against diabetes to further sensitise Mauritians on how to live with the disease or better, how to prevent it. “At Barclays, we believe that we are not here only to make profits. We believe that enterprises must have a social responsibility which is why we started this campaign much before the introduction of the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). Diabetes is a real scourge. Half of the population is either diabetic or are prone to become diabetics. It only requires a healthy lifestyle through a balanced diet and physical activity,” explained Cyril Wong, vice President at Barclays Bank.

T1-Diams support diabeticsEducating patients is imperative for a good follow-up of the disease. The therapeutic education is a service offered by T1-Diams to inform the patients and their relatives on the disease. T1-Diams makes home visits to children and youngsters who are affected in order to support and advise them. In the case of type 1 diabetes, the control of the blood sugar level is indispensible especially since the blood sugar level has the tendency to go down and hence requires a modification of the insulin therapy – the rate of insulin administered to the patient, remarked Yavin Coopan. The ONG also organises diabetic camps for its members. It is an occasion for the patients to relax as well as to learn more on the control of the disease. There are also professionals who voluntarily support the association.

Fibre and whole grains ‘reduce bowel cancer risk’Eating more cereals and whole grains could reduce the risk of developing colorectal cancer, a BMJ study says. Researchers from Imperial College London found that for every 10g a day increase in fibre intake, there was a 10% drop in the risk of bowel cancer. But their analysis of 25 previous studies found that fruit and vegetable fibre did not reduce the risk.

Reviewing the results of all previous observational studies in this area, researchers in London, Leeds and the Netherlands analysed data provided by almost two million people. Their conclusion, published in the British Medical Journal, is that increasing fibre intake, particularly cereal fibre and whole grains, helps prevent colorectal cancer. Whole grains include foods such as whole grain breads, brown rice, cereals, oatmeal and porridge. Dagfinn Aune, lead study author and research associate in the department of epidemiology and biostatistics at Imperial College London, said their analysis found a linear association between dietary fibre and colorectal cancer

“The more of this fibre you eat the better it is. Even moderate amounts have some effect.”.”

Diabetes mellitus is a condition in which a person has high blood sugar, following the incapability of the body to regulate the amount of sugar (specifically, glucose) in the blood. Diabetes mellitus, may also be referred to as diabetes. Diabetes mellitus is a disease in which the body produces insufficient amounts of insulin, or in which the body cells fail to respond appropriately to insulin (a hormone that helps the body cells absorb glucose used as energy source). In people with diabetes, glucose levels build up in the blood and urine, causing excessive urination, thirst, hunger, and problems with fat and protein metabolism. Diabetes mellitus differs from the less common diabetes insipidus, which is caused by lack of the hormone vasopressin, which controls the amount of urine produced.The four common types of diabetes

Type 1 diabetesIn type 1 diabetes the body stops producing insulin or produces too little insulin to regulate blood glucose level. The term “type 1 diabetes,” can be referred to several former terms, including:

childhood-onset diabetes, juvenile diabetes, and insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM).

Type 2 diabetesType 2 diabetes results from insulin resistance, a condition in which body cells fail to use insulin properly, sometimes combined with total insulin deficiency. Likewise, the term “type 2 diabetes,” can also be referred to several former terms, including:

adult-onset diabetes, obesity-related diabetes, and non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM).

Gestational diabetesGestational diabetes is a form of diabetes that occurs during the second half of pregnancy in which women, who have never had diabetes before, have a high blood glucose level during pregnancy. Women who have gestational diabetes are susceptible type 2 diabetes later in life

Pre-diabetesIn people with pre-diabetes, the blood sugar level is higher than normal but not high enough to be considered diabetic.

Above these two types, there is no agreement upon standard nomenclature. Some sources have defined “type 3 diabetes” as: gestational diabetes, insulin-resistant type 1 diabetes (or “double diabetes”), type 2 diabetes which has progressed to require injected insulin, and latent autoimmune diabetes of adults.

Signs and symptoms of diabetesThe classical symptoms of diabetes are:

1. polyuria (frequent urination)2. polydipsia (increased thirst)3. polyphagia (increased hunger)4. unexplained weight loss5. frequent feeling of fatigued6. suceptability to infections7. slow wound healing8. and altered mental status

These symptoms may develop rapidly in type 1 diabetes but in type 2 diabetes they usually develop much more slowly and may be subtle or absent.

Prolonged high blood glucose causes glucose absorption, which leads to changes in the shape of the lenses of the eyes, resulting in vision changes; sustained sensible glucose control usually returns the lens to its original shape. Blurred vision is a common complaint leading to a diabetes diagnosis; type 1 should always be suspected in cases of rapid vision change, whereas with type 2 change is generally more gradual, but should still be suspected.

Complications of diabetesHyperglycemia is a condition of high blood sugar levels. Prolonged hyperglycemia damages the retina of the eye, the kidneys, the nerves, and the blood vessels.

1. Diabetic retinopathy (damage to the retina from diabetes) is a leading cause of blindness.2. Diabetic nephropathy (damage to the kidneys from diabetes ) is a leading cause of kidney failure.3. Diabetic neuropathy (damage to the nerves from diabetes ) is a leading cause of foot wounds and

ulcers, which frequently lead to foot and leg amputations.4. Gastroparesis (paralysis of the stomach), chronic diarrhea, and inability to control heart rate and

blood pressure due to damage to the nerves in the autonomic nervous system.5. Diabetic accelerated atherosclerosis (the formation of fatty plaques   inside the arteries), which can

lead to blockages or a clot may occur. Such changes can in turn lead to heart attack, stroke, and decreased circulation in the arms and legs.

6. Diabetes predisposes people to high blood pressure and high cholesterol levels.7. A lot of infections are associated with diabetes, and infections are frequently more dangerous in

someone with diabetes because the body normal ability to fight infections is impaired. Infections may worsen glucose control, which further delays recovery from infection.

8. Hypoglycemia (low blood sugar), occurs from time to time in most people with diabetes. This results from taking too much diabetes medication or insulin (referred to insulin reaction), missing a meal, doing more exercise than usual, drinking too much alcohol, or taking certain medications for other conditions. It is very important to recognize hypoglycemia and be prepared to treat it at all times. Common symptoms of hypoglycemia are headache, feeling dizzy, poor concentration, tremors of hands, and sweating. You can faint or have a seizure if blood sugar level gets too low.

9. A serious condition in which prolonged uncontrolled hyperglycemia creates a buildup in the blood of acidic waste products can also occur. This high levels of acid waste products can be very harmful. This typically happens to people with type 1 diabetes who do not have good blood glucose control. This diabetic condition can be precipitated by infection, stress, trauma, missing medications like insulin, or medical emergencies like stroke and heart attack.

10. A hyperglycemic linked syndrome may result .This is a serious condition in which the blood sugar level gets very high. The body tries to get rid of the excess blood sugar by eliminating it by frequent urination. This dehydration could be so severe that it can cause seizures, coma, and even death. This syndrome typically occurs in people with type 2 diabetes who are not controlling their blood sugar levels.

Diabetes has been a notorious disease for many years. However, as a result of the discovery of insulin and invention of diabetes pills and blood glucose monitoring systems, people with diabetes now have more accurate and reliable ways of caring for themselves outside a hospital or doctor's office. Even with all the advances in managing your diabetes, you still need to know more about diabetes. The bases for good diabetes management rely upon food, fitness, medication and blood glucose monitoring. To assist you better manage your diabetes, we offer some diabetes care information to improve your quality of life with diabetes. 

Diabetes is a chronic disease in the body which does not properly produce, or does not properly use, insulin, which is the hormone that helps your body convert energy from sugar, starches and other foods. The result is that your body doesn't have the energy you need, and therefore undigested sugar builds up in your blood to damage your body and its systems. 

Glucose, the body's major fuel for the energy you needs, is produced when the body digests carbohydrates (sugars and starches). When your body is shortage of insulin, the blood glucose (blood sugar) concentration increases. Higher blood glucose levels can result in both short and long-term problems.

There are several types of diabetes, each having slightly different symptoms and hence requiring different treatments. The major forms are Type 1 and Type 2. Conditions related to "prediabetes" include impaired glucose tolerance and impaired fasting glucose. Pregnant women very lokely will develop gestational diabetes. Women, already having diabetes, may also have certain condition-related concerns during pregnancy

If you are having one or more of the following symptoms of increased urination, blurred vision, fatigue or drowsiness, poorly healing cuts or bruises, increased hunger and thirst, rapid weight loss, dry itchy skin or loss of feeling in hands or feet, immediately consult your healthcare professional. For now, there is no cure available for diabetes. However, with constant monitoring of blood glucose and proper diet, exercise and medication, many people with diabetes can still live healthily. 

There are many studies showing that some lifestyle changes can prevent or delay the occurrence of Type 2 diabetes among high-risk adults. For example, proper diet and mild exercise help prevent the development of diabetes. It was most effective to younger, heavier people and less effective to older people and people less overweight. So far, there is no better way to prevent Type 1 diabetes. However, newer insulin types and delivery systems have helped people with Type 1 better manage their diabetes. Although Type 2 diabetes accounted for most of the diabetes population and was regarded as an older person's disease, more and more young people are developing this disease. If you have a family history of diabetes, or are from an ethnic heritage, you may be more likely to develop diabetes. 

Diabetes is a serious disease, and its complications such as heart disease, stroke, blindness, and nerve

damage can result in loss of feeling, high blood pressure, kidney disease, amputation, and difficult healing, which can be delayed or prevented with constant blood glucose monitoring, healthy diet, proper exercise and medication.

Diabetic symptoms beginning for the first time after age 30 can frequently be reversed completely by simple non-medical treatment. Even with the more serious type of diabetes beginning early in life these approaches help a great deal; however, insulin treatment is usually also necessary in early-onset diabetes.

The consequences of diabetes left uncontrolled are serious. Here are a few of the complications that can occur:

Cardiovascular disease is by far the leading cause of death in the United States, but people with diabetes are at much higher risk.

Kidney disease, also called nephropathy, occurs when the kidney's "filter mechanism" is damaged and protein leaks into urine in excessive amounts and eventually the kidney fails.

Diabetes is a leading cause of damage to the retina at the back of the eye and also increases risk of cataracts and glaucoma.

Nerve damage, especially in the legs and feet, may interfere with the ability to sense pain and contributes to serious infections.

Unfortunately, adding up the total toll of diabetes complications shows the disease is one of the nation's leading causes of death. All diabetes complications can be largely prevented by practicing what is known as "tight control", keeping your blood glucose level as close to normal as possible. This takes time and energy, but many people with diabetes do it successfully and live full lives without many complications.

Diabetes is so terrible because it causes so many long-term complications. The consequences of

uncontrolled are damage to the small and large blood vessels of your body, resulting in kidney

disease, eye disease, painful nerve disease, vascular disease, foot ulcers, amputations, heart attacks, and

bstrokes. These complications, if allowed to occur, limit your life and make you sicker little by little, the

result being decades of being chronically unwell, beset with expensive medications and complications,

and in the end an early death. The immediate consequences of diabetes include dangerous conditions of

high and low blood sugars and infections.

Three quarters of all diabetics will die of a heart attack, and diabetic patients account for a large proportion of the increasing prevalence of cardiovascular disease. Diabetes is both the most common and fastest growing cause of kidney dialysis, the number one cause of adult blindness, and the number one cause of limb amputations in the United States.

But the good news is that almost all of these consequences are relatively easily preventable. By taking

good care of your diabetes, and making sure that your blood sugar, blood pressure, and cholesterol stay

within recommended target levels, you can reduce your chance of getting these complications to a level

similar to non-diabetics.

Diabetes causes vary depending on your genetic makeup, family history, ethnicity, health and environmental factors.There is no common diabetes cause that fits every type of diabetes.The reason there is no defined diabetes cause is because the causes of diabetes vary depending on the individual and the type.For instance; the causes of type 1 diabetes vary considerably from the causes of gestational diabetes.Similarly, the causes of type 2 diabetes are distinct from the causes of type 1 diabetes. 

Type 1 diabetes causes

Type 1 diabetes is caused by the immune system destroying the cells in the pancreas that make insulin.This causes diabetes by leaving the body without enoughinsulin to function normally.This is called an autoimmune reaction, or autoimmune cause, because the body is attacking itself.There is no specific diabetes causes, but the following triggers may be involved:

Viral or bacterial infection Chemical toxins within food Unidentified component causing autoimmune reaction

Underlying genetic disposition may also be a type 1 diabetes cause.

Type 2 diabetes causesType 2 diabetes causes are usually multifactorial - more than one diabetes cause is involved. Often, the most overwhelming factor is a family history of type 2 diabetes.This is the most likely type 2 diabetes cause.There are a variety of risk factors for type 2 diabetes, any or all of which increase the chances of developing the condition.These include: 

Obesity Living a sedentary lifestyle Increasing age Bad diet

Other type 2 diabetes causes such as pregnancy or illness can be type 2 diabetes risk factors.

Gestational diabetes causesThe causes of diabetes in pregnancy also known as gestational diabetes remain unknown. However, there are a number of risk factors that increase the chances of developing this condition:

Family history of gestational diabetes Overweight or obese Suffer from polycystic ovary syndrome Have had a large baby weighing over 9lb

Causes of gestational diabetes may also be related to ethnicity - some ethnic groups have a higher risk of gestational diabetes.

Other diabetes causesThere are a variety of other potential diabetes causes. These include the following:

Pancreatitis or pancreatectomy as a cause of diabetes. Pancreatitis is known to increase the risk of developing diabetes, as is a pancreatectomy.

Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS). One of the root causes of PCOS is obesity-linked insulin resistance, which may also increase the risk of pre-diabetes and type 2 diabetes.

Cushing’s syndrome. This syndrome increases production of the cortisol hormone, which serves to increased blood glucose levels. An over-abundance of cortisol can cause diabetes.

Glucagonoma. Patients with glucagonoma may experience diabetes because of a lack of equilibrium between levels of insulin production and glucagon production.

Steroid induced diabetes  (steroid diabetes) is a rare form of diabetes that occurs due to prolonged use of glucocorticoid therapy.

How Does Diabetes Affect The Body?Knowing how diabetes affects your body can help you look after your body and prevent diabetic complications from developing.

Many of effects of diabetes stem from the same guilty parties, namely high blood pressure, high cholesterol levels and a lack of blood glucose control.

Signs of diabetesWhen undiagnosed or uncontrolled, the effects of diabetes on the body can be noticed by the classic symptoms of diabetes, namely:

Increased thirst Frequent need to urinate Fatigue Blurred vision and Tingling or pain in the hands, feet and/or legs.

Long term effects of diabetes on the bodyIn addition to the symptoms, diabetes can cause long term damage to our body.The long term damage is commonly referred to as diabetic complications.Diabetes affects our blood vessels and nerves and therefore can affect any part of the body.However, certain parts of our body are affected more than other parts.Diabetic complications will usually take a number of years of poorly controlled diabetes to develop. Complications are not a certainty and can be kept at bay and prevented by maintaining a strong level of control on your diabetes, your blood pressure and cholesterol.These can all be helped by keeping to a healthy diet, avoiding cigarettes and alcohol, and incorporating regular activity into your daily regime in order to keep blood sugar levels within recommended blood glucose level guidelines.

The effect of diabetes on the heartDiabetes and coronary heart disease are closely related.Diabetes contributes to high blood pressure and is linked with high cholesterol which significantly increases the risk of heart attacks and cardiovascular disease.

Diabetes and strokesSimilar to how diabetes affects the heart, high blood pressure and cholesterol raises the risk of strokes.

How diabetes effects the eyesA relatively common complication of diabetes is diabetic retinopathy. As with all complications, this condition is brought on by a number of years of poorly controlled or uncontrolled diabetes. Diabetic retinopathy has a number of symptoms.Retinopathy is caused by blood vessels in the back of the eye (the retina) swelling and leaking. High blood pressure is also a contributing factor for diabetic retinopathy.Diabetic retinopathy can be treated so it’s best to catch it as early as you can. The best way to do this is to attend a retinopathy screening appointment, provided free on the NHS, once each year.

Effect of diabetes on the kidneysThe kidneys are another organ that is at particular risk of damage as a result of diabetes and the risk is again increased by poorly controlled diabetes, high blood pressure and cholesterol. Diabetic nephropathy is the term for kidney disease as a result of diabetes. Damage to the kidneys takes place over a period of years and can picked up by nephropathy screening before it gets too serious. Treatment includes lifestyle changes and may include medicine to treat high blood pressure and cholesterol.

Diabetes and its effects on the nerves

The effects of diabetes on the nerves can be serious as the nerves are involved in so many of our bodily functions, from movement and digestion through to sex and reproduction.The presence of nerve damage (neuropathy) is commonly noticed by:

Numbness or tingling in the hands or feet Lack of arousal in the penis or clitoris Excessive sweating or Diagnosis of delayed stomach emptying

Treatments for neuropathy concentrates on reducing pain but medication such blood pressure lowering drugs may also be prescribed to help prevent development of the condition.Diabetes and its effect on digestionDiabetes can affect digestion in a number of ways. If diabetes has caused nerve damage, this can lead to nausea, constipation or diarrhoea.An alternative cause of disturbed digestion can be the result of diabetes medication. Some type 2 diabetes medications for instance are prone to causing digestive issues, although these tend to settle down after the body gets used to them.

How diabetes affects the skinDiabetes affect on the skin is usually a result of its affect on the nerves and circulation which can lead to dry skin, slow healing of cuts, burns and wounds, fungal and bacterial infections and loss of feeling in the foot.People with diabetes are recommended to have their feet checked at least once a year. The effect of diabetes on the feet is often referred to as diabetic foot.