How does diabetes affect your heart, eyes, feet, nerves and kidneys?

How does diabetes affect your heart, eyes, feet, nerves and kidneys?

Blood vessels are located throughout our body’s tissues and organs. They surround our body’s cells, providing a transfer of oxygen, nutrients and other substances, using blood as the exchange vehicle. In simple terms, diabetes doesn’t allow glucose (the body’s fuel) to get into cells and it damages blood vessels in/near these organs and those that nourish nerves. If organs, nerves and tissues can’t get the essentials they need to properly function, they can begin to fail.“Proper function” means that your heart’s blood vessels, including arteries, are not damaged (narrowed or blocked). In your kidneys, this means that waste products can be filtered out of your blood. In your eyes, this means that the blood vessels in your retina (area of your eye that provides your vision) remain intact. In your feet and nerves, this means that nerves are nourished and that there’s blood flow to your feet. Diabetes causes damage that prevents proper function.