With type 1 diabetes, the body makes little to no insulin. With type 2, the most common type, the body doesn’t use insulin effectively and may not make enough over time. According to the latest numbers from the CDC, nearly 40 million Americans have diabetes, which is nearly 12% of the population. That number includes 11 million adults who are living with undiagnosed diabetes. 

Getting a diabetes diagnosis can feel overwhelming, but knowing the warning signs to look for  and being proactive to prevent further damage can help you live a fuller, healthier life. Those living with undiagnosed diabetes likely also live with uncontrolled diabetes, which can lead to complications affecting your heart, kidney, nerves, eyes, and more. 

What “Uncontrolled Diabetes” Really Means

Uncontrolled diabetes occurs when your blood sugar levels are consistently high, as measured by HbA1c (A1C) levels, or daily blood glucose readings. For most adults, the goal is to have an A1C of 7% or lower. In simpler terms, uncontrolled diabetes can describe a few different scenarios:

  1. Your diabetes is undiagnosed. 
  2. Your current treatment plan isn’t working well enough to control your blood sugar levels.
  3. You’re struggling to keep up with your current treatment plan, which may include medication and lifestyle changes.

When blood sugar accumulates over time, it can damage your blood vessels. This, in turn, can lead to complications that affect the following:

  • Eyes
  • Kidneys
  • Nerves
  • Heart
  • Skin
  • Digestive system
  • Sexual health

In the following sections, we’ll review how uncontrolled diabetes impacts the body, and what you can do to bring your blood sugar levels to manageable levels and minimize your risk.

Heart, Nerve, and Vision Impact

Diabetic retinopathy is the leading cause of blindness among American adults.

Having high blood sugar levels (hyperglycemia) directly affects your cardiovascular and nervous systems, which can create issues with your circulation, vision, and more. Understanding how everything is connected can help you identify early warning signs of uncontrolled diabetes and get the treatment you need.

Heart and Circulation Damage

Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death for people living with diabetes. People with diabetes are twice as likely to develop heart problems or suffer a stroke compared to someone without diabetes.

  • Uncontrolled diabetes increases the risk of atherosclerosis, which is the buildup of fatty deposits (plaque) in the arteries.
  • This narrowing of blood vessels restricts healthy blood flow to the heart and brain.
  • When plaque builds up in vessels outside the heart, such as in the legs, it causes peripheral artery disease (PAD). Symptoms include pain, cramping, bluish skin, or a loss of sensation in the legs.

How To Reduce Risk

Controlling your blood sugar levels is the first step to lowering your risk of heart damage, but it’s only part of the puzzle. To protect your heart, it’s also important to manage your blood pressure and keep your cholesterol levels in check:

  • Eat a heart-healthy diet. To reduce the risk of heart disease, researchers recommend eating foods that are low in saturated fats, refined carbohydrates, and added sugar. Instead, focus on fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins, legumes, nuts, and seeds.
  • Get regular exercise. Aim for at least 150 to 300 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise (e.g. walking, cycling, dancing) plus two strength training workouts per week.
  • Quit smoking. If you have diabetes, it doubles your risk of getting heart disease.
  • Limit how much alcohol you drink. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recommends limiting alcohol or avoiding it completely if you are pregnant, recovering from or prone to alcohol abuse, or are taking medications or have health conditions that can interact with alcohol. The World Health Organization (WHO) says no amount of alcohol is safe.

Nerve Damage

Over time, having consistently high blood sugar levels can damage blood vessels and nerves throughout your body. This nerve damage, known as diabetic neuropathy, is one of the most common complications of uncontrolled diabetes. 

  • Around half of people with diabetes have peripheral neuropathy, which affects the arms, legs, fingers, and toes. Symptoms include tingling, burning, pain, numbness, or a complete loss of feeling in the hands and feet. Because nerve damage affects your ability to feel your feet, you could sustain injuries and not realize it. This, in turn, could lead to open sores (ulcers) and serious infections that may require amputation if left untreated.
  • Over 30% of people with diabetes have autonomic neuropathy, which affects your internal organs. Symptoms include loss of bladder control, gastrointestinal discomfort, changes in how much you sweat, dizziness, and sexual dysfunction.

How To Reduce Risk

The best way to prevent — or reverse — nerve damage from diabetes is to keep your blood sugar levels within target range. You can do this by taking the diabetes medications your health team prescribes, regularly exercising, and eating a healthy diet. 

It’s also important to manage your blood pressure and cholesterol levels, limit how much alcohol you drink, and quit smoking.

Foot care is strongly recommended for people with diabetes, especially those with peripheral neuropathy. Be sure to:

  • Check your feet daily for injuries or issues.
  • Get prompt treatment for any foot issues.
  • See your doctor for a foot exam at least once a year.

Vision Issues and Eye Disease

Diabetic retinopathy is the leading cause of blindness among American adults. It happens when uncontrolled blood sugar levels damage delicate blood vessels in the retina, causing them to swell, or leak blood or fluid. Uncontrolled diabetes also increases your risk of developing:

  • Cataracts, a clouding of the eye’s lens
  • Glaucoma, damage to the optic nerve from excess pressure in the eye
  • Diabetic macular edema (DME), when fluid leaks from retinal blood vessels into the macula

Warning signs of diabetes-related eye problems include:

  • Blurry or wavy vision
  • Eye pain or redness
  • Seeing dark spots that obscure part of your vision
  • Seeing floaters or flashes of light
  • Difficulty seeing colors
  • Vision loss

How To Reduce Risk

People with diabetes are 25 times more likely to become blind than people without diabetes. Early detection and treatment can help prevent over 90% of diabetes-related vision loss. Reduce your risk by:

  • Controlling your blood sugar levels.
  • Getting annual eye exams, or having exams more frequently if your provider recommends it.
  • Managing your blood pressure and cholesterol to reduce the pressure on the blood vessels in your eyes.
  • Contacting your healthcare provider if you experience any changes in your vision.

Digestive, Urinary, and Sexual Health Impact

Diabetes is one of the main causes of gastroparesis, where the stomach empties food into the small intestine too slowly.

Diabetes affects your blood vessels and nerves. When your blood sugar levels stay too high, it can have wide-ranging impacts on your body’s internal systems. Uncontrolled diabetes can affect your digestive, urinary, and sexual health — disrupting how your body digests food, filters waste, and experiences intimacy.

Digestive Health Issues

Diabetes is one of the main causes of gastroparesis, a condition where the stomach empties food into the small intestine too slowly. It’s caused by diabetes-related nerve damage of the digestive tract, making gastroparesis a complication of autonomic neuropathy.

Common symptoms of gastroparesis include:

  • Bloating
  • Indigestion
  • Nausea
  • Vomiting
  • Constipation
  • Diarrhea
  • Fecal incontinence

How To Reduce Risk

At the risk of sounding like a broken record, the most effective way to slow or prevent digestive nerve damage is to control your blood sugar levels. Other tips for reducing GI discomfort include:

  • Practice portion control. Eating smaller meals more frequently, rather than larger meals more spread out, can be easier on your stomach. 
  • Swap processed foods for whole foods. Highly processed foods are generally less nutritious and may not contain as much of the essential vitamins and minerals that support a healthy digestive tract as whole foods do.
  • Be careful with fiber. In general, fiber is recommended to people with diabetes as it helps control blood sugar and food intake. It can also help relieve diarrhea and constipation. However, if you’re experiencing gastroparesis or significant bloating, it’s best to reduce your fiber (and fat) intake. 
  • Consider probiotics. These “good” bacteria help support a healthy gut microbiome and may prevent diarrhea and constipation. You can find them in supplements as well as fermented foods like kimchi and yogurt. 

Urinary Health and Kidney Disease

High blood sugar levels can also damage the blood vessels in your kidneys, which explains why about one in three adults with diabetes has chronic kidney disease (CKD). Left untreated, CKD can lead to kidney failure. Early kidney damage often presents with no symptoms at all. Over time, high blood sugar causes the kidneys to pull more fluid into your urine, which causes symptoms like increased urination (polyuria) and extreme thirst due to high glucose levels. 

Too much sugar in the urine also creates an ideal environment for bacteria to thrive, increasing your risk of urinary tract infections (UTIs). UTIs are the most common infection affecting people with diabetes. Symptoms include:

  • Increased urination
  • Pain or burning sensation during urination
  • Blood in the urine
  • Cloudy or smellier urine

How To Reduce Risk

You can protect your kidneys by managing your blood sugar and blood pressure. In fact, taking medications that lower blood sugar can cut your risk of kidney damage by one-third, according to the American Diabetes Association. Here are some more tips to protect your urinary and kidney health:

  • Lower your blood pressure by quitting smoking, limiting alcohol, and exercising regularly.
  • Lose weight (if you are overweight), and follow a kidney-friendly diet that’s low in sodium.
  • See your doctor for regular urine tests. These can detect early warning signs of kidney damage, such as protein in the urine.

Sexual Health Issues

The same nerve damage and circulation issues that cause other complications of uncontrolled diabetes can also affect your sexual organs. 

How To Reduce Risk

Controlling your blood sugar helps prevent diabetes-related damage to the sexual organs. However, sexual health is complex, and there can be other contributing factors to low libido, ED, and vaginal dryness. These can range from depression and stress, to menopause and other health conditions. 

Given the link between ED and cardiovascular health, it’s important to improve your heart health by managing your blood pressure and cholesterol, quitting smoking, and following a heart-healthy diet. Research suggests a Mediterranean diet can be especially helpful for men and women with diabetes and sexual dysfunction. 

Regular physical activity also promotes healthy blood flow and may improve sexual function.

Infection and Foot Issues

Slow-healing diabetic wounds and bacterial skin infections can form anywhere on the body.

When you have uncontrolled diabetes, minor scrapes and cuts can turn into serious infections and foot issues. With daily care and a little extra attention to hygiene — and by controlling your blood sugar levels (it bears repeating) — you can keep your skin and feet healthy. 

Infection and Wound Issues

Uncontrolled high blood sugar weakens your body’s immune system, making it much harder to fight infections. Impaired blood flow makes it harder for immune cells to reach your wounds to heal them and prevent infection. This makes it easier for bacteria and fungi to create an infection. 

While wounds are most common on the feet, slow-healing diabetic wounds and bacterial skin infections can form anywhere on the body.

How To Reduce Risk

Skin complications, including infection and dry skin, affect up to 80% of people with diabetes. Your tools for reducing your risk include moisturizer, good skin hygiene, and maybe a dermatologist. 

  • Keeping your skin clean and well-moisturized. Ask your doctor or dermatologist if they recommend specific moisturizer ingredients, such as urea or lactic acid.
  • Inspect your skin daily for any redness, rashes, blisters, or changes.
  • Avoid wearing clothing that is too tight and restricts circulation.
  • Change out of wet or sweaty clothes once you’re done swimming or working out.

Foot Issues

Uncontrolled diabetes causes poor circulation and peripheral nerve damage. This makes the feet incredibly vulnerable to complications. If you can’t feel your feet, you may not notice when they become injured. With poorer blood flow, the wounds heal more slowly too. This can create a situation where wounds go untreated, potentially turning injuries into open sores (ulcers) and infections. Depending on how serious the infection is and how far it spreads, amputation may be necessary. 

Over 60% of all toe, foot, and leg amputations occur in people with diabetes. But, the research also shows that as many as 85% of these could be avoided with prompt treatment.

How To Reduce Risk

In addition to controlling your blood sugar levels, simple changes to your daily routine can go a long way in protecting your feet. These include:

  • Cleaning your feet daily.
  • Inspecting your feet daily for cuts, bruises, calluses, or redness. 
  • Wearing clean, dry socks and properly fitting, supportive shoes. 
  • Scheduling regular visits with a podiatrist (foot doctor) every 6 to 12 months.

How To Start Taking Control of Diabetes

Taking control of diabetes requires some adjustments, but it’s absolutely possible. Your first step is to meet with a healthcare provider to get diagnosed and start treatment. Treatment for diabetes usually includes a mix of medication and lifestyle changes.

Diagnosis

Diabetes (and prediabetes) is diagnosed with a blood test. These may include:

  • Hemoglobin A1C test: This measures your average blood sugar levels over the past two to three months. A normal result is below 5.7%, whereas 5.7%–6.4% indicates prediabetes, and anything 6.5% or above indicates diabetes.
  • Fasting blood sugar test: This measures your blood sugar after an overnight fast. A normal result is 99 mg/dL or below, whereas 100–125 mg/dL indicates prediabetes, and anything 126 mg/dL or above indicates diabetes.

If you get diagnosed with prediabetes or diabetes, your healthcare provider may recommend getting tested every three months moving forward. This allows them to monitor how well your treatment plan is controlling your blood sugar.

Lifestyle Changes 

For some people, especially those with prediabetes or early type 2 diabetes, lifestyle changes can be enough to bring blood sugar back into a healthy range without introducing medications. These changes include actions such as:

  • Focus on a nutrient-dense diet. This is a diet that is rich in vegetables, lean proteins, and whole grains while limiting saturated fats, processed foods, and added sugars.
  • Aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate aerobic physical activity per week. This includes activities like brisk walking or swimming, plus two strength training workouts.
  • Lose weight. If you are overweight, losing 5%–7% of your body weight can improve your blood sugar control.

However, type 2 diabetes is a progressive disease, and lifestyle changes alone may not be enough. In these cases, your healthcare provider may recommend prescription medications in addition to lifestyle changes to control your blood sugar.

Prescription Treatment

There are several types of diabetes medications, including:

  • Metformin: This oral medication lowers blood glucose by decreasing the amount of sugar produced by the liver and making your body more sensitive to insulin.
  • DPP-4 Inhibitors: These oral medications prevent the breakdown of hormones that naturally help lower blood sugar. Examples include alogliptin, linagliptin, saxagliptin, and sitagliptin. 
  • GLP-1s: These oral and injectable medications help your body release more insulin, limit glucagon production and slow digestion. Together, these effects balance blood sugar levels and promote weight loss. Examples include semaglutide, liraglutide, and dulaglutide. Another option is tirzepatide, which is a dual GLP-1/GIP receptor agonist.
  • SGLT2 Inhibitors: These oral medications work in the kidneys to prevent glucose from being reabsorbed into the blood, so the excess sugar gets eliminated through your urine instead. Examples include bexagliflozin, canagliflozin, dapagliflozin, empagliflozin, and ertugliflozin.
  • Insulin: Your pancreas makes this hormone, which is responsible for moving sugar into the cells for energy. People with type 1 diabetes must take insulin to survive, and many with type 2 diabetes eventually need to take insulin as well.

While these medications work differently to lower blood sugar levels, they are always most effective when paired with healthy lifestyle changes such as diet and exercise.

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Getting Diabetes Medication Support Without the Hassle

Managing diabetes requires consistent treatment. If you have to wait weeks for an appointment just to get a medication refill, that can seriously disrupt your care, especially since diabetes medications should not be stopped suddenly. Fortunately, you can order refills online with prescription delivery services like TelyRx. These digital pharmacy platforms allow you to get FDA-approved affordable diabetes medications delivered directly to your door. 

When choosing a digital pharmacy platform, it’s worth doing due diligence to make sure the one you’re considering is legitimate. To protect both your health and your wallet, it’s good to know how to spot online pharmacy scams. Always look for a platform that:

  • Is LegitScript certified. TelyRx proudly holds certification.
  • Uses U.S.-licensed medical providers and pharmacists. TelyRx has in-house pharmacists in our two pharmacy locations in Clearwater, Florida and Irving, Texas. We also only work with independent providers licensed in the U.S.
  • Sources FDA-approved medications from U.S.-based wholesalers. TelyRx only stocks medications from trusted U.S.-based manufacturers and wholesalers who meet our high quality standards.

At TelyRx, our catalog of diabetes treatments meets all of these rigorous safety standards, so you can get the care you need without the waiting room hassle.

Your Next Steps

Uncontrolled diabetes can cause significant complications, affecting everything from your heart and kidneys to your vision and sexual health. But, many complications of diabetes can be prevented with healthy blood sugar management.

Work with your healthcare provider to find the right balance of diabetes medications, diet, and lifestyle changes to keep your blood sugar levels within a healthy range. With the right treatment, you can control your diabetes — instead of having your diabetes control you.

Research & References

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Armstrong, D. G., Fisher, T. K., Lepow, B., White, M. L., & Mills, J. L. (2011). Pathophysiology and principles of Management of the Diabetic foot. Mechanisms of Vascular Disease – NCBI Bookshelf. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK534268/ 

Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC). (2024). Diabetes Testing. https://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/diabetes-testing/index.html

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Farmaki, P., Damaskos, C., Garmpis, N., Garmpi, A., Savvanis, S., & Diamantis, E. (2021). Complications of the type 2 diabetes mellitus. Current Cardiology Reviews, 16(4), 249–251. https://doi.org/10.2174/1573403×1604201229115531

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Marathe, C. S., Rayner, C. K., Wu, T., Jones, K. L., & Horowitz, M. (2024). Gastrointestinal disorders in diabetes. Endotext – NCBI Bookshelf. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK553219/ 

MedlinePlus. (2024). Diabetic Eye Problems. https://medlineplus.gov/diabeticeyeproblems.html 

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National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK). (2024). Diabetes Statistics. https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/health-statistics/diabetes-statistics

National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK). (2018). What is Diabetic Neuropathy?. https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/diabetes/overview/preventing-problems/nerve-damage-diabetic-neuropathies/what-is-diabetic-neuropathy

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