Diabetes
What is Diabetes ?
Diabetes is a chronic condition characterised by high blood glucose levels (hyperglycaemia). Diabetes occurs when the pancreas loses its ability to produce enough insulin (a type of hormone), or when the body does not respond to insulin action. When blood glucose (sugar) levels increase, after we eat, the pancreas secretes insulin to help body cells convert glucose into energy, or to store it.
In people with Diabetes, instead of the glucose being converted to energy, it remains in the blood, therefore leading to higher than normal blood glucose levels. People with Diabetes have an increased risk of developing cardiovascular (heart-related) diseases, because it is often associated with high blood pressure, high cholesterol levels and obesity.
There are three main types of Diabetes:
- Type 1 Diabetes occurs when no insulin is produced, known as insulin-dependent Diabetes
- Type 2 Diabetes occurs when insulin is ineffective, known as non-insulin-dependent Diabetes
- Gestational Diabetes Mellitus (GDM) occurs in 2-5% of pregnant women not previously diagnosed with Diabetes. It is often associated with Type 2 Diabetes:
Causes Of Diabetes
Type 1 Diabetes is caused by the absolute lack of insulin in the body, due to the destruction of the pancreatic cells responsible for insulin secretion. Type 1 Diabetes is the most common cause of childhood diabetes. People with this form of diabetes require daily insulin injection to survive.
Type 2 Diabetes is marked by decreased levels of insulin or the inability of the body to use insulin properly (known as insulin resistance). The onset of this form of diabetes is usually gradual with symptoms generally appearing after the age of 40. Various risk factors can lead to Type 2 Diabetes including lack of physical activity, unhealthy diet, and obesity. People with Type 2 Diabetes often have a family history of the disease.
Gestational diabetes occurs in 2-5% of pregnant women who were not previously diagnosed with diabetes. It usually disappears after giving birth, however it is a marker of increased risk of developing Type 2 Diabetes later in life.
Symptoms Of Diabetes
The most common symptoms of diabetes are:
- Blurry vision
- Constant hunger
- Extreme thirst, even after drinking plenty of water
- Feeling tired or weak constantly
- Frequent urination day and night
- Irritated and itchy skin around the genitals
- Numb hands and feet
- Reduced healing of cuts and wounds
- Weight loss despite normal appetite
Treatments Of Diabetes
Type 1 Diabetes treatment includes:
- Daily insulin injection to survive
Type 2 Diabetes treatment mainly includes lifestyle changes to control blood glucose level:
- Eat a balanced and healthy diet: avoid food high in fats and cholesterol, increase intake of fruits and vegetables, and watch your sugar consumption
- Exercise regularly
- Maintain a healthy weight
- Oral medications may be prescribed by your doctor at the later stage of the disease to help control blood glucose level
- Approximately 40% of people with type 2 diabetes require insulin injections.
Complications Of Diabetes
Heart disease Heart disease is the leading cause of diabetes-related deaths. Adults with diabetes have heart disease death rates about two to four times as high as that of adults without diabetes.
- Stroke: The risk of stroke is two to four times higher in people with diabetes.
- High blood pressure: An estimated 60% to 65% of people with diabetes have high blood pressure.
- Blindness
- Diabetes is the leading cause of new cases of blindness in adults 20 to 74 years old.
- Diabetic retinopathy causes from 12,000 to 24,000 new cases of blindness each year.
- Kidney disease Diabetes is the leading cause of end-stage renal disease, accounting for about 40% of new cases.
- Nervous system disease
- About 60% to 70% of people with diabetes have mild to severe forms of nervous system damage (which often includes impaired sensation or pain in the feet or hands, slowed digestion of food in the stomach, carpal tunnel syndrome, and other nerve problems).
- Severe forms of diabetic nerve disease are a major contributing cause of lower extremity amputations.
- Amputations: More than half of lower limb amputations in the United States occur among people with diabetes.
- Dental disease: Periodontal disease (a type of gum disease that can lead to tooth loss) occurs with greater frequency and severity among people with diabetes. Periodontal disease has been reported to occur among 30% of people aged 19 years or older with type 1 diabetes.
- Complications of pregnancy: The rate of major congenital malformations in babies born to women with preexisting diabetes varies from 0% to 5% among women who receive preconception care to 10% among women who do not receive preconception care.
- Other complications
- Diabetes can directly cause acute life-threatening events, such as diabetic ketoacidosis* and hyperosmolar nonketotic coma.*
- People with diabetes are more susceptible to many other illnesses. For example, they are more likely to die of pneumonia or influenza than people who do not have diabetes.
Remark: *Diabetic ketoacidosis and hyperosmolar nonketotic coma are medical conditions that can result from very high glucose level and biochemical imbalance in uncontrolled diabetes.
Diabetic Ketoacidosis (DKA)
Diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) is a serious complication of type 1 diabetes and, much less commonly, of type 2 diabetes. DKA happens when your blood sugar is very high and acidic substances called ketones build up to dangerous levels in your body.
It’s less common in people with type 2 diabetes because insulin levels don’t usually drop so low; however, it can occur. DKA may be the first sign of type 1 diabetes, as people with this disease can’t make their own insulin.
