Deficiency of the hormone insulin is a disease known to mankind since ancient times, but despite this and the speed of development of medical technologies, it is extremely difficult to obtain new knowledge about the disease to identify it in the early stages. Many patients are not even aware of diabetes mellitus, attributing the symptoms to hormonal changes in the body and other diseases. Diabetes mellitus negatively affects health and metabolic processes, so it is extremely important to identify it as soon as possible and start timely treatment.
What is diabetes mellitus?
Diabetes mellitus is a chronic endocrinological disease that develops due to a lack of insulin. A hormone synthesized by the pancreas is involved in the breakdown of sugar and the transport of glucose through the blood to organ tissues to provide the body with additional energy. In case of a lack of insulin, the sugar level rises significantly, which negatively affects the whole body.
Reasons for the development of the disease
The disease most often occurs in the presence of the following causes or prerequisites:
- Hereditary predisposition, in particular, if the father has diabetes, the probability of developing the disease in children is much higher than if the disease is observed in the mother.
- Improper nutrition - the abuse of foods rich in calories, glucose and carbohydrates.
- The presence of excess weight and with the second and subsequent degrees of obesity, the probability of developing diabetes mellitus increases by 80%.
- Lack of physical activity, little human activity.
- Frequent experiences of stressful situations or prolonged depression. Severe shock or a nervous breakdown can also cause illness.
- Long-term use of drugs of a certain group, for example, hormonal, diuretics or choleretics.
- The presence of a viral infection in the body (chicken pox, flu, rubella).
Symptoms of the disease
Warning signs that are evidence of the disease include:
- Constant feeling of thirst, which does not go away even after drinking heavily.
- Frequent urination, especially at night. This causes discomfort and inconvenience, violates the established lifestyle.
- Drops of urine remain on the linen which, when dried, resemble traces of dried starch (white and dense spots).
- The person complains of tiredness and sleepiness.
- The view is markedly reduced, all objects are seen blurred.
- Often accompanied by a tingling sensation and numbness, especially in the palms and feet.
- Slow and very poor healing of wounds, even the smallest and most insignificant.
- The patient is concerned about itching, particularly intense in the groin area.
- Sudden weight loss for no other apparent reason.
- A strong hunger that is difficult to satisfy.
It is important to remember that many of the symptoms appear already when there is a shortage of insulin in the body and irreversible processes of disruption of the hormone production by the pancreas have begun. It is extremely difficult to determine the disease in the early stage, so 80% of patients are unaware of the presence of the disease.
Types of diabetes
There are 2 types of diabetes mellitus, which have characteristic differences despite some similarities.
- Type 1 (insulin-dependent) diabetes is a disease characterized by the death of beta cells in the pancreas, the main role of which is the production of insulin. As a result of this process, a deficiency of the hormone occurs, which causes diabetes. The causes of the development of the disease include a violation of the immune system, the presence of a viral infection in the human body. As a rule, this type of disease affects children and adolescents. The only treatment option for the disease is regular insulin injections for the rest of your life.
- Type 2 diabetes mellitus is a disease that affects people over the age of thirty and develops due to a lack of perception by the body, tissue cells and organs of the insulin produced by the pancreas. Due to the body's improper response to the hormone, glucose accumulates in the blood and provokes the course of negative processes in the body. In case of premature treatment, insulin production stops altogether, as an increase in the level of glucose in the blood negatively affects beta cells and contributes to their destruction.
Diabetes Diagnosis
To diagnose the disease, it is necessary to contact the clinic to see an endocrinologist who specializes in this disease. For the examination, the following procedures and examinations are performed:
- Fasting blood test for blood sugar levels. In some cases, when the patient is at risk for the disease, a stress test is performed to determine glucose tolerance.
- Performing a urine test for sugar content and determining its level. A urine test for the presence of acetone may also be done.
- It is also important to conduct an analysis for the installation of glycated hemoglobin, which will help determine the average blood sugar over the past three months.
- It is important to remember that diabetes is a chronic disease that cannot be cured, therefore regular maintenance therapy is required to maintain a normal condition.
Treatment of the disease
The main treatment for type 1 (insulin-dependent) diabetes is regular insulin injections. Thanks to modern medical tools, injections have become much easier; for this, insulin pumps and pens are used. The insulin dosage is set individually for each patient and it is not recommended to change it yourself. The amount of insulin depends on the level of sugar in the blood, the presence of other concomitant diseases (for example, obesity), the patient's lifestyle.
In case of incomplete pancreatic insufficiency, the doctor may prescribe drugs that can stimulate the production of the hormone in the human body. To eliminate insulin resistance in the body, other groups of drugs can be used that eliminate insulin resistance and help maintain human health. An important factor is the observance of a special diet, in which foods are selected with a minimum content of sugar, carbohydrates, and also stimulate the pancreas.
Disease prevention
In order to avoid the development of the disease, it is important to follow the recommendations of the endocrinologist, which will help to maintain health and not to fall into the risk group. Preventive methods include:
- Regular monitoring of blood sugar levels is especially recommended for people at risk. People over the age of forty should conduct this study regularly, at least twice a year.
- Changing eating habits, switching to a balanced diet with a predominance of healthy foods: fruits, vegetables, fish, lean meats with low glucose content. In addition, it is recommended that you follow a diet and distribute your food intake over three equal meals and multiple snacks.
- Performing simple daily physical exercises, which will help normalize weight and reduce the likelihood of developing diabetes.
- Weight normalization, which will help reduce the likelihood of developing the disease.