What are common infections for people with diabetes? The most common infections in people with diabetes include: Ear, nose, and throat infections: Fungal infections of the nose and throat are seen almost exclusively in patients with diabetes. Symptoms include severe ear pain and ear discharge.
When you have diabetes, you are especially prone to foot infections, yeast infections, urinary tract infections, and surgical site infections. 2 High blood sugar levels contribute to this process. As a result, the risk of infection is increased if your diabetes is poorly controlled.
Because of the buildup of plaque in blood vessels associated with diabetes, areas of infection may receive a poor blood supply, further lowering the body's ability to fight infections and heal wounds.
The greater frequency of infections in diabetic patients is caused by the hyperglycemic environment that favors immune dysfunction (e.g., damage to the neutrophil function, depression of the antioxidant system, and humoral immunity), micro- and macro-angiopathies, neuropathy, decrease in the antibacterial activity of ...
The study, published in the peer-reviewed journal Diabetes, found people with higher levels of a bacterium called Coprococcus tended to have higher insulin sensitivity, while those whose microbiomes had higher levels of the bacterium Flavonifractor tended to have lower insulin sensitivity.
How illness affects diabetes. Illness and infections, as well as other forms of stress, can raise your blood glucose (sugar) levels to dangerously high levels. As part of the body's defence mechanism for fighting illness and infection, more glucose is released into the blood stream.
High blood sugar (glucose) can injure nerves throughout the body. Diabetic neuropathy most often damages nerves in the legs and feet. Depending on the affected nerves, diabetic neuropathy symptoms include pain and numbness in the legs, feet and hands.
For severe infection, parenteral broad‐spectrum antibiotics that have been proven clinically effective for diabetic foot infections are recommended; these include imipenem/cilastatin, newer fluoroquinolones (e.g. levofloxacin and ciprofloxacin), third‐ or fourth‐generation cephalosporins (e.g. ceftazidime and ...
Unfortunately, in diabetes, the host's immune response is disrupted. In addition to the risk of natural barrier damage due to neuropathy, T2D can also affect cellular immunity. This is caused by insulin deficiency and hyperglycemia [45].
The connection between high blood sugar and diabetes
Cardiovascular disease – The swelling associated with diabetic inflammation may feel uncomfortable, as it can lead to chest pain and shortness of breath.
Diabetes induces endothelial dysfunction and a procoagulant state. Diabetes and sepsis are both associated with activation of the vascular endothelium. In sepsis, activation of the endothelium occurs through a cascade of inflammatory mediators, which is crucial for the immune response.
People who have diabetes are also at risk of developing wounds and sores that don't heal well. While the wounds are present, they are at high risk of developing an infection. When an infection overwhelms the body, it can cause sepsis and septic shock.
Diabetes affects the immune system, which makes it harder to fight infections. This makes serious illness and complications from infections more likely. You can help prevent serious complications from UTI and other infections by keeping your blood sugar level in the normal range.
It's also been found that type 1 diabetes can be triggered by a common virus called an enterovirus. Enteroviruses are a large group of viruses that tend to cause mild illnesses among individuals. There are several different types of enteroviruses, each of them causing different symptoms.
Because of reduced blood flow, wounds may be slow to heal or not heal at all. As a result, tissue can become damaged, and an infection can develop and spread to the bones. Once this happens, amputation is often the only option to prevent more damage.
Infection causes a stress response in the body by increasing the amount of certain hormones such as cortisol and adrenaline. These hormones work against the action of insulin and, as a result, the body's production of glucose increases, which results in high blood sugar levels.
But that doesn't mean abdominal weight gain should be ignored. It can be an early sign of so-called "diabetic belly," a build-up of visceral fat in your abdomen which may be a symptom of type 2 diabetes and can increase your chances of developing other serious medical conditions.
Wear socks in bed if your feet are cold at night. Do not use a hot water bottle or heating pad on your feet. Always check your shoes before you put them on. Look and feel inside them for anything that could cause discomfort or injury, such as pebbles, a torn lining, or rough spots.
People with diabetes can easily get wounds on their feet. Improper cutting or care of toenails and feet is the leading cause that could lead to toe finger and foot amputation.
Avoid Dangerous Blood Sugar if You Have Diabetes. Skipping a meal is typically no big deal. But if you're a person with diabetes, skipping meals or a lack of meal structure could result in dangerously low or high blood sugar levels.
If you don't eat, your blood sugar levels are lower and medication may drop them even more, which can lead to hypoglycemia. Hypoglycemia can cause you to feel shaky, pass out, or even go into a coma. When you “break” your fast by eating, you may also be more likely to develop too-high blood sugar levels.
Continue taking your insulin and diabetes pills as usual.
Drink extra calorie-free liquids*, and try to eat as you normally would. Weigh yourself every day. Losing weight without trying is a sign of high blood glucose. Check your temperature every morning and evening.