The main objective in treating diabetes is to reduce any elevation of glucose or blood sugar without strangely altering the level of blood sugar from the normal range. Type 1 Diabetes can be treated with a diabetic diet, exercise, and insulin. Type 2 Diabetes can be treated first with weight reduction, exercise, and a diabetic diet. When this kind of treatment fails to manage the elevated blood sugar, prescribed oral medication can be used. If the oral medications are still insufficient, insulin treatment is considered. (more…)
March 2, 2009
Symptoms of Diabetes
The term “diabetes” more often refers to diabetes mellitus (DM). There is, however, another disease also called diabetes, diabetes insipidus (DI). DI is not related to DM, but it can manifest similar symptoms. The fact that DI is far less common than DM accounts for the fact that when the term “diabetes” is unqualified, the usual association is with DM.
Diabetes insipidus results from either a defect in the pituitary gland, which regulates the production of the antidiuretic hormone (ADH), or the kidney’s inability to respond to ADH. The former is referred to as central DI and the latter as nephrogenic DI. ADH is the hormone that regulates the amount of fluid that is retained or passed out of the body.
Diabetes mellitus refers to a group of diseases where the pancreas does not produce enough insulin. Insulin is a hormone that converts sugar, starches, and other food into glucose and other “fuel molecules”. It delivers them to the cells for energy. Its lack or absence causes elevated levels of glucose in the blood stream. This results to a myriad of health problems including cardiovascular diseases; renal failure; damage to the retina, nerves, and blood vessels; and poor healing of wounds. DM is broadly classified into two major types. These are Type 1 diabetes and Type 2 diabetes. (more…)
The First Signs of Diabetes
Diabetes is a serious chronic metabolic disease where the body does not produce or properly use insulin. It is characterized by increasing blood sugar at levels that damage organ functions such as the eyes, the kidneys, the nerves, the heart, and blood vessels.
Insulin is a hormone that controls the glucose level in the blood. Glucose is the main source of energy for body cells. After every meal, the blood sugar rises and the pancreas gland located behind the stomach secretes insulin. Insulin enters and circulates in the blood, acting on the insulin receptors that are present in muscles, fat cells, and other tissues in the body. The insulin binds to these receptors, enabling the glucose transporters to come to the cell surface and facilitate the glucose to enter the cells. Diabetes occurs when there is little production of insulin or the resistance to its effects. (more…)
Signs of Diabetes
Diabetes is an illness wherein the body cannot properly produce insulin. Insulin is a hormone that converts glucose, starch, or sugar into energy. Insulin is an important factor in our everyday life. Sugar in our body must be constantly burned to provide us with the energy to do our daily routines. Although the major cause of diabetes is still unknown, some factors such as genes and the environment can help trigger the disease. (more…)
Causes of Diabetes
Diabetes Mellitus or simply diabetes is a type of syndrome characterized by a disordered metabolism due to environmental or hereditary causes. This results to Hyperglycemia or abnormal levels of high blood sugar.
Since a complex interaction between most hormones and chemicals in the body is controlled by blood glucose levels, it also includes the Insulin hormone made by the pancreas’ beta cells. If there are defects in Insulin, whether it’s with its action or secretion, this will trigger high levels of blood glucose in the body and result to a group of diseases called Diabetes Mellitus. (more…)
February 24, 2009
Types of Diabetes
What is Diabetes?
Diabetes or Diabetes Mellitus, to put it simply, is a metabolism disorder wherein the body has diminishing production of insulin or it becomes resistant to its effects. During metabolism, glucose, which is the body’s main source of energy, is extracted by hydrolysis from the carbohydrates like starch and sucrose. Glucose is the absorbed into the blood. When the concentration of glucose increases, the body releases insulin, which acts as a transporter, diffusing glucose into muscles, adipose, and other tissues. It also serves as a stimulant for the liver to store glucose in the form of glycogen for later use. The absence of insulin can cause a buildup of glucose concentration in the blood (hyperglycemia), making the body unable to take up more glucose and to use alternative energy sources like fatty acids. It also results in excessive sweet urine or glycosuria, a disease often associated with diabetes where the kidneys are unable to contain the built-up glucose overflowing into the urine. Hyperglycemia causes the signs of diabetes like excessive urine production or polyuria, which often comes with increased thirst (polydipsia) and excessive hunger (polyphagia), blurred vision, unexplained weight loss, lethargy, and changes in energy metabolism. (more…)