Persistently high glucose can damage blood vessels and nerves, so diabetes is more than a number on a glucose test. Damage to small retinal vessels may affect vision; injury to the kidney’s filtration system can cause albumin in the urine and declining kidney function; peripheral nerve damage may produce numbness, tingling, burning pain or reduced sensation.
Early complications may be silent. Scheduled retinal screening, kidney-function and urine-albumin tests, and checks of foot skin, wounds, pulses and sensation are therefore important. Managing glucose, blood pressure and cholesterol, avoiding tobacco and taking prescribed medicines generally offers more protection than waiting for symptoms.
TCM may be considered as supportive care for pain, sleep, digestion or general wellbeing, but it cannot reverse advanced retinal, kidney or nerve damage and should not replace glucose-lowering treatment or complication screening. Sudden visual loss, an infected foot wound or ulcer, marked swelling or severe symptoms of low blood glucose requires prompt medical attention.
Daily foot care includes checking the skin, between the toes and inside shoes for blisters, breaks or foreign objects, and avoiding walking barefoot. Reduced sensation may hide pain, so any wound that does not heal, or becomes red, hot or discharging, deserves early professional assessment.
