Diabetes mellitus, or simply diabetes, is one of the most rampant health problems in the world. Even the seemingly healthy person can be hit by this disease. And if left uncheck, it could actually be a cause of death. But how does one acquire diabetes?
Actually diabetes is a disordered metabolism syndrome, which is caused by either hereditary or environmental factors (in some cases, it is a combination of both). This would result to an irregularity in blood sugar levels causing hyperglycemia. Normally, our body regulates and controls the sugar level in our blood using a complex interaction of a number of chemicals and hormones in the body, especially the hormone insulin which is produced in the pancreas. The high glucose levels in our blood may be caused by the defects in insulin secretion or insulin action.
Medical studies show that Type 1 diabetes mellitus (also known as ‘juvenile diabetes’ since it represents a big number of diabetes cases among children) occurs as your body loses insulin producing beta cells in the pancreas. Eventually, this loss would lead to a deficiency of insulin inside our body. As of the moment, there are no known cures or preventive measures for type 1 diabetes. But for the early stages, replacement of insulin coupled with careful monitoring of blood sugar levels (with the use of blood testing monitors) serve as principal treatment. Perhaps the best prevention method for type 1 diabetes mellitus is lifestyle adjustments (having proper diet and regular exercise). Once the disease spreads, however, diet and exercise can no longer reverse the disease’s progress. For this reason, a diabetes screening is of utmost importance, especially for people who have several risk factors like obesity, family history of diabetes, and high risk ethnicity.Testing varies depending on your location. It may include blood glucose test, fasting blood glucose test, and the more formal glucose tolerance test. Some medical conditions are said to have been caused, or at least associated, with diabetes. These include high blood pressure, high cholesterol levels, polycystic ovary syndrome, chronic pancreatitis, coronary artery disease, cystic fibrosis, among other medical conditions.
The people who are pre-diagnosed with diabetes should undergo regular routine tests for complications. Treatments like insulin intake (which could be from subcutaneous injections to insulin pumps) must be continued indefinitely. Sufficient patient training, awareness, proper diabetes care and discipline are all important. If treatments prove to be burdensome for patients, insulin supplement may be done in a non-physiological manner.
The goal is to bring down the glucose levels as safely as possible closer to the normal levels (which is 80-120mg/dl). Patients with blood glucose levels as high as 600 mg/dl or above should be given immediate medical attention (these levels are still not life-threatening, although they are usually accompanied by discomfort and frequent urination that could lead to dehydration). At a certain point, blood levels may drop to an unhealthy level which could lead to hypoglycemia. Patients experiencing hypoglycemia may experience episodes of unconsciousness or seizures and must be treated right away.
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