Tag: Diabetes 1

Diabetes Mellitus

Diabetes Mellitus is considered a cover all word for the health condition regarding how the body uses glucose, or sugar. Glucose is converted from the foods that you eat and every cell in your body needs it to function.

If the pancreas cannot produce enough insulin, or has shut down all together and does not produce any, to help the sugar reach the cells and the sugar builds up in you blood stream you probably have diabetes mellitus.

Insulin is the hormone produced by your pancreas to help metabolize the food you eat and give your body the energy it needs.

There are three types of diabetes:

1. Type I diabetes is the type where the pancreas no longer produces insulin and you need to give yourself insulin shots everyday in order to survive. Type I diabetes is an autoimmune disorder which means that your body is working against itself. five to ten percent of those with diabetes have Type I.

2. Type II diabetes is the type where the pancreas is producing less insulin than needed or the cells in your body have become resistant to the insulin that is produced and is the most common form of diabetes. Ninety to ninety-five percent of those with diabetes have Type II.

3. Gestational diabetes happens during pregnancy and most of the time goes away after the baby is born. Sometimes, though, it can be a precursor to getting diabetes later in life.

Basic symptoms of diabetes include excessive thirst and increased urination. You may notice that cuts and bruises heal slower than you would expect. Unexplained weight loss, constant hunger, fatigue and irritability round out the symptoms for Type I diabetes.

Symptoms for Type II diabetes can include all of the above plus an increased susceptibility to infection, blurred vision, and tingling in the hands or feet.

Gestational diabetes will usually not show any symptoms except increased urination and thirst.

Blood tests can tell your doctor whether or not you have developed diabetes. Simple tests like the finger prick and another test called A1c will give your doctor the information he needs to diagnose you. Gestational diabetes is diagnosed using an oral glucose tolerance test that measures plasma glucose values. Your doctor will want to pay close attention to your condition as your pregnancy progresses.

We have discussed the fact that the reason someone develops diabetes is that the pancreas either does not work properly or does not work at all but what are the reason behind the pancreas malfunctioning in the first place? There are several factors that may contribute to the development of diabetes and they are:

Genetics – It is well believed in the medical community that genetics play a large role in someone developing diabetes. If you have even one relative who has diabetes you are at a higher risk to develop it yourself.

Weight – If you eat a high-fat, high-carb diets, do not get a lot of exercise and have gained quite a bit of weight over the years, you may be at a higher risk as well.

Environment – I do not know specifics but some viral infections can cause you to develop diabetes mellitus. If this concerns you then speak with your doctor about any recent viral infections you have had.

Medications And Treatments For Diabetes

What is sad about people who are suffering from diabetes is that many of them remain undiagnosed mainly because of lack of knowledge on the disease and lack of resources to even visit a doctor and know their real condition. In fact, more often than not, diabetics or the people who are suffering from diabetes only know about their condition once their bodies exhibit signs and symptoms that can no longer be ignored. These include extreme blurring of vision, excruciating pains especially in the legs, and cuts or sores that takes time to heal and worse, wounds that dont heal at all and needs to cut to avoid other affected cells from spreading to other parts of the body.

Treatment and medical options

Since diabetes is a chronic disease, people who are suffering from it should be more vigilant about their health more than ever. It means that they should visit their doctors more often, maintain a healthy lifestyle and take the necessary medications or undergo needed treatments for them to stay healthy.

Before taking in any medication or undergoing a specific treatment, it is a must that person knows what type of diabetes he or she is suffering from. Basically, there are three types of diabetes: type 1 diabetes wherein the persons body doesnt have the capability to produce insulin, which is crucial for sugar to turn the food into energy; the type 2 diabetesthe most common typerestricts the persons pancreas to produce enough supply insulin for the body to use well; and the gestational diabetes which occurs among pregnant women and can lead to type 2 diabetes eventually if not monitored immediately.

Experts say that people with diabetes should aim for healthy diet and getting regular exercise to control the illness. At times, there will be the need to take in some medications or undergo treatments. The following are just some of the common medications advised for people with diabetes:

1. Insulin shots. Since insufficient insulin levels in the body cause diabetes, insulin itself can solve the problem. For diabetics, insulin is very important because it lowers the blood sugar in the body by moving the sugar from the persons blood into the cells. Insulin should be taken at least two times daily to ensure that there will be stable blood sugar control. It should be taken at least 30 minutes before each meal or should be taken before one eats especially if she or he takes a fast effecting type.

2. Oral medications. People with type 1 diabetes are not advised to use oral medications since insulin shots are injected in their bodies 24/7 in order to survive. Oral medications work best to people with type 2 diabetesespecially those who have high blood sugarbecause these can serve as a supplement for them. The most common oral medications include sulfonylureas which forces the pancreas to produce more insulin to lower the blood sugar levels; siguanides which helps achieve lower blood sugar by stopping the liver in producing too much sugar; metformin which helps the person lose weight which is the common cause of diabetes; thiazolidinediones which helps the cells develop higher sensitivity to insulin which moves the glucose from the blood; and meglitinides which is responsible for helping the pancreas produce more insulin immediately after each meal to effectively lower blood sugar levels.