If you’ve recently been diagnosed with diabetes, you may be concerned about your risk of circulatory problems, especially after hearing that diabetics can have an amputation rate nearly 8 times that of non-diabetics. Fortunately, although diabetes can make maintaining your circulatory system more crucial (and more challenging), a healthy circulatory system can be well within your grasp. Read on to learn more about how diabetes affects the circulatory system and what you can do to avoid long-term physical damage.

What causes diabetes to impede circulation?

Many of the complications of diabetes — slow-healing wounds, cold limbs, or vision problems — can be the result of decreased circulation. As your body’s blood sugar creeps up past the recommended level, it damages the tiny capillaries (often just a single cell wide) that carry blood to the outer reaches of your body.

Over time, this capillary damage can spread to larger parts of your body, preventing blood from flowing to them — the eyes and lower extremities are especially vulnerable to circulation loss because of the sheer number of capillaries present. Without the oxygen and other essential nutrients provided by your red blood cells, your body is unable to repair cellular damage.

What can you do to prevent permanent circulatory damage?

• Carefully monitor your blood sugar

Refusing to make the necessary changes to decrease your blood sugar without medication (or refusing to take medication) can be a dangerous mistake — the longer your blood sugar stays elevated, the more permanent damage takes place. Controlling your blood sugar from the earliest stages of your illness is your best bet when it comes to minimizing capillary damage.

• Keep an eye on your feet (and vision)

Your lower extremities are especially vulnerable to injuries that can cause ulceration, so it’s important to stay on top of any wounds or skin problems to avoid infection. By that same token, regular eye exams can help you pinpoint problems early and preserve your vision.