Diabetic retinopathy (die-uh-BET-ik ret-ih-NOP-uh-thee) is a diabetes complication that affects eyes. It’s caused by damage to the blood vessels of the light-sensitive tissue at the back of the eye (retina). At first, diabetic retinopathy might cause no symptoms or only mild vision problems. But it can lead to blindness. The condition can develop in anyone who has type 1 or …

Diabetes-related neuropathy happens when you experience nerve damage due to high blood sugar (hyperglycemia) that lasts a long time. It can affect people with long-term diabetes, like Type 1 diabetes and Type 2 diabetes. But not everyone with diabetes develops it. Neuropathy can develop from other causes, too, like pinched nerves, inflammation, nutrient deficiencies and injuries affecting your nerves. Healthcare providers diagnose neuropathy as diabetes-related if you have diabetes and …

Diabetes-related nephropathy is a condition that affects your kidneys. Another name for diabetes-related nephropathy is diabetes-related kidney disease (DKD). Your kidneys filter waste from your body. Common waste products include nitrogen waste products such as urea, muscle waste (creatinine) and many other toxins. Your kidneys also help balance your body’s fluids and electrolytes. Each kidney contains more than a million nephrons, …

Diabetic ketoacidosis is a serious complication of diabetes. The condition develops when the body can’t produce enough insulin. Insulin plays a key role in helping sugar — a major source of energy for muscles and other tissues — enter cells in the body. Without enough insulin, the body begins to break down fat as fuel. This causes a buildup of …

Diabetic hypoglycemia occurs when someone with diabetes doesn’t have enough sugar (glucose) in his or her blood. Glucose is the main source of fuel for the body and brain, so you can’t function well if you don’t have enough. For many people, low blood sugar (hypoglycemia) is a blood sugar level below 70 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL), or 3.9 millimoles …

A diabetes-related coma is a life-threatening complication that can result from very high blood sugar (hyperglycemia) or very low blood sugar (hypoglycemia). A coma is a prolonged, deep state of unconsciousness. People in comas are unresponsive but still alive. Three diabetes complications can lead to a coma, including: Hyperosmolar hyperglycemic state (HHS). Diabetes-related ketoacidosis (DKA). Severe low blood sugar (hypoglycemia). A person …

Type 2 diabetes in children is a chronic disease that affects the way your child’s body processes sugar (glucose) for fuel. Without treatment, the disorder causes sugar to build up in the bloodstream, which can lead to serious long-term consequences. Type 2 diabetes occurs more commonly in adults. In fact, it used to be called adult-onset diabetes. But the increasing …

Type 2 diabetes (T2D) is a chronic condition that happens when you have persistently high blood sugar levels (hyperglycemia). Healthy blood sugar (glucose) levels are 70 to 99 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL). If you have undiagnosed Type 2 diabetes, your levels are typically 126 mg/dL or higher. T2D happens because your pancreas doesn’t make enough insulin (a hormone), your body doesn’t use insulin properly, or both. …

Type 1 diabetes in children is a condition in which your child’s body no longer produces an important hormone (insulin). Your child needs insulin to survive, so the missing insulin needs to be replaced with injections or with an insulin pump. Type 1 diabetes in children used to be known as juvenile diabetes or insulin-dependent diabetes. The diagnosis of type …

Type 1 diabetes is a chronic (life-long) autoimmune disease that prevents your pancreas from making insulin. Insulin is an important hormone that regulates the amount of glucose (sugar) in your blood. Under normal circumstances, insulin functions in the following steps: Your body breaks down the food you eat into glucose (sugar), which is your body’s main source of energy. Glucose enters your bloodstream, which signals your …