Category Archives: Chronic Complications of Diabetes
Treatment of Peripheral Vascular Disease
As with other chronic complications of diabetes, encourage your patient to modify risk factors associated with atherosclerosis, such as cigarette smoking and hypertension. And make sure that her plan of care includes exercise, diet, and, if necessary, drugs to control … Continue reading
Diabetic Neuropathy and Sexual Dysfunction
Sexual dysfunction commonly develops in people who have diabetic autonomic neuropathy. That’s because diabetic neuropathy affects the parasympathetic fibers that regulate erections in men and vaginal lubrication in women. It also affects the sympathetic nervous system, which mediates orgasm and … Continue reading
Diagnostic Tests of Diabetic Retinopathy
To diagnose diabetic retinopathy, an ophthalmologist uses an ophthalmoscopic examination or fluorescein angiography. During an ophthalmoscopic examination, the ophthalmologist dilates the patient’s eyes with a mydriatic drug, such as atropine. This dilation permits viewing of the retina, retinal blood vessels, … Continue reading
Diagnostic Tests of Peripheral Neuropathy
The physician usually diagnoses peripheral neuropathy by excluding other causes of your patient’s signs and symptoms. Typically, the physician will assess her neurologic function, evaluating her deep tendon reflexes and muscle strength and testing how well she senses temperature, light … Continue reading
Dialysis of Diabetic Nephropathy or End Stage Renal Disease
If your patient develops end-stage renal disease, she may require hemodialysis or peritoneal dialysis to prolong her life. The physician probably won’t recommend dialysis until your patient’s serum creatinine level is about 6 mg/dl. Hemodialysis For hemodialysis, the surgeon creates … Continue reading
Coronary Artery Disease or CAD
The most common cause of death in patients with Type 2 diabetes, CAD also develops in many patients with Type 1 diabetes. Patients who have had diabetes for 20 years or longer, are over age 40, or have many cardiovascular … Continue reading
Curing method of Diabetic Retinopathy
The treatment of diabetic retinopathy depends on the extent of retinal damage and may include laser photocoagulation or vitrectomy. With laser photocoagulation, the ophthalmologist uses laser beams to seal microaneurysms stream. The vascular lens refracts and focuses images onto the … Continue reading
Treatment of Peripheral Neuropathy
If your patient maintains better blood glucose control, her pain and other symptoms may decrease. As nerve cells regenerate with improved blood glucose levels, your patient’s pain may worsen initially, but it will decrease over time.To prevent foot complications, your … Continue reading