Diabetes is a long-lasting health condition that affects how your body turns food into energy. About 422 million people worldwide have diabetes, the majority living in low and middle-income countries and 1.6 million deaths are directly attributed to diabetes each year.
What is diabetes mellitus?
Diabetes mellitus is a group of metabolic diseases characterized by hyperglycemia (an excess of glucose in the bloodstream) resulting from defects in insulin secretion, insulin action, or both. The chronic hyperglycemia of diabetes is associated with long term damage, dysfunction and failure of various organs especially the eyes, kidneys, nerves, heart and blood vessels.
Diabetes occurs either when the pancreas does not produce enough insulin or when the body cannot effectively use the insulin it produces. Insulin is a hormone that regulates blood sugar.
Most of the food you eat is broken down into sugar (glucose) and released into your bloodstream. When your blood sugar goes up, it signals your pancreas to release insulin. Insulin acts like a key to let the blood sugar into your body’s cells for use as energy.
If you have diabetes your body either doesn’t make enough insulin or can’t use the insulin makes as well as it should. When there isn’t enough insulin or cells stop responding to insulin, too much blood sugar stays in your bloodstream. Over time, that can cause serious health problems such as heart disease, vision loss and kidney disease.
Types of diabetes mellitus
Type I diabetes
Type 1 diabetes is thought to be caused by an autoimmune reaction that stops your body from making insulin. Approximately 5-10% of the people who have diabetes have type 1. symptoms of type 1 diabetes often develop quickly. It’s usually diagnosed in children, teens and young adults. If you have type 1 diabetes you’ll need to take insulin every day to survive. Currently, no one knows how to prevent type 1 diabetes.
Type II diabetes
With type 2 diabetes your body doesn’t use insulin well and can’t keep blood sugar at normal levels. About 90-95% of people with diabetes have type 2. it develops over many years and is usually diagnosed in adults. You may not notice any symptoms, so it’s important to get your blood sugar tested if you’re at risk. Type 2 diabetes can be prevented or delayed with healthy lifestyle changes.
Gestational diabetes
Gestational diabetes develops in pregnant women who have never had diabetes. If you have gestational diabetes your baby could be at higher risk for health problems. This usually goes away after your baby is born but increase your risk for type 2 diabetes later in life. Your baby is more likely to have obesity as a child or teen and more likely to develop type 2 diabetes later in life too.
Prediabetes
With prediabetes, blood sugar levels are higher in than normal but not high enough get to be diagnosed as type 2 diabetes. This raises your risk for type 2 diabetes, heart diseases and stroke.
Risk factors for diabetes mellitus
Risk factors for type 1 diabetes
Family history- having a parent, brother or sister with type 1 diabetes
Age – Can get at any age. More likely to develop when you’re a child, teen or young adult
Risk factors for type 2 diabetes. If you,
Have prediabetes
Overweight
45 years or older
Have a parent, brother or sister with type 2 diabetes
Physically active less than 3 times a week
Have ever had gestational diabetes
Unhealthy dietary factors
Smoking and alcohol consumption
Psychological stress and depression
Symptoms of diabetes mellitus
If you have any of the following diabetes symptoms, see your doctor about getting your blood sugar tested.
Arinate a lot, often at night
Very thirsty
Loss weight without trying
Very hungry
Blurry vision
Numb or tingling hands or feet
Feel very tired
Have very dry skin
Have sores that heal slowly
Have more infections than usual
Pay extra attention to your glucose control
Target blood suger levels for diabetes ( Age 20+)
Fasting - Less 100 mg/dL
Before meal - 70-130 mg/dL
After meal(1-2 hours) - Less 180 mg/dL
Before exercise - If taken insulin,at least 100 mg/dL
Bed time - 100-140 mg/dL
Yamali Sanduni
References
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