Question

Research diabetes and potential complications for individuals experiencing an infection.

Answer 1

People with diabetes are more susceptible to developing infections, as high blood sugar levels can weaken the patient’s immune system defences. In addition to this, some diabetes related health issues such as nerve damage and reduced blood flow to the extremities,increase the body’s vulnerability to infection.

High blood sugar from diabetes can affect the body’s immune system, imparing the ability of white blood cells to come to the site of an infection, stay in the infected area, and kill microorganisms. 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.

Nerve damage or neuropathy is one of the most common diabetes complications, it can cause mubness and pain. Nerve damage most often affects the feet and legs, further it can also affect digestion, blood vessels and heart.

People with high blood sugar from diabetes can be more severely affected by common infections, such as influenza and pneumonia caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae. This is why immunizations for the flue or influenza and pneumococcal disease are recommended for peple who have diabetes. Further, the people who have high blood sugar from diabetes are more likely to be infected with unusual organisms such as Gram-negative bacteria or fungi.

Foot infections are common in people who have high blood suagar from diabetes. Nerve dan=mage or neuropathy combined wuith poor blood supply to the feet puts people who have high blood sugar from diabetes at high risk for infected foot ulcers.

Some other infections for which people with high blood sugar from diabetes are at increased risk include the following:

1. Severe infection of the outer ear with the bacteria Pseudomonas aeruginosa. This infection is called malignant external otitis. It causes severe ear pain and drainage from the infected ear.

2. Yeast infections on the skin and in the urinary tract.

3. Extremely serious infection of then nose and sinuses with the fungus Rhizopus oryzae. This infection is called zygomycosis. This is a complication of diabetic ketoacidosis.