how does hyperglycemia make infections worse and harder to heal?
108742
There are multiple issues that cause poor wound healing in poorly controlled DM.  Increased food source for bacteria (they eat simple sugar), decreased small-vessel circulation - which means normal defenses can't get to the wound/infection site as easily and when they arrive the outflow to carry away waste is blocked as well.  Lastly, if neuropathy is present, you can't feel as much discomfort in wounded areas - thus loosing another protective mechanism to avoid re-injury or re-opening of wounds.\nTight control is really important.
169136
Anyone can get Diabetes.  People who have a family history of diabetes just have a higher risk of also developing the disease later in life than someone without family history.  Also, having a healthy diet in early life decreases chance of getting the disease.  My father is a diabetic and recently developed DKA (Diabetic ketoacidosis) which is very serious (usually results in coma or death), and can happen just by a Diabetic getting a cold.  I believe it is very important to read on DKA and on being a healthy diabetic.  It is a very serious disease and some people do not notice until it is serious or too late.
358257
All I know is that it has something to do with blood sugar and glucose.\n\nTry this site for more info:\n\nhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diabetes\n\nHope this helps! Good Luck!\n\n♥Kimmy♥
942108
Blood sugar generally goes up when you eat.  There are other factors that affect your blood sugar.  This websote has great and concise info:\nhttp://www.mayoclinic.com/health/hyperglycemia/DA00067
922151
Your brain runs on glucose, and for this reason, your blood sugar levels are directly tied to your mental functioning. If you blood sugar is too high, that means that you lack the insulin needed to get it into the cells, the cells are starving even though they are surrounded by food. You tend to get lethargic, lose concentration and mental agility. Eventually you go into a diabetic ketoacidotic coma and die.\nThe opposite is also true. If you have insufficient blood sugar, and you have enough insulin, you still get dopey, but a whole lot faster, and it's a whole lot more dangerous. A hypoglycemic coma can come on in a few minutes and kill you just as quick.\nHowever, sugar is generally not tied to mood, or emotion. If someone has extreme mood swings, it's probably due more to neurotransmitters like dopamine and seretonin. What you are describing is called bipolar disorder or manic-depressive disorder, or could also be mood disorder.
98391
Diabetes is not caused by high sugar.  A person is diagnosed diabetic when you have abnormally high levels in your blood because your body can't metabolize the sugar (glucose)you do have effectively.  When you eat your body breaks down the food, and glucose is absorbed into your cells by something called insulin.  If your body is not producing enough insulin or if the insulin you have is ineffective the glucose stays in your blood stream and your cells starve.  To compensate your body breaksdown fat.  There are two types of diabetics.  Type 1 where the pancreas is not making any insulin.  Most children and young adults get this type. It said to be cause by a virus that kill insulin producing cells in the pancreas called the islet cells.  These patients must take insulin shots because if they take it in a pill the stomach would absorb the insulin and it wouldn't work.  Type 2 is where you have insulin in your body but you are either not making enough or your body isn't using it effectively.  These people can take oral diabetic medication because it is not insulin.  It helps the pancreas to produce more insulin or help the insulin get the glucose in the cell.  Diet and exercise help because your not adding glucose that your body doesn't need and helps you burn off excess and sometimes will force the the glucose into the cell.  Complications from diabetes include blindness, kidney disease, slow healing wounds and loss of feeling to extremities (also called neuropathy).  Symptoms include increased thirst, increased hunger (remember your cells are starving) and increased urination. You can also lose weight because the body is breaking down fat for energy. This mostly happens in Type 1.   I hope this helps.  Remember you can't cause diabetes by eating too much candy but if you are diabetic you can be adding to the problem if you do.  Only a blood test and your doctor can diagnosis diabetes.
987208
i also want this answer because i also have vaginal fungal infection because of diabetes\nuse antifungal creams
955458
your body is susceptible to infection.
723727
It occurs when a diabetic person's blood sugar gets very high-generally over 350-400.  It is a medical emergency.  You can avoid it by frequent testing of your blood sugar & treating your blood sugar appropriately.
241792
It is not per se a symptom of diabetes.  Excessive urination, thrist, intermittently blurred vision, acetone-smelling breath and extreme hunger are more typical signs of diabetes.  \n\nIt is very unusual that your toenails suddenly just came off when exposed soaking in warm water.  Nail fungus can exist in the nail and nail bed, causing the nail to thicken over a series of months and raise.  It does not hurt.  Some women also notice changes in their nails and skin after menopause.  I have seen hormone replacement therapy (a pill daily) help.  It might also be possible to use a topical estrogen cream on the area of concern if you don't tolerate the medication.  A thyroid condition (hypothyroidism) can cause changes in the nails - usually becoming brittle.  Finally very poor circulation in the lower extremity could cause changes in the feet and nail beds...though I would expect more (dramatic!) changes than just in the nails if that were the case.\n\nIn sum, this condition requires a history and physical exam by your doctor for a work-up, a diagnosis, and treatment if warranted.
568392
Diabetes:\nWarning Signs\n\nBecause diabetes can cause serious complications, it's important to be on the lookout for signs that you may have diabetes. The symptoms of type 1 diabetes may include:\n\n    * Increased thirst.\n    * Increased hunger (especially after eating).\n    * Dry mouth.\n    * Frequent urination.\n    * Unexplained weight loss (even though you are eating and feel hungry).\n    * Fatigue (weak, tired feeling.\n    * Blurred vision.\n    * Headaches.\n    * Loss of consciousness (rare).\n\nType 2 diabetes is usually not diagnosed until complications have occurred. Most often, there are no symptoms or a very gradual development of the above symptoms. In fact, about a third of all people who have type 2 diabetes don't know they have it. When hyperglycemia occurs, the symptoms can be the same as those listed above.\n\nOther symptoms of type 2 diabetes may include:\n\n    * Slow-healing sores or cuts.\n    * Itching of the skin (usually around the vaginal or groin area).\n    * Frequent yeast infections.\n    * Recent weight gain.\n    * Velvety dark skin changes of the neck, armpit and groin, called acanthosis nigricans.\n    * Numbness and tingling of the hands and feet.\n    * Decreased vision.\n    * Impotency.\n\nIf you have any of these symptoms, contact your health care provider right away so you can get tested or screened. Even people with pre-diabetes can have the increased risk from heart disease seen in people with diabetes.\n\nLearn more about type 1 and type 2 diabetes.\nView the full table of contents for the Diabetes Guide.
403541
There is a theory that type 1 diabetes gets triggered in people who already have a tendency to develop the disease. They say people with certain tissue types are more likely to become diabetic, and you inherit these tissue types from your ancestors. A viral infection of some kind has been suggested as the trigger (maybe even the flu? or a cold?). The reason this is unusual is that one would expect such a deadly disease to get less common over time, rather than more common as it is. It is proposed that the diabetic tissue type offered some advantage to people living a marginal existence (hunting for food), and that this explains why more people are diabetic in modern times. Maybe modern living is too easy? (I know, it doesn't seem too easy to me either.)
351627
Diabetes and Dental Problems\n\nPeople with diabetes are more vulnerable to the millions of germs that live in your mouth. As a result, people with diabetes are more likely to have infections of their gums and the bones that hold the teeth in place. Diabetes also causes a decrease in blood supply to the gums making them more susceptible to disease. In addition, high blood sugars may cause dry mouth and make gum disease worse. The decrease in saliva can cause an increase in tooth decaying bacteria and plaque build up.\n\nWhat Are the Symptoms of Dental Problems?\n\nSymptoms to watch for include bleeding and sore gums, frequent infections and bad breath.\n\nHow Can I Prevent These Dental Problems?\n\nTaking good care of your gums and teeth is very important, especially if you have diabetes. Here are some tips: \n\nHave a dental checkup every six months.\nTell your dentist that you have diabetes and ask him or her to show you how to take proper care of your gums and teeth.\nBrush and floss your teeth at least twice a day\nIf you smoke, quit.\nMaintain good glucose control.\nIf severe gum disease develops, surgery may save your teeth. But if that's not possible, you may have to have teeth pulled to prevent the infection from destroying the bone around your teeth. \n\nDiabetes:\nEye Problems Linked to Diabetes\n\nIf you have diabetes, don't buy a new pair of glasses when you notice you have blurred vision. It could just be a temporary problem that develops rapidly and is caused by high blood glucose levels.\n\nHigh blood glucose causes the lens of the eye to swell, which changes your ability to see. To correct this kind of blurred vision, you need to get your blood glucose back into the target range (90-130 milligrams per deciliter or mg/dL before meals, and less than 180 mg/dL one to two hours after a meal). It may take as long as three months after your blood glucose is well controlled for your vision to fully get back to normal.\n\nBlurred vision can also be a symptom of more serious eye problems. The three major eye problems that people with diabetes may develop and should be aware of are cataracts, glaucoma and retinopathy.\n\n\nCataracts\n\nA cataract is a clouding or fogging of the normally clear lens of the eye. The lens is what allows us to see and focus on an image just like a camera. Although anyone can get cataracts, people with diabetes get cataracts at an earlier age than most and the condition progresses more rapidly than in people without diabetes. \n\nIf you have a cataract, your eye cannot focus light and your vision is impaired. Symptoms include blurred or glared vision.\n\nTreatment is usually surgery followed by placement of a lens implant, with glasses or contact lenses as needed to further correct vision.\n\n\nGlaucoma\n\nWhen fluid inside the eye does not drain properly from a build up of pressure inside the eye, it results in a disease called glaucoma. The pressure damages nerves and the vessels in the eye, causing changes in vision. \n\nIn the most common form of glaucoma, there may be no symptoms at all until the disease is very advanced and there is significant vision loss. In the less common form, symptoms can include headaches, eye aches or pain, blurred vision, watering eyes, halos around lights and loss of vision.\n\nTreatment can include special eye drops, laser procedures, medicine or surgery. You can prevent serious problems by getting an annual glaucoma screening from your eye doctor.\n\n \nRetinopathy\n\nThe retina is a group of specialized cells that convert light as it enters though the lens into images. The eye nerve or optic nerve transmits visual information to the brain. \n\nDiabetic retinopathy is one of the vascular (blood-vessel related) complications related to diabetes. It is due to damage of small vessels and so is called a "microvascular complication." Kidney disease and nerve damage due to diabetes are also microvascular complications. Large blood vessel damage (a
168714
ok..in english diabetes is the inability of cells to use sugar in the blood due to either a lack of insulin (produced by the pancreas) or the inability for a cell to transport sugar across the cell. because your cells cannot use the sugar it stays in limbo between the cells (high blood sugar)until it is filtered out through the kidneys (this causes alot of pressure and can destroy them). the high blood sugar also puts alot of pressure on the eyes that can cause blindness. another effect if left untreated is pariphial neuropathy..a big word for loss of circulation and feeling in the lower extremities (legs) this can lead to sores that cannot heal (because the cells cannot use the sugar for energy) these are things that do not happen all at once but over time. If you do not keep your sugar under control these things WILL happen...PLEASE take this disease seriously...many times the treatment is diet and exercise depending on how much insulin your pancreas does produce..if this does not work you will need to take medicine every day for the rest of your life (which is much better than the consiquences of not treating it ....amputation, blindness, kidney failure, stroke, heart attack, ect...this list continues to grow.
19031
Hyperglycemia isn't a "form" of Diabetes, but instead is a symptom of the condition. \nSigns / symptoms of hyperglycemia (high blood sugar) include: extreme thirst, frequent urination, dry skin, hunger, blurred vision, drowsiness, and decreased healing. If you haven't yet been diagnosed by your doctor as diabetic and you are expriencing these symptoms, definitely go get checked out. \n\nIf you have already been diagnosed as being a diabetic, check your BG regularly and watch out for high levels. Most information that I have came across has said that anything over 200 for more than 2 days in a row warrants a call to your doctor. I have also been told (by those more educated and experienced than myself) that anything over 300 is cosidered dangerously high and should be a cause for concern (and probably a trip to the ER).
1060796
It can be a side effect of diabetes.
875654
sorry, never heard that one before, my hubby has been diabetic  for many years, on insulin, and has yet to have an ear infection, maybe you should double check with your  doctor, he would worry me if he told me something like that,there are a lot (6) of my family members who are diabetic as well who are not prone to ear infections, good luck dear, i have a feeling you are going to need it,God Bless!!