Diabetes mellitus is a chronic disease in which patients present with absolute or relative insulin deficiency. It effects about 6% of western populations and is a major contributing factor for heart attacks, strokes, kidney failure and peripheral vascular disease. Diabetes mellitus is also the leading cause of new blindness.

1. Types of Diabetes

There are four forms of the disease, classified as: types 1 and 2, gestational and other specific types.

a. Type 1 Diabetes

In people with type 1 diabetes the pancreas is not producing insulin, so blood glucose levels are higher than normal. People with this form of diabetes require daily insulin therapy to survive. This form is further split into idiopathic diabetes and immune mediated diabetes.

Type 1 accounts for around 10% to 15% of all people with diabetes. It is one of the most serious and common chronic diseases of childhood, with about half of the people with this form of diabetes developing the disease before age 18. It is also known as insulin dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) or juvenile-onset diabetes.

b. Type 2 Diabetes

Type 2 diabetes is marked by reduced levels of insulin (insulin deficiency) and/or the inability of the body to use insulin properly (insulin resistance). This form of the disease is most common among people aged 40 years and over and accounts for 85% to 90% of all people with diabetes. Most people with type 2 diabetes are obese.

c. Gestational Diabetes

Gestational diabetes occurs during pregnancy in about 3% to 8% of females not previously diagnosed with diabetes. It is a temporary form of diabetes and usually disappears after the baby is born. However, it is a marker of much greater risk of developing Type 2 diabetes later in life. Screening tests for gestational diabetes are usually performed around the 24th-28th week of pregnancy.

d. Other Specific Diabetes Types

This includes people who have diabetes as a result of a genetic defect, or exposure to certain drugs or chemicals.

2. Causes of Diabetes Mellitus

Diabetes is caused by resistance to, or deficient production of, the hormone insulin, which helps glucose move from the blood into the cells.

In type 1 immune mediated diabetes, pancreatic beta cell destruction results in failure to release insulin and ineffective transport of glucose. There is no known cause for idiopathic diabetes.

In type 2 diabetes, the beta cells release insulin but, receptors are insulin resistant and glucose transport is variable and inefficient. Some people may have conditions that can cause diabetes, such as Cushing’s syndrome, pancreatitis or liver disease.

Risk factors for type 2 diabetes include;

a. Obesity

b. History of Gestational diabetes

c. Lack of physical activity

d. Hypertension

e. Age 45+

f. Ethnic groupings other than anglo-saxon

g. Low HDL cholesterol levels

h. Impaired glucose tolerance

i. Family history

3. Signs and Symptoms of Diabetes

Symptoms of diabetes include; dehydration, unexplained weight loss, excessive thirst, frequent need to urinate, fatigue, lethargy, severe irritation and itching, excessive hunger, blurred vision, skin and urinary infections and vaginitis.

4. Diagnosis

Diabetes or impaired glucose tolerance may be detected on routine blood tests as part of a general health check up or investigation for other symptoms or diseases. Diabetes tests check blood glucose levels.

Fasting blood glucose levels are classified as:

Normal: less than 100 mg/dl

Prediabetes: 100 to 125 mg/dl

Diabetes: greater than 125mg/dl

Because symptoms can be mild, diabetes is often detected when a person suffers a problem that is caused by diabetes, such as a heart attack, stroke, neuropathy, poor wound healing or a foot ulcer, certain eye problems, certain fungal infections, or delivering a baby with macrosomia or hypoglycemia.

5. Diabetes Treatment

Effective treatment endeavors to normalize blood glucose and reduce complications using insulin replacement, diet and exercise. For those with very mild diabetes, diet plus weight loss plus exercise may be enough to keep blood glucose within reasonable levels.

Dietary changes should focus on the ideas of weight loss and blood sugar regulation by keeping the blood sugar levels relatively stable throughout the day, avoiding big peaks or troughs.

The principal treatment of type 1 diabetes, even from its earliest stages, is replacement of insulin combined with careful monitoring of blood glucose levels using blood testing monitors.

Type 2 diabetes may require oral anti-diabetic drugs to stimulate body insulin production and increase insulin sensitivity. Various forms of natural supplements for diabetes treatment have also been postulated as effective.

People with unstable diabetes, or those requiring many injections a day, may benefit from an insulin pump which is worn on the body and delivers a continuous infusion of insulin via a needle implanted into the body.

Gestational diabetes is fully treatable but requires careful medical supervision throughout the pregnancy. Even though it may be transient, untreated gestational diabetes can damage the health of the fetus or the mother.

Treatment for all forms of diabetes need not significantly impair normal activities, if sufficient patient training, awareness, appropriate care, discipline in testing and dosing of insulin is taken

6. Complications

Diabetes mellitus is the most common cause of adult kidney failure worldwide in the developed world. If undetected or poorly controlled, diabetes can lead to blindness, kidney failure, lower limb amputation, heart attack, stroke and impotence.

Living with Diabetes is not easy because there are so many factors that have to be taken into consideration concerning your lifestyle. There are two types of diabetes simply labeled type 1 and Type 2 diabetes. Type 1 diabetes is normally diagnosed in children and young adults, while type 2 diabetes may develop over the years and strike when you are older. Diabetics suffering from type 1 diabetes will have to take regular insulin injections because their bodies are unable to produce the necessary insulin; while people suffering from type 2 can be treated with dietary modifications and anti diabetic tablets. In some cases insulin making cells in type 2 diabetes sufferers fail and as a result sufferers will also require starting of taking insulin injections. Type 2 diabetes is the most common type of diabetes suffered by millions all over the world.

 

Who has the most risk of contracting diabetes?

 

People that can contract diabetes more than others are old age people, the obese and very overweight, those with a family history of diabetes, sedentary people; and recently research has shown Asians and black skinned people have twice the risk of developing type 2 diabetes due to lifestyle factors. Unfortunately symptoms of type 2 diabetes develop gradually and can be unnoticeable until long after the onset of the disease. People with high glucose levels in their blood may even experience no symptoms at all.

 

Some Noticeable symptoms of diabetes requiring investigation.

 

If you suffer symptoms of fatigue, excessive thirst, unexplained weight loss or weight gain; wounds that are slow to heal, very dry skin, vision change, or tingling and numbness in your body, then it is vital to consult with your doctor because you may be suffering from diabetes. This disease can damage blood vessels, your kidneys, and heart arteries, and other complications in the body may arise; the result is that your life can be shortened by up to 10 years if you do not get proper treatment. Type 2 diabetes can also cause loss of healthy vision, impotence in men and even nerve damage. With all these scary factors it is certainly a sensible decision to get tested by a healthcare professional if you are suspicious of any changes in your body.

 

Treatments for Diabetes

 

Treating diabetes means keeping the level of sugars or glucose levels in your blood as normal as possible. Too high; a level of glucose in the bloods is known as hyperglycemia, and too low hypoglycemia. Keeping sugar levels normal can be done by eating correctly, regular exercise and taking medicines and insulin’s as your doctor has prescribed. People suffering from diabetes must get into a habit of checking blood glucose levels regularly. These checks can give you an indication of how certain foods, exercise and medicines are reacting in your body and helping control your type 2 diabetes. New technology equipment that is compact to carry with you has been designed for the purpose of doing these checks without any discomfort. Doctors’ visits will also give you an indication of how well your blood sugar is controlled over periods of time.

 

Diabetics need to be lifestyle conscious.

 

If you live properly taking care of what foods you eat, then it is relatively simple living a healthy balanced lifestyle. Some tips of controlling diabetes include:

 



A carefully balanced diet knowing which foods need to be avoided.

Your doctor will give you guidance on this suitable for your type of diabetes.

If you are obese or overweight then it is vital to shed those pounds as quickly as possible because dangers to your health increase exponentially.

Regular exercise helps controlling blood sugar while you are burning sugar for energy.

Diabetes sufferers that are sedentary may suffer heart attacks. If you have been sedentary for a long period take care to ask your doctor before taking on any exercise routines.

Taking prescribed medication.



 

 

If you need insulin injections, then you will need to learn the care for storage and injecting yourself from your health care provider or diabetes center.

Do as much research on the condition of diabetes how to care for yourself if you are a sufferer and what new medications are available on the market.

 

More Information on Diabetes Lifestyle Management Secrets

Diabetes is a disease caused by a failure of the biological mechanisms regulating blood sugar, because of inadequate production of insulin (hormone that is needed to convert sugar, starches and other food energy) by the pancreas. The disease is characterized by a significant increase in blood sugar. Three main types of diabetes are Type 1 diabetes, Type 2 diabetes and gestational diabetes

Type 1 diabetes is characterized by a loss of production of insulin by cells of the pancreas (beta cells or cells of Langerhans. The causes of this loss of insulin production are still unknown. Diabetes type 1 may have a impact on children or adults, but most times, it starts from a few months of life and about 35 years. The body of a diabetic patient rejects, the formation of antibodies, cells that are capable to produce insulin. The symptoms are discomfort and frequent urination, which can lead to dehydration and weight loss. Type 1 diabetes accounts for 10% of patients with diabetes.

Type 2 diabetes or diabetes mellitus type 2 is a form of diabetes characterized by high levels of sugar in the blood. This type of diabetes results from a lack of insulin secretion and its ineffectiveness in maintaining blood sugar within a normal level. In type 2 diabetes may be caused by genetic factors or unhealthy lifestyle, lack of exercise, obesity, alcohol abuse and high-fat. However, the causes of diabetes in the vast majority of cases have not yet logical explanation.

Gestational Diabetes is a type of diabetes that occurs in pregnant women. No cause has been identified, but it is thought that during pregnancy, the body of the mother produces hormones to support the fetus as it develops. In some women, these hormones directed against their bodies, making them less able to make insulin needed to get energy from body cells.

Without this insulin, the level of sugar in the mother’s blood starts to develop, which can harm the mother and fetus, if left untreated. Gestational diabetes occurs in about 7 percent of all pregnancies. Unlike type 1 and type 2 diabetes, gestational diabetes is often treated.

Some general signs of type 1 diabetes, type 2 diabetes and gestational diabetes

The symptoms of diabetes May occur in several ways: fatigue, difficulty concentrating, blurred vision, intense thirst, frequent urination, insatiable hunger, weight loss, muscle weakness. Some or all of these symptoms are present in patients with diabetes early in the disease. However, some diabetics have few symptoms. The disease is then detected in a sample of blood.

Diabetes natural remedies

Natural Remedies have been used in traditional medicine for thousands of years to support the health of the pancreas, the endocrine system and all its functions. In more recent times, research has confirmed the importance of natural medicines in the treatment of diabetes. There are now many published clinical studies demonstrating the ability of a range of herbs to support the endocrine system and pancreatic health and maintaining normal blood sugar.