Long-term complications of type 1 diabetes
Having type 1 diabetes can increase your chance of getting other health problems. These can develop over time and are linked to high blood glucose (sugar).
You can lower your chances of complications by managing your blood glucose as well as you can and making healthy lifestyle changes, such as eating a balanced diet, exercising and not smoking.
Your diabetes team will work with you to keep you as well as possible.
Important
It's important to go to all of your diabetes appointments and make sure you do not miss any tests, as these can help find and treat any complications as soon as possible.
Heart disease and stroke
Type 1 diabetes can damage your blood vessels, which can lead to coronary heart disease and stroke.
As well as managing your blood glucose, you can reduce the risk by looking after your cholesterol level and blood pressure.
Adults will have tests every year to check for high cholesterol, and both adults and children will have tests for high blood pressure.
Foot problems
Diabetes can damage your nerves (called neuropathy) and reduce the blood supply to your feet, causing a loss of feeling. This means injuries do not heal well and you may not notice if you've hurt your foot.
This can lead to problems such as ulcers and infections. If these get worse, you could need surgery.
You can help to avoid problems by:
- checking your feet every day
- keeping your feet clean and dry
- wearing shoes that fit well
- having a foot check-up at least once a year
- getting medical help quickly if you injure your feet
Non-urgent advice: See a GP or diabetes nurse if:
- you have any pain, tingling, numbness or blisters in or on your feet
Sight problems
Diabetes can damage the blood vessels in your eyes. This can cause sight problems (diabetic retinopathy) and in severe cases can lead to blindness, although this is uncommon.
People with type 1 diabetes are also more likely to get cataracts and glaucoma.
Adults and children aged 12 or over will be offered diabetic eye screening every year.
Changes to your eyes usually have no symptoms at first, so it's important to have this check to help find and treat any damage before it affects your sight.
Urgent advice: Ask for an urgent GP appointment or speak to your diabetes team if:
You notice changes to your sight, including:
- your vision getting worse
- finding it more difficult to see in low light
- shapes floating in your vision (floaters)
Nerve damage
Diabetes can cause damage to nerves, called diabetic neuropathy.
This can lead to problems such as:
- numbness
- pain or tingling
- problems with sex
- constipation or diarrhoea
Speak to your GP or diabetes team if you get any of these symptoms.
There's no cure for nerve damage, but treatments can help with the symptoms and help stop it getting worse.
Kidney problems
Over time, high blood glucose can damage your kidneys, leading to kidney disease.
Kidney disease usually has no symptoms at first, so it's important to have a test every year to check for kidney problems.
There are treatments that can help with symptoms and may help stop it getting worse.
Gum disease
High blood glucose can increase your chance of gum disease and infections.
It's important to keep your mouth healthy by brushing your teeth twice a day and having regular dental check-ups.
See a dentist as soon as possible if you notice problems in your mouth, including soreness, bleeding gums or bad breath.
NHS help to get healthy
NHS Better Health has free tools and support to help you eat a healthy diet, get active, quit smoking and drink less.
Complications of high or low blood glucose
If your blood glucose gets too high or too low, this can also cause problems that get worse quickly. These can be emergencies, so it's important to recognise the symptoms and know what to do.
Find out more about:
- hypoglycaemia (hypos) – when your blood glucose is too low
- hyperglycaemia (hypers) – when your blood glucose is too high
- diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) – a serious condition caused by lack of insulin and very high blood glucose