Monday, April 14, 2008

Diabetes Mellitus

Diabetes Mellitus is also simply known as diabetes. It is the disease characterized by a malfunctioning metabolism and a high blood sugar level.

The result can be low levels of insulin or abnormal insulin resistance. This mixed with inadequate levels of insulin secretion results in diabetes.

Symptoms of diabetes mellitus include increased urine production, excessive thirst, extreme fatigue, and excessive thirst and weight loss. These symptoms though may not be present in those people with only mildly elevated sugar levels.

Diabetes mellitus includes type 1, type 2 and gestational diabetes, which occur only during pregnancy. Each type has a different cause and different severity of symptoms.

But all forms of diabetes are dangerous if not treated. With proper management though, people with diabetes can live a long, healthy, normal life.

The main cause of type 1 diabetes mellitus is the loss of insulin producing cells in the pancreas. This ultimately leads to an insulin deficiency.

Type 1 diabetes mellitus is typically found in children and young adults. It is also termed juvenile diabetes. The common treatment for type 1 diabetes mellitus is daily insulin injections to replace the insulin the body is not producing properly, along with careful blood glucose monitoring.

Without careful monitoring and treatment, complications from diabetes could include loss of limps such as arms, legs and feet, blindness and diabetic comas, which can be fatal.

It is extremely important that if you suspect you or your child to have symptoms of diabetes, that you visit your doctor to be tested. If the tests are positive it is not the end of the world. With careful monitoring and care, type 1 diabetics can live long healthy lives.


(Note: This article is the opinion of the author and may or may not be substantiated by scientific fact.)

Diabetes Epidemic

With obesity levels being at an all time high, the epidemic of type-2 diabetes is growing at an alarming rate, and will only get worse.

Between 2001 and 2002, the diagnosis of diabetes went from 5.5 percent of Americans to an alarming 6.5 percent. In just one year!

Overall, twelve million Americans have been diagnosed and another 5 million Americans have diabetes and do not know it. And yet another 12 millions are on their way to type-2 diabetes because of impaired glucose levels.

Not knowing is the worst because risks of untreated diabetes puts us at a terrible risk of complications including but not limited to blindness, amputations and ultimately death.

The stickler is, that type 2 diabetes is almost completely preventable. Doctor’s say eat less, eat better and exercise. The numbers show just how many Americans are currently overweight.

Statistically, people are now living longer, and it has been on the rise for years. But this will not continue if type-2 diabetes is not put under control.

We are a gluttonous society and ultimately it is affecting how we live and how long we live.

And unfortunately, the diabetes epidemic is not just a US problem. It is spreading worldwide with epidemic reports in Asia, the Middle East and the Caribbean.

It is estimated that by 2025, the number of diabetics worldwide will rise to 380 million. And diabetes is now affecting more of the young and middle-aged population in developing countries between the ages of 40 and 59.


(Note: This article is the opinion of the author and may or may not be substantiated by scientific fact.)

Diabetes

Diabetes is a growing problem in this country. With our population at an all time high in weight gain and a low in health care, the problem is only growing.

Diabetes is a disease of the metabolism. Our metabolism is what the way our bodies use digested food for energy and growth.

Most food that is processed through our bodies is broken down by digestive juices into a sugar called glucose. Glucose is the fuel our bodies run on.

When we eat, and our food is processed, the pancreas is supposed to produce the right amount of glucose from our blood automatically and release the right amount of insulin into our blood.

In people with diabetes, little to no insulin is produced or the body’s cells don’t respond correctly to the insulin that is produced. Therefore the glucose builds up and overflows into the urine and passes out of the body.

This is how the body loses its main source of fuel even though the bloodstream contains good amounts of the natural glucose.

There are three types of diabetes, type 1, type 2 and gestational diabetes. People who have type 1 are known as insulin-dependent.

This is an autoimmune disease where the body’s natural system is fighting against another part of the body. In the case of type 1 diabetes, the system attacks the insulin producing cells and destroys them.

Therefore the pancreas can produce little to no insulin. These people are in need of daily injections of insulin to live. Five to ten percent of diabetes cases are type 1 in the US.


Diabetes Symptoms

All too often we get sick but ignore the symptoms we may be feeling, shrugging them off to a cold, stress from work, or just not feeling well.

There are certain symptoms that should not be ignored if they develop. These symptoms could lead to blindness, amputation of limbs, coma or even death.

Symptoms of type 1 diabetes often come on suddenly and are severely dramatic. The extra stress of diabetes can lead to something called diabetic ketoacidosis.

Symptoms of ketoacidosis may include nausea and vomiting, which may also lead to dehydration and serious problems with the blood levels of potassium. This could lead to a diabetic coma and ultimately death.

Other symptoms of diabetes may include extreme fatigue. We all get tired at times, but diabetes triggers a more severe fatigue than normal.

People with diabetes also experience unexplained weight loss. This is because they are unable to process many of the calories they consume. Losing sugar and water in the urine also contributes to the weight loss.

Extreme thirst is another symptom of diabetes. Diabetes develops high blood sugar levels and the body tries to compensate by diluting the blood, which translates to our brain that we are thirsty.

With this is also excessive urination. It is another way our bodies have of getting rid of the extra sugar in our system. But this can also lead to dehydration.

One of the hardest symptoms to deal with is poor wound healing. Wounds heal slowly, if at all when the carrier has diabetes. This along with infections that aren't easily remedied can attribute to ulcers and loss of limbs.



(Note: This article is the opinion of the author and may or may not be substantiated by scientific fact.)
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