Diabetes is a metabolic disorder, wherein the body is unable to convert food into glucose that provides the body its energy. Body cells convert food into glucose with the help of a hormone called insulin. This insulin is produced in islets of Langerhans, which is an endocrine organ. This organ is lodged in pancreas. Sometimes, it is the fault of these organs, and sometimes it is the cells that play truant by becoming insulin resistant. This insulin related diabetes is called diabetes mellitus or sugar diabetes. Diabetes also refers to inability of kidneys to monitor water in the body. Though the exact reason for this is yet to be confirmed, it is suspected that vasopressin, an anti-diuretic hormone that is produced in hypothalamus, has something to do with it. This hormone is stored in pituitary glands and released periodically. This form of diabetes, identified as diabetes insipidus, is not that common. Either way, these seemingly harmless situations can result in heart diseases, kidney problems, nervous system damage, vision problems, circulatory problems, and many other serious health complications.
For identification and treatment purposes, diabetes is further classified into four types:
a. Type 1 diabetes - which refers to diabetes in children
b. Type 2 diabetes - refers to diabetes in adults and elder people.
c. Gestational diabetes - refers to diabetes in pregnant women.
d. Juvenile diabetes - as the name implies, it refers to diabetes in adolescents.
What causes diabetes and how do we recognize it?
There are many factors that make a person prone to diabetes, like
a. Age - older people are more prone to diabetes.
b. Ethnicity - African Americans are known to be more susceptible.
c. Family history - people with hereditary history of diabetes are more likely to get diabetes.
d. Sedentary lifestyle.
e. Gestational history, juvenile diabetic history, or type-1 diabetic history.
f. High blood pressure and cholesterol.
g. Obesity (body mass index of 25 and above).
Symptoms include
a. Frequent urination (i.e., in excess of 3 liters per day
b. high blood pressure (normal - systolic120, diastolic 80)
c. headaches
d. unusual and unexplained loss in weight
e. moodiness
f. dry skin
g. wounds that do not heal at reasonably normal rate
h. breathing anomaly
i. tingling sensation at the tip of fingers and toes
j. susceptibility to infections related to skin and urine
k. blurred vision
This list, however, is not exhaustive. And it?s not necessary that these symptoms will appear simultaneously making the doctor?s job easier. This is why diabetes is difficult to get hold of in the initial stages.
Diabetes has proved itself to be a silent killer like cancer, hypertension and other coronary ailments. Can we prevent it? There is no simple answer to this question. It is not as easy as fighting some external bacteria or virus. It involves existing essential body routines, which have gone astray. Tampering could result in opposite problems.
Type 2 diabetes is known to respond to changes in diet, lifestyle, some drugs and exercises. The high-risk people, i.e., people with hereditary inclination, sedentary lifestyle, obesity, etc., may not be able to prevent this type of diabetes altogether, but they can definitely postpone its onset by cutting down on intake of sweets, and adding exercises to the regimen.
What if one has the scourge? How does one treat it? Mitigating the associated problems by dietary discipline, exercises, and regular monitoring of glucose in blood (normal range of glucose in blood - fasting - is 70 to 120 which increases when some food is taken, but returns to this range after an hour or two) is the only option left. An examination of foot everyday will highlight any wound there that does not heal. Sleep helps in reducing stress and therefore controls blood pressure. So good sleep is also recommended. Drinking ample water and reducing carbohydrate intakes goes a long way in controlling diabetes. In acute cases, insulin injections and usage of other drugs are inevitable.
For identification and treatment purposes, diabetes is further classified into four types:
a. Type 1 diabetes - which refers to diabetes in children
b. Type 2 diabetes - refers to diabetes in adults and elder people.
c. Gestational diabetes - refers to diabetes in pregnant women.
d. Juvenile diabetes - as the name implies, it refers to diabetes in adolescents.
What causes diabetes and how do we recognize it?
There are many factors that make a person prone to diabetes, like
a. Age - older people are more prone to diabetes.
b. Ethnicity - African Americans are known to be more susceptible.
c. Family history - people with hereditary history of diabetes are more likely to get diabetes.
d. Sedentary lifestyle.
e. Gestational history, juvenile diabetic history, or type-1 diabetic history.
f. High blood pressure and cholesterol.
g. Obesity (body mass index of 25 and above).
Symptoms include
a. Frequent urination (i.e., in excess of 3 liters per day
b. high blood pressure (normal - systolic120, diastolic 80)
c. headaches
d. unusual and unexplained loss in weight
e. moodiness
f. dry skin
g. wounds that do not heal at reasonably normal rate
h. breathing anomaly
i. tingling sensation at the tip of fingers and toes
j. susceptibility to infections related to skin and urine
k. blurred vision
This list, however, is not exhaustive. And it?s not necessary that these symptoms will appear simultaneously making the doctor?s job easier. This is why diabetes is difficult to get hold of in the initial stages.
Diabetes has proved itself to be a silent killer like cancer, hypertension and other coronary ailments. Can we prevent it? There is no simple answer to this question. It is not as easy as fighting some external bacteria or virus. It involves existing essential body routines, which have gone astray. Tampering could result in opposite problems.
Type 2 diabetes is known to respond to changes in diet, lifestyle, some drugs and exercises. The high-risk people, i.e., people with hereditary inclination, sedentary lifestyle, obesity, etc., may not be able to prevent this type of diabetes altogether, but they can definitely postpone its onset by cutting down on intake of sweets, and adding exercises to the regimen.
What if one has the scourge? How does one treat it? Mitigating the associated problems by dietary discipline, exercises, and regular monitoring of glucose in blood (normal range of glucose in blood - fasting - is 70 to 120 which increases when some food is taken, but returns to this range after an hour or two) is the only option left. An examination of foot everyday will highlight any wound there that does not heal. Sleep helps in reducing stress and therefore controls blood pressure. So good sleep is also recommended. Drinking ample water and reducing carbohydrate intakes goes a long way in controlling diabetes. In acute cases, insulin injections and usage of other drugs are inevitable.
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