DIABETES MELLITUS

DIABETES-Diabetes mellitus Diabetes is a disease that results from blood glucose, or blood sugar levels being too high over a long period of time. Glucose comes from the foods you eat.Insulin is a hormone that controls the uptake of glucose from the blood into the cells of the body, such as the liver, muscle, and adipose tissue. Therefore, deficiency of insulin plays a major role in all forms of diabetes mellitus. SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS The symptoms of untreated diabetes are weight loss, increased urination, increased thirst, and increased hunger. Symptoms may develop very fast (weeks or months) in type 1 diabetes, or may develop much more slowly and may be subtle or absent in type 2 diabetes. Other signs and symptoms that show the onset of diabetes, although not specific to the disease include blurred vision, headache, fatigue, slow healing of cuts, and itchy skin. Prolonged high blood glucose can cause glucose absorption in the lens of the eye, which leads to changes in its shape, resulting in vision changes. A number of skin rashes can also occur. There may be complications in diabetes. All forms of diabetes increase the risk of long-term complications. These typically develop after about 10 to 20 years, but may be the first symptom in those who have otherwise not received a diagnosis before that time. The major long-term complications relate to damage to blood vessels. Diabetes doubles the risk of cardiovascular disease and about 75% of deaths in diabetics are due to coronary artery disease. Other diseases are stroke, and peripheral vascular disease. The primary complications of diabetes due to damage in small blood vessels include damage to the eyes, kidneys, and nerves. Damage to the eyes is caused by damage to the blood vessels in the retina of the eye, and can result in gradual vision loss and blindness. Damage to the kidneys can lead to tissue scarring, urine protein loss, and eventually chronic kidney disease, sometimes requiring dialysis or kidney transplant. Damage to the nerves of the body is the most common complication of diabetes. The symptoms can include numbness, tingling, pain, and altered pain sensation, which can lead to damage to the skin. Diabetes-related foot problems may occur, and can be difficult to treat, occasionally requiring amputation. Additionally, proximal diabetic neuropathy causes painful muscle wasting and weakness. TYPES Diabetes mellitus is divided into four broad categories: type 1, type 2, gestational diabetes, and "other specific types" which include prediabetes, congenital diabetes, etc. Type 1 diabetes Type 1 diabetes is characterized by inability of the body to produce insulin, leading to insulin deficiency. That is, your body is unable to produce insulin. It can affect children or adults, but was traditionally termed "juvenile diabetes" because a majority of these diabetes cases were in children and it is partly inherited. Type 2 diabetes Type 2 diabetes is characterized by insulin resistance, which may be combined with relatively reduced insulin secretion. With type 2 diabetes, the more common type,the body does not make or use insulin well. Type 2 diabetes is due primarily to lifestyle factors and genetics. A number of lifestyle factors are known to be important to the development of type 2 diabetes, including obesity, lack of physical activity, poor diet, stress, and urbanization. Dietary factors also influence the risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Consumption of sugar-sweetened drinks in excess is associated with an increased risk. The type of fats in the diet is also important, with saturated fats and trans fatty acids increasing the risk and polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fat decreasing the risk. Eating lots of white rice appears to also play a role in increasing risk. A lack of exercise is believed to cause 7% of cases. Gestational diabetes Gestational diabetes is more or less like type 2 diabetes in several ways involving a combination of relatively inadequate insulin secretion and responsiveness. It occurs in about 2–10% of all pregnancies and may improve or disappear after delivery. This implies that pregnant women do have diabetes and if left untreated, gestational diabetes can damage the health of the feotus or mother Prediabetes Prediabetes indicates a condition that occurs when a person's blood glucose levels are higher than normal but not high enough to be diagnosed as type 2 diabetes. Many people destined to develop type 2 spend many years in a state of prediabetes, meaning that prediabetes predisposes a person to type 2 diabetes. Other forms of diabetes include congenital diabetes, which is due to genetic defects of insulin secretion. Over time, having too much glucose in your blood can cause serious problems. It can damage the eyes, kidneys, and nerves. Diabetes can also cause heart disease, stroke and even the need to remove a limb. A blood test can show if one has diabetes. Exercise, weight control and sticking to your a good diet plan can help control diabetes. One should also monitor his/her glucose level and take medicine if prescribed.