Diabetes - Prologue and Rationale

When the level of blood glucose rises above normal it gives rise to a condition called diabetes. The food we eat gets converted into glucose or fat in our body to provide energy for work. The organ lying near the stomach known as pancreas secretes a hormone, insulin that helps the glucose to get stored in the body cells.

When pancreas are not able to produce insulin in required amounts or is not able to use insulin the glucose is not able to get store in the cells, as a result the sugar gets stored in the blood causing diabetes. The cases of diabetes are much higher these days as compare to the past. It occurs in all age groups but the most common sufferers are obese people in middle or older age. The most commonly used screening tests are the determination of the fasting blood glucose level and the blood glucose level tested two hours after a meal. The normal fasting blood sugar content is 80-120mg.per 100 ml of blood, this can go up to a level of 160 mg. per 100 ml of blood two hours after meals. Anything above these levels can be termed as diabetic levels.

Types of diabetes

• Type 1 diabetes

In this type 1 diabetes the body stops producing insulin or produces less to regulate the level of blood glucose. It was previously called insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) or juvenile onset diabetes. The people suffering from types 1 diabetes require insulin treatment daily to sustain life.

• Type 2 diabetes

In this type of diabetes the pancreas secrete insulin but the body is not able to use the insulin. This condition is also referred to as insulin resistance. This insulin resistance results in type 2 diabetes when enough amounts of insulin is not secreted to cope up with the higher demands. It was previously known as non-insulin dependent mellitus (NIDDM) or adult onset diabetes. It doesn’t occur in younger people. It can be controlled with proper diet, weight loss and exercise.

• Gestational diabetes

It usually occurs during the second half of pregnancy. It can cause problems for the mother and babies if proper medication is not done. It disappears after the delivery. The women who suffer from this diabetes in pregnancy have more chances to suffer from type 2 diabetes in the later years of life.

Symptoms

The various symptoms of diabetes are:

• Dry skin

• Slow recovery from an injury

• Frequent urination

• Fatigue

• Blurred vision

• Excessive thirst and hunger

• Sudden weight loss

• Intense hunger

• Weak appearance

• Numbness of hands and feet

• Stomach pains

Causes

Systematic overeating and obesity mainly cause diabetes. This overeating is just not if sugar and refined carbohydrates but also high intake of proteins and fats. Grief, worry and anxiety are also the causes of diabetes that affects the metabolism and cause sugar to appear in the urine. It may also be caused due to some disorders like cancer, tuberculosis and cerebral disease. Diabetes is a heredity disease, which can affect many generations. It can also be caused due to many nutritional deficiencies and use of certain medicines for longer period of time.

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