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All About Diabetes
All About Diabetes
Diabetes is also known as Diabetes mellitus. It is metabolic disease that increase sugar level in blood.
The insulin in hormone move sugar into the cells from the blood which is used for energy. Patient with
diabetes pancreas may doesn’t make enough insulin body require or can’t effectively use the insulin it
does make.
There are various kind of diabetes. But it doesn’t mean what type you have in the end it lead to excess
of sugar in blood.
Generally, in chronic diabetes condition there are two types of diabetes type 1 and type 2 diabetes. But
in some conditions blood sugar level may get higher than normal level but not enough to be classified as
diabetes. These conditions are known as prediabetes and gestational diabetes. Gestational diabetes
occurs during pregnancy.
Symptoms of diabetes depend upon sugar level in blood. In some people with type 1 diabetes symptoms
may appear more rapidly and get severe, while in type 2 diabetes symptoms not appear at first but may
appear most likely after age of 45.
Extreme hunger
Urination more frequently
Thirst
Vision problems
Slow healing wounds
Presence of ketones in high quantity in urine
Mouth infection and vaginal infections
Insulin function
Insulin is a hormone secrets from gland present in pancreas. Insulin circulates in blood and allow sugar
to enter into cells from blood. Insulin lower the quantity of sugar from blood. So the sugar level drops.
Role of glucose
Glucose is a sugar which we get from food and liver. Glucose provide energy to our muscles and other
parts of body. Insulin allow sugar to absorbed into blood from where it enters into cells. Liver make
glucose and store in form of glycogen and when glucose level is low. Liver convert glycogen into glucose
to keep glucose level within a normal range.
The main reason of diabetes type 1 is our immune system, which normally protect our body from germs
also attack insulin producing cells and destroy them, so instead of moving into cells,sugar remain in
blood.
It is thought that environmental and genetic factor plays vital role in the development of type 2
diabetes. Type 2 diabetes is strongly related to being overweight.
Risk factors
Family history. You may be at risk of diabetes if your one of your parents have history of diabetes
Geography: Some countries like Sweden, China and Sweden have higher rate of diabetes type 1
Occurrence of damaging immune cells: Some people with diabetes type 1 may have diabetes
autoantibodies. There are chances of developing diabetes if person have autoantibodies.
Age: You are at risk of diabetes type 2 if you get older. It may be because you gain weight, lose muscle
or do less exercise
Race: Black people, Hispanics and American Indians are at high risk of diabetes
High blood pressure: Having blood pressure higher than 140/90 mm Hg may cause type 2 diabetes
Obesity (overweight): Cells become resistant to insulin if body contain high quantity of fatty tissues.
Laziness: The lazier you are the greater your risk. Physical exercise helps to maintain your weight,
Exercise require energy, so uses up more glucose as energy make your cells sensitive to insulin.
Diagnosis
Fasting plasma glucose test is used to measure the level of blood sugar after 8 hours of fasting
The A1C test take a snapshot of blood sugar level over the last 3 months
Pregnant women are regularly test of sugar during second and third trimester of pregnancy
Four type of insulin are mostly given to control blood sugar level
Long lasting insulin start work after few hours and work up to 24 hours
Intermediate- acting insulin start its work within 1 to 3 hours and work for 13 to 18 hours
Rapid- acting insulin shows its action within 15 minutes and last for 2 to 4 hours
Short acting insulin shows it effect within 30 minutes and its effects last for 6 to 9 hours
Exercise and proper diet may lower the symptoms of type 2 diabetes. If these lifestyle changes not help
to reduce sugar level, then you need proper medication to control diabetes.
Metformin (Biguanides)