Symptoms and Treatment of Different Types of Diabetes

 By Stiven Benson 

Photo: webmd.com
 
Insulin is a hormone produced by the pancreas to control blood glucose. Diabetes can also be caused by lack of insulin resistance by this hormone or for both reasons.
To understand diabetes, it is important to first understand the normal process by which food is broken down and used by the body as energy.
Several processes happen when food is digested:

• A sugar called glucose enters the bloodstream. Glucose is a source of fuel for the body
• An organ called the pancreas makes insulin. The role of insulin is to take up glucose from the bloodstream muscle cells, fat and liver, where the sugar is used as a fuel

People with diabetes have too much sugar in the blood. This is due to the fact that:

• The pancreas does not produce enough insulin
• The cells of muscle, fat and liver do not respond appropriately to insulin

There are three major types of diabetes:

• Type 1 diabetes is usually diagnosed in childhood. Many patients are diagnosed over age 20. Because of this disease, the body produces little or no insulin. Are needed daily insulin injections. The exact cause is unknown. Genetics, viruses and auto immune problems may have an interest
• Type 2 diabetes is by far the most common type. It comprises most of the cases of diabetes. It usually occurs in adults, but more and more young people are being diagnosed with this disease. The pancreas does not produce enough insulin to maintain normal glucose levels in the blood, usually because the body does not respond well to insulin. Many people do not know they have type 2 diabetes, even being a serious illness. Type 2 diabetes is becoming more common because of the increasing cases of obesity and lack of physical exercise
• Gestational diabetes is high blood glucose amount that occurs at any time during pregnancy in non-diabetic women. Women with gestational diabetes are at high risk of developing type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease in the future

Diabetes affects over 20 million Americans. More than 40 million Americans have pre-diabetes (early type 2 diabetes).
There are many risk factors for type 2 diabetes, including:

• Age over 45 years
• Father, mother, siblings with diabetes
• Gestational diabetes or giving birth to a baby weighing more than 4kg
• Heart disease
• High blood cholesterol level
• Obesity
• Not enough physical exercise
• Polycystic ovary syndrome (in women)
• Impaired glucose tolerance
• Some ethnic groups (mainly African-Americans, Native Americans, Asians, those born in the Pacific Islands and Hispanic Americans)

Symptoms
Elevated levels of blood glucose can cause several problems, including:

• Blurred vision
• Excessive Thirst
• Fatigue
• Frequent urination
• Hunger
• Weight Loss

However, due to the fact that type 2 diabetes develops slowly, some people with high blood glucose feel no symptoms.
Symptoms of type 1 diabetes:

• Fatigue
• Increased thirst
• Increased urination
• Nausea
• Vomit
• Weight loss despite increased appetite

Patients with type 1 diabetes usually develop symptoms over a short period. This disease is often diagnosed in an emergency situation.
Symptoms of type 2 diabetes:

• Blurred vision
• Fatigue
• Increased appetite
• Increased thirst
• Increased urination

Treatment
The immediate goals are to treat diabetic ketoacidosis and high blood glucose levels. Because type 1 diabetes begins suddenly and have severe symptoms, people who have just been diagnosed may need to go to hospital.
The goals of treatment in the long term are:

• Prolong life
• Reduce symptoms
• Preventing complications related diseases such as blindness, heart disease, liver failure, and amputation of limbs

These goals are achieved through:

• Control of blood pressure and cholesterol
• Autotests careful blood glucose levels
• Educational measures
• Physical exercise
• Foot Care
• Meal planning and weight control
• Use of medications or insulin

There is no cure for diabetes. Treatment consists of medication, diet and physical exercise to control blood sugar and prevent symptoms.

LEARN THESE TECHNIQUES
The basic technique of managing diabetes helps avoid the need for emergency care.
These techniques include:

• How to recognize and treat low levels (hypoglycemia) and high (hyperglycemia) blood sugar
• What to eat and when
• How to administer insulin or oral medication
• How to test and record blood glucose
• As the urine test to check for the presence of ketones (type 1 diabetes only)
• How to adjust insulin or food intake when changing eating habits and exercise
• How to deal with the days when you feel unwell
• Where to buy diabetic supplies and how to store them

Once you learn the basics of diabetes care, learn how the disease can cause health problems in the long term and what are the best ways to prevent these problems. Review and update your knowledge, because new research and improved methods of treating diabetes are constantly being developed.

There are a many modern medicines to lower blood sugar, such as Glucophage. More information about the drug be found here: http://www.tabletsmanual.com/online/glucophage

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