By Dr Satish Kumar

You check your blood sugar regularly. You take your medicines. Your readings look better, and you feel well. So when someone suggests an eye examination, a urine test or a foot check, you wonder: “Why? I don’t have any problem.”

Here is something every person living with diabetes should know: normal-looking sugar readings and feeling well do not always mean your eyes, kidneys and feet are safe.

Diabetes-related complications can develop quietly. High blood sugar over time can damage small blood vessels and nerves. The early stages may not cause pain, blurred vision or any obvious warning. That is why regular complication screening is not an optional extra. It is part of diabetes care.

And your family physician can be the person who helps keep these checks on track.

1. Your eyes: Don’t wait for blurred vision

Diabetes can damage the tiny blood vessels at the back of the eye, causing diabetic retinopathy. It may not affect your vision in the early stages. People with type 2 diabetes should have a comprehensive eye examination when diabetes is diagnosed. Follow-up frequency depends on the findings; some people need yearly checks, while longer intervals may be suitable for those with normal examinations and good control. An eye specialist should guide this schedule.

2. Your kidneys: A simple urine test can reveal an early warning

Diabetes can damage the kidneys without causing pain or obvious changes in urination. Two important checks are a blood test to estimate kidney function and a urine albumin-to-creatinine ratio, which looks for small amounts of protein leaking into the urine. For people with type 2 diabetes, these checks are generally recommended at least once a year, from diagnosis.

3. Your feet: A small wound can become a big problem

Nerve damage can reduce sensation, so you may not notice a blister, cut or injury. Reduced blood flow can also slow healing. A foot examination should include checking the skin, shape, circulation and sensation. People with diabetes should have a comprehensive foot assessment at least annually, and those at higher risk may need checks more often.

Make it a habit to look at your feet every day. Report a wound, swelling, redness, colour change or infection promptly. Never try to treat a persistent foot wound with home remedies alone.

4. Your heart and blood vessels: Check more than glucose

Diabetes raises the risk of heart and blood-vessel disease. Blood pressure, cholesterol, smoking, kidney health and family history all matter. Your doctor can assess your overall cardiovascular risk and decide whether further tests are needed. Not everyone needs the same heart tests every year.

What should you do at your next appointment?

Ask your family physician to review your eye examination, kidney tests, foot assessment, blood pressure, cholesterol and glucose-control plan. Keep a record of when each check was last done.

At Pacific OneHealth, family medicine and diabetology can help coordinate ongoing diabetes care and referrals to eye, kidney and cardiac specialists when needed. Dr Satish Kumar’s role is to help patients look beyond the sugar reading and keep the whole picture in view.

Diabetes care is not just about today’s number. It is about protecting your sight, your ability to walk comfortably and your long-term health. Don’t wait for a complication to announce itself.

(The author is Consultant — Family Physician & Diabetologist, Pacific OneHealth, Lajpat Nagar, New Delhi.)