There are so many things to be concerned about when self-managing your diabetes. Bacteria are another one to add to the list. There are several infections that are common in people with diabetes. Bacteria are responsible, along with viruses, for infections that often result in serious complications for the diabetic. These infections may be little more than an annoyance for the non-diabetic.

Diabetes weakens the immune system and makes the body more prone to infections and illnesses. When blood sugar is not controlled in a person with diabetes, bacteria has an ideal breeding ground, making treatment of any bacterial infection more expensive and more difficult to get under control.

 

What are the most Common Bacterial Infections Diabetes Causes?

 

This list is not meant to be inclusive, or even to include the most serious infections seen with diabetes. Bacteria causes much more serious infections than these, but not as commonly. The most common bacterial infections seen are usually:

  • Boils – also known as furuncles, boils are characterized by local inflammation around hair follicles. There is typically a pus sac that is warm and tender to the touch. Boils allowed to get severe can cause fever and lymph node swelling. They can also become very painful
  • Stye – an infection in the eyelid glands. These are usually easy to feel and see coming on before becoming severe because the eyelid will become red and swollen. It will be itchy, and difficult to leave alone. Left untreated, they are quite unsightly and painful.

 

There are many more infections but these are the most common for people with diabetes. Bacteria thrive in blood with high sugar levels, so the best way to avoid them is to control the blood glucose level meticulously. If you do get any type of infection at all, treat it immediately, and seek medical attention if it gets worse. Some infections not listed above are responsible for many amputations in diabetics annually.

 

When can Bacteria be a Good Thing for a Diabetic?

 

There are some studies that show some bacteria is actually diabetic-friendly. Scientists in the UK found that some bacteria in the stomach seem to stop diabetes from developing. Scientists at the University of Chicago and Yale published some of their findings in “Nature” relating to type 1 diabetes. Bacteria were completely removed from the stomachs of laboratory mice that were pre-disposed to diabetes development. Raised in a germ-free environment, 80 percent of these mice went on to develop severe diabetes. But of the same pre-disposed mice with the bacterial flora normally found in their stomach only left intact, only 33 percent of them developed type 1 diabetes. Bacteria of this harmless type seemed to prevent the onset of diabetes. The goal is to separate out and identify exactly which of these “friendly” bacteria might be responsible.

The hope is to be able to come up with a pill, food supplement, or even a pro-biotic yogurt that could be given to help prevent diabetes in high-risk people.

Until that happens, the often repeated advice of weight control, exercise, and good nutrition is the best defense for preventing the onset of diabetes.