"Understanding Diabetes Mellitus: Causes, Symptoms, and Management

What is Diabetes Mellitus?

Diabetes is a condition where the blood glucose levels are very high. It occurs when the pancreas do not produce enough insulin or when the body is not responding to the insulin properly. It is a lifestyle disorder which is chronic and it affects people of all ages.

Types of Diabetes:

There are several types of diabetes. The most common types are

1. Type 1 Diabetes - It is an autoimmune disease. The pancreas produce little or no insulin as the body's own immune system attacks the islet cells of pancreas which produce insulin. It is normally diagnosed in children.

   
   

2. Type 2 Diabetes - In this, the pancreas does not make enough insulin or the body does not respond to insulin. This is called insulin resistance. It mainly affects adults.

   
   

3. Gestational Diabetes - It is seen in some women who are pregnant. It normally goes away after delivery but they are at higher risk of developing diabetes in future.

   
   

4. Neonatal Diabetes - This is a rare form of diabetes that occurs within the first six months after birth. About 50% of babies with neonatal diabetes have the lifelong form called permanent neonatal diabetes mellitus. For the other half, the condition disappears within a few months , but it can come back later in life.

   
   

5. Prediabetes - In this, the sugar levels are higher than normal but not high enough to be called as diabetes mellitus 2.

   
   

Causes:

Insulin is released into the bloodstream from pancreas and thus reducing the amount of sugars in the blood. Some of the major causes for DM are insulin resistance. The factors which contribute to this are obesity, lack of physical activity, diet, hormonal changes and hereditary(family history of diabetes). In some cases, damage to the pancreas could also lead to this condition.

Symptoms: Some of the symptoms include:

1. Frequent urination

2. Blurry vision

3. Weight loss

4. Polydipsia i.e; increased thirst

5. Excessive sweating

6. Dry mouth

7. Fatigue

8. UTI

9. Slow wound healing

Diagnosis:

Most of the people are unaware that they are affected with DM. The condition is usually diagnosed when the patients experience increased thirst, frequent urination and extreme tiredness. Diabetes is confirmed based on the presence of high glucose levels in blood.

Fasting blood glucose test: For this test , you should not eat or drink anything except water for 8 to 12 hours before giving the test.

Random blood glucose test: This test can be done at anytime of the day regardless of fasting

Hba1c: This test gives average blood glucose values over the past 3 months.

Normal fasting glucose levels should be between 70mg/dl and 100mg/dl and post prandial glucose levels should be between 100mg/dl and 140mg/dl. If the fasting values are between 100mg/dl and 126mg/dl and post prandial values are between 140mg/dl and180mg/dl it is considered prediabetic. When the fasting values are above 126mg/dl and post prandial values above 190mg/dl, it is considered diabetic.

Treatment:

Medication: Metformin is the most common type of medication given to patients. It is given orally (by mouth). Another form of medication is insulin(hormonal injection). Some patients need to take insulin shots ( injectable insulin with syringe, insulin pens and insulin pumps) twice a day depending on the condition. These shots are long lasting.

How to manage diabetes:

Leading a healthy lifestyle can help to manage and treat diabetes.

Diet: Include a lot of fresh fruits and vegetables in the diet. Eat foods rich in protein and fiber and limit the amount of calorie intake.

Exercise: Being physically active is extremely important. Try to brisk walk for at least 30 minutes in a day. Yoga and meditation would be of great help.

Weight loss: If you are obese or overweight, losing weight helps to reduce the risk of diabetes. Losing weight in pregnancy is not advisable. Diabetes is directly proportional to heart health. So, leading a healthy lifestyle maintains overall health.

Stress management: Do not take stress on anything and try to be calm and composed.

Good sleep: Getting an adequate sleep of 7 to 9 hours per day is very essential.

Long term complications:

If diabetes is not under control, it may lead to other comorbidities which could be life threatening at times. Few of them include:

Heart disease: One of the major concerns with diabetes patients is heart problems like heart attack, stroke and angina pectoris.

Diabetic neuropathy: High levels of glucose can lead to nerve damage in the legs which causes numbness and pain.

Diabetic nephropathy: Most of the diabetic patients experience kidney problems like stone formation and affects the filtering system.

Diabetic retinopathy: Diabetes is also associated with damage of blood vessels in the eye. This could lead to blindness in the long run.

Hypertension: High blood pressure and diabetes are both corelated and they can increase the risk of heart disease, stroke and kidney disease.