Potential Complications for Women with Diabetes

If you are a woman with diabetes, it is essential that you see your doctor regularly and 
follow all recommendations to help manage the disease. You also need to be aware of 
the potential complications, which are much more common if you don’t follow your 
doctor’s orders. Here are some complications to be aware of.

PCOS and Weight-Related Conditions

This is a complication for women who have diabetes, as these other conditions are 
closely related and sometimes even risk factors. If you have gotten type 2 diabetes from 
your diet or lifestyle, as well as obesity, it might also lead to things like PCOS. This 
condition can affect your ovaries, period, and the ability to become pregnant. You are 
also at a higher risk for conditions like coronary heart disease and high blood pressure, 
as well as an eating disorder from dealing with the dietary changes.

Eye Diseases

Damage to your eyes and vision is a considerably risk and potential complication when 
you have diabetes. Unfortunately, this is one of the more common complications that 
can occur, but you can prevent it by monitoring your blood sugar closely and following 
all of your doctor’s treatment plans. The main eye condition to be concerned about is 
called diabetic retinopathy, which can ultimately lead to blindness. You also have a 
higher risk for cataracts and other eye-related diseases.

Nerve and Foot Complications

Both nerve and foot damage are persistent complications of people with diabetes. When 
you think of someone with diabetes, you might think of someone who has lost their foot 
or both feet. This is a more severe complication, but one that is a risk with people who 
don’t manage their diabetes like they should. You may also get nerve damage in the 
form of losing feeling in one of your limbs or getting neuropathy, which is numbness in 
your feet. This can severely affect your quality of life and even cause pain.

Gestational Diabetes

Gestational diabetes is a complication related to women only. It is actually a unique 
form of diabetes you can get if you are pregnant. You might have a higher risk of 
diabetes, eat an unhealthy diet, or have a family history of diabetes as risk factors. 
Make sure you monitor your diabetes closely while pregnant to protect your baby and 
yourself from the other diabetes-related complications. 

