Diabetes: Symptoms, Diagnose, Treatment and Prevention

 

Describe diabetes:

Diabetes refers to a collection of diseases in which the body either cannot create enough or any insulin, cannot utilize the insulin that is produced properly, or cannot do either of these things simultaneously.

The body is unable to transport sugar from the blood into your cells when any of these things take place. Blood sugar levels may rise as a result of this.

One of your main energy sources is glucose, a type of sugar found in your blood. Sugar builds up in your blood as
a result of insulin deficiency or insulin resistance. Health issues may result from this.

Types of diabetes:

Diabetes mellitus, also referred to as diabetes, is a metabolic condition that raises blood sugar levels. Insulin is a hormone that transports sugar from the blood into your cells where it can be stored or utilized as fuel. When you have diabetes, your body can't use the insulin it does make or doesn't produce enough of it.

Diabetes-related high blood sugar left untreated can harm your kidneys, nerves, eyes, and other organs.

There are several varieties of diabetes:

Diabetes type 1 is an autoimmune condition. The immune system targets and kills insulin-producing cells in the pancreas. Uncertainty surrounds the attack's origin. This kind is seen in about 10% of diabetic patients.

When your body grows resistant to insulin, type 2 diabetes develops.

There are three primary forms of diabetes:

1-Diabetes type 1

2-Diabetes type 2

2-Gestational diabetes

1-Diabetes type 1:

It is thought that type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disorder. This implies that your immune system accidentally targets and kills the beta cells in your pancreas that are responsible for producing insulin. The harm is irreparable.

The cause of the attacks remains unclear. Both hereditary and environmental factors may play a role. It is thought that lifestyle factors are not significant.

2-Diabetes type 2:

The first stage of type 2 diabetes is insulin resistance. This means that because your body does not utilize insulin effectively, your pancreas produces more insulin until it is unable to meet the demand. The subsequent decrease in insulin synthesis results in elevated blood sugar.

The exact cause of type 2 diabetes is unknown .contributing factors may include:

• Genetics
• A more sedentary way of living
• Large size of or obesity
• Other health and environmental factor could also play a role

3-Gestational diabetics:

The pregnancy-related production of insulin-blocking substances results in gestational diabetes.

Pregnancy is the only time this form of diabetes occurs. People with previous prediabetes and a family history of diabetes are more likely to experience it.

Approximately half of women with gestational diabetes go on to acquire type 2 diabetes Trusted Source.

What signs are present?

Uncontrolled diabetes generally causes the following symptoms:

• Extreme hunger and thirst
• Excessive urination
• Sluggishness or exhaustion
• Itching, dry skin
• Hazy vision
• Slow wounds to heal

The skin folds in your armpits and neck may develop discolored patches as a result of type 2 diabetes. You might experience additional symptoms, such as pain or numbness in your feet, around the time of diagnosis because type 2 diabetes typically takes longer to diagnose.

Weight loss and a condition known as diabetic ketoacidosis are two signs of type 1 diabetes, which frequently progresses more swiftly. When your blood sugar is extremely high but your body has little to no insulin, diabetic ketoacidosis can happen.

How are various forms of diabetes managed?

Whatever form of diabetes you have, managing it will require constant collaboration with your doctor.

Maintaining blood glucose levels within your target range is the main objective. Your desired range will be specified by your doctor. The type of diabetes, age, and presence of commodities all affect the targets.

Your blood sugar goals will be lower if you have gestational diabetes than if you have another form of diabetes.

Getting exercise is crucial for managing diabetes. Find out from your doctor how many minutes a week you should spend exercising aerobically. Nutrition is also crucial.

You must also keep an eye on your cholesterol and blood pressure.

Diabetes diagnose:

Anyone who is showing signs of diabetes or is at risk for the condition ought to be examined. In the second or third trimester of pregnancy, women have frequent gestational diabetes screenings.

These blood tests are used by doctors to identify diabetes and prediabetes:

Having fasted for eight hours, the fasting plasma glucose (FPG) test analyses your blood sugar level.

An overview of your blood sugar levels over the last three months is given by the A1C test.

Your doctor will check your blood sugar levels between the 24th and 28th weeks of your pregnancy to determine if you have gestational diabetes.

Your blood sugar is measured during the glucose challenge test an hour after you consume a sweet beverage.

Your blood sugar is examined after the first hour of the three-hour glucose tolerance test.

Diabetes causes:

Each form of diabetes has a unique set of reasons.

Diabetes type 1:

Type 1 diabetes has an unknown specific cause, according to doctors. The immune system wrongly targets and kills insulin-producing beta cells in the pancreas for some unknown cause.

Some people may be affected by their genes. Another possibility is that a pathogen triggers the immune system's onslaught.

Diabetes type 2

The cause of type 2 diabetes is a result of both hereditary and environmental factors. Your risk is further increased if you are overweight or obese. The effects of insulin on your blood sugar are resisted by your cells more when you are overweight, especially in the abdomen.

Families are prone to this condition. Family members have genes that increase their risk of type 2 diabetes and obesity.

Treatment of diabetes:

Treatment of type 1:

Since pancreatic damage from type 1 diabetes is irreversible, all patients with the condition must take insulin to survive. Different insulin kinds are available, each with a unique onset, peak, and duration.

The skin-level injection of insulin occurs. Your doctor will demonstrate how to rotate injection sites and inject safely. A device worn outside of your body called an insulin pump, which can be programmed to release a specific dose, is another option.

These days, you can get continuous blood glucose monitors that continuously check your blood sugar.

You must keep an eye on your blood sugar levels all day long. You might also need to take medicine to control your cholesterol, high blood pressure, or other issues, as appropriate.

Treatment of type 2:

With proper nutrition and exercise, type 2 diabetes can be controlled and occasionally even reversed. In order to assist control blood sugar, it can also be treated with a range of drugs.

Metformin is usually the first-line drug (Glumetza, Glucophage, Fortamet, Riomet). This medication works by lowering the liver's ability to produce glucose. If metformin is ineffective, your doctor may recommend another drug.

You'll need to keep an eye on your blood sugar levels constantly. Additionally, you might require medicine to control your cholesterol and blood pressure.

Prevention:

Type 1 diabetes has no known preventative measures.

Your risk of type 2 diabetes can be decreased if you:

• Maintain healthy weight and prioritize a nutrient-rich diet.
• Regular exercise.
• Refrain against smoking, having high triglyceride levels, and having low HDL cholesterol.
• These behaviors can postpone or stop the establishment of type 2 diabetes if you already have prediabetes or gestational diabetes.

Outlook:

Type 1 diabetes does not have a treatment. Disease management must be ongoing. But with regular monitoring and commitment to the prescribed course of action, you might be able to prevent more severe disease-related consequences.

Type 2 diabetes is frequently successfully treated or even reversible if you work closely with your doctor and adopt a healthy lifestyle.

If you are pregnant, gestational diabetes will probably go away after.