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Home » Articles >> Diabetes Mellitus - Symptoms, Diagnosis, Precautions & Treatments |
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Diabetes Mellitus - Symptoms, Diagnosis, Precautions & Treatments
Diabetes mellitus is a chronic illness that requires long term medical. Diabetes mellitus may cause damage to different body organs such as eyes, kidneys, nerves, heart and blood vessels. Any patient who has glucose level of 126 mg per dl with fasting or greater is considered to be suffering from diabetes mellitus.
Diabetes mellitus is caused by deficiency in the production of insulin by the pancreas, the organ that secretes insulin. Diabetes mellitus may be caused by insulin production not enough to process blood sugar or insulin ineffectiveness. Such problems lead to high levels of glucose in the blood damaging many organs of the body.
Diabetes mellitus is an acquired inability to transport sugar from the blood into the cells where it is used to generate energy for the body. It may happen when the cell membranes are insensitive to the effects of insulin or when the insulin production by pancreas is not enough to work on the glucose channels.
There are two main forms of diabetes
Type 1- diabetes
The pancreas fails to produce insulin necessary to make use of blood sugar. This kind of diabetes is usually present in children and adults.
Type 2-diabetes
This is the common form of diabetes in which the body does not produce enough insulin to process blood sugar. This type of diabetes occurs in adults.
Both of these types may be inherited or acquired. A family history of diabetes can increase the risk of developing diabetes and lead to medical complications like blindness, kidney diseases, amputation of limbs and cardiovascular disorders.
Symptoms of Diabetes Mellitus
• An early symptom of diabetes mellitus is high sugar level and its excretion in the urine
• Dehydration due to excessive urine discharge
• Fatigue
• Nausea and vomiting
• Blurred vision due to fluctuation in the blood sugar level
• Lethargy due to elevated glucose levels which may also lead to coma
• Weight gain
Diagnosis -
Fasting plasma glucose test is the standard way to diagnose diabetes. Normal glucose level for fasting is less than 110 mg per dl. If it is more than 126 mg per dl when tested frequently, it means the patient has diabetes.
Hemoglobin A1C level test is also carried out to check for diabetes and elevated A1C levels indicate overall poor control of blood sugar.
Precautions
• Regular exercise will help you control diabetes. It helps burn excessive fat and calories which in turn helps control blood glucose levels.
• Food that contains less sugar helps diabetes. Meal planning and eating the right amount at the right time also helps control diabetes.
• Drink extra fluids to avoid dehydration
• Managing one’s life style helps in preventing diabetes mellitus
Treatment options -
Your health care provider may prescribe different modes of treatment depending upon the sugar level to deal with diabetes. This may include making changes in diet and lifestyle as well as eliminating various risk factors.
Insulin injections may be prescribed to control high sugar levels. Oral sulfonylureas like glimepiride, glyburide, and tolazamide are given which stimulate the pancreas to make more insulin.
Alpha-glucosidase inhibitors such as acarbose help lower glucose levels. Thiazolidinediones, such as rosiglitazone, help insulin work better at the cell site. Meglitinides including repaglinide and nateglinide help pancreas in producing more insulin.
In conclusion, diabetes can be caused by a pancreatic disorder which leads to non production of insulin and high level of glucose in the blood. However, it is not a life threatening problem if taken care of on time and controlled for the rest of one’s life. |
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