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Diabetes - lethal disease health risk
The cause and effect of Diabetes
Diabetes is on the rise because people are leading an inactive lifestyle, living longer, are overweight because of unhealthy eating habits and absolutely no exercise in their daily routine life. Diabetes is a hormone disorder that can cause problems with the kidneys, legs and feet, eyes, heart, nerves and blood flow. If diabetes is left untreated, it can lead to major health problems like kidney failure, gangrene and amputation, blindness or heart stroke.
The actual cause of the disease is still unknown, although there is evidence that it might be inherited. Environmental factors and illnesses seem to trigger the disease.
Two types of Diabetes
Type 1 diabetes
- also known as juvenile, insulin-dependent or immune-mediated diabetes, is a disease that destroys the cells in the pancreas that produce the hormone insulin. Insulin is needed to control blood sugar levels so without insulin, death is inevitable. Type 1 sufferers, who typically develop the condition as children or young adults, are usually unable to produce any insulin at all. They need to boost their insulin levels, either by regular injections or by wearing a pump which dispenses the hormone under the skin. It cannot be administered as a pill because it would be destroyed by the digestive process before it had a chance to work. Type 1 diabetes signs and symptoms often appear suddenly. They include high levels of sugar in the blood and urine, extreme hunger, extreme thirst, frequent urination, extreme weight loss, weakness and tiredness, irritability and mood swings, nausea and vomiting.
People with type 1 diabetes can live happy, healthy lives provided they follow a diabetes treatment plan. Blood sugar levels must be kept as close to normal as possible through insulin injections, regular exercise and control of diet. Blood and urine tests will show if the disease is under control. The presence of ketones in the urine indicates that there are problems.
Type 2 Diabetes
– type 2 or non-insulin dependent diabetes is the most common form of the disease. It usually occurs in people who are over the age of 45 and overweight. Type 2 sufferers do not make enough insulin, or are unable to make proper utilization of it. Without enough insulin, the body cannot move blood sugar into the cells. Sugar builds up in the bloodstream and causes health problems.
In Type 2 diabetes the cause of the disease is unknown, but is probably inherited. As with type 1 diabetes, other factors appear to trigger the disease (such as obesity). In Type 2 diabetes the symptoms of the disease often
develop slowly. Most people who get it have increased thirst and an increased need to urinate. Many also feel tired, irritable and nauseous. Some people have an increased appetite, but they lose weight. Other symptoms include repeated or hard-to-heal infections of the skin, gums, vagina or bladder, blurred vision, tingling or loss of feeling in the hands or feet, dry, itchy skin.
The symptoms can be so minor that they go unobserved. They may also be confused with the signs of ageing. It is thought that millions of people worldwide suffer from type 2 diabetes without realizing it.
Regulating Diabetes
It is easily to live a healthy life if the blood sugar level is monitored and controlled appropriately in daily life. A proper diet, good exercise and maintaining a healthy lifestyle can keep a diabetic patient in as good health as a normal person. If not taken care of properly, diabetes may lead to various types of perilous diseases like kidney disease, eye complications, feet, skin, nerves, teeth, gums and sexual problems.
Always take good care of what are you eating and take care of your cleanliness. Keep record of your blood tests, write them down, write down notes for future reference when you visit your physician about your moods, when you were upset, depressed or feeling down, angry. Also, if you have missed your medicine dosage. Remember the 7 principles for controlling your diabetes for life:
1. Find out what type of diabetes you have
2. Get regular care for your diabetes
3. Learn how to control your diabetes
4. Treat high blood sugar
5. Monitor your blood sugar
6. Prevent and diagnose long-term diabetes problems
7. Get checked for long-term problems and treat them.
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