When you have type 1 diabetes, why does it matter if your blood sugar is high? What happens if you don’tt treat diabetes? What happens if you don’t take the shots or watch what you eat? Do you die?
Simply put — YES — you will die.
Type 1 Diabetes means the your pancreas has pretty much failed completely., Because of this your body produces very little or no insulin, and so there is NO control over your blood sugar.
Extra sugar in the blood attachs itself to the red blood cells (this is called GLYCATING) and the sugar molecules act like tiny little knives, making the red blood cells work like a Rotor-Rooter system in your blood vessels. They start damaging the walls of the blood vessels, causing tiny cuts, clots, and scar tissues.
This is extremely damaging to the capillaries, which are only just a little bit larger then a red blood cell, anyway. These capillaries get ripped to shreds!
Now, your kidneys are FULLL of capillaries, so one major damage of diabetes is kidney failure. And it is usually not reversible. If the blood sugar stays high, the result is kidney failure leading to either death or dialysis.
There are capillaries in the retinas of your eyes. These tend to get cut open, causing a bleed. Many diabetecis go blind.
And also the capillaries in your brain. When these break you get many small strokes. The effect is very much like Alzheimers.
And how about those capillaries in the sex organs — broken capillaries lead to the inability to have sex.
That same glycateds red blood cells also don’t carry as much oxygen. So you constantly feel tired, and wounds don’t heal as well. Many diabetics suffer from gangrene. leading to amputation of feet, legs, fingers, hands, and arms.
ALSO – - – Some of that sugar breaks down and attachs to the nerves. This leads to diabetic neuropathy, which affects every organ in the body, from brain to tips of toes. Since things often "don’t hurt", the diabetic doesn’t realize that he or she has a serious wound until gangrene sets in.
Optic nerves get damaged, and nerves to the sexual organs get damaged. Also, the nerves to the stomach and intestines get damaged, leading to many digestive problems, including diarhea, which then leads to dehydration.
It doesn’t really matter if you are Type 1 or Type2 — the effects are the same, but Type 1 diabetics are often diagnosed sooner — in childhood. Therefore, Type 1 diabetes is often called Juvenile Diabetes, but this is a misnomer. Even adults can get Type1 diabetes.