Diabetes: Definition, Causes, Preventions and Symptoms

Diabetes mellitus is normally known as diabetes. It is a metabolic disorder. which increases the level of blood sugar over a span of a long period. Diabetes is of different types classified on the basis of causes. All types of diabetes share the same symptoms i.e. high sugar levels in the blood. Some diabetes can be prevented by an appropriate healthy lifestyle.

What is Diabetes?

Cell intake glucose from the bloodstream with the help of insulin. Glucose further breakdown in the cell process known as metabolism to generate ATP. ATP is the source of energy. When body cells do not work properly it makes the body resistant to glucose. Insulin does not work properly, and as a result, sugar level increase in cells. This high sugar level in the bloodstream is known as Diabetes.

Types of Diabetes

Mainly 4 types of diabetes Mellitus. These are:

Type-1 Diabetes 

Type-1 Diabetes is an autoimmune disease. Our own immune system attack the pancreatic cell which synthesizes insulin. Due to insulin formation decrease and body become resistant to glucose. The levels of glucose increase in the bloodstream. Type-1 is normally diagnosed in children and young age person. Patients suffering from Type-1 have to take daily insulin every day. This type is also known as insulin-dependent diabetes.

Type-2 Diabetes

In this type either the body does not make enough insulin or the body does not respond to the insulin. It is the most common type. Around 95% of people have type-2 diabetes. It normally occurred in mid and old-age people. It is also known as insulin-resistant diabetes.

Prediabetes

This person has high glucose levels in the bloodstream but is not easily diagnosed. It is the pre-stage of Type-2 Diabetes.

Gestational Diabetes

This diabetes occurred in pregnant women. The placenta secretes some hormones which make the cell resistant to insulin.

Symptoms of Diabetes

The following are the symptoms of diabetes:

• Tiredness
• Felling thirsty every time
• The healing process takes longer time than expected
• Blurry Eyesight
• Fatigue
• Unexpected weight loss
• Sore throat
• Frequent Urination
• Paresthesia (numbness and tingling) in hands and feet
• High frequency of unexpected and undefined infection

Symptoms in Men

The patient also suffers from other symptoms than general symptoms:

1. Erectile dysfunction
2. Weekend muscle strength
3. Sex urge decreases

Symptoms in Women

1. Dry and itchy path of skin
2. Frequent UTI
3. The frequency of Yeast infections increased

Causes of Diabetes

Diabetes occurred because of the high level of blood sugar in the bloodstream. The main cause why the glucose level is high in the bloodstream depends on the type of diabetes:

Type 1 Diabetes

It is an autoimmune disease. In this type, our body attacks our own pancreatic cell which synthesizes the insulin. Because of this insulin level decrease in the cell and body. Body cells do not allow glucose to enter the cell. Genes also play a role in Type 1 diabetes.

Type 2 Diabetes

Cells are not letting insulin work properly, because levels of glucose are high in the bloodstream.  

Gestational Diabetes

During pregnancy, the placenta secretes some hormones which make cells resistant to the body. Pancreatic cells also don’t make enough insulin. As a result levels of glucose in the is high.

Diagnosis

Doctors run some blood tests to check your blood sugar level. Mainly 3 tests done by doctors for the diagnosis of diabetes are:

1. Fasting Plasma Glucose Test: This test is normally done in the morning after fasting for eight hours. 
2. Random Plasma Glucose Test: In this, no fasting is required, the test can be done at any time.
3. A1c Test: It is also known as the glycated hemoglobin test. It provides the blood sugar for 2-3 months. In this test amount of glucose checked those attached to the hemoglobin. 
4. Oral Glucose Tolerance Test: In this first blood is taken after fasting and one test is after drinking a highly sugary drink. Afterward, the glucose level is checked in slabs of one, two, and three hours.

Risk Factor

The following are the factor that increases the risk for a person:

Type-1 Diabetes Risk Factor

• Family history of Type-1 Diabetes
• Defective Pancreas
• Autoantibodies present in the body
• Physical Stress
• Exposure to virus

Type-2 Diabetes Risk Factor

• Family history having prediabetes or Type-2 Diabetes
• Obesity
• High Blood Pressure
• Low levels of HDL cholesterol and High levels of triglyceride
• Physically inactive
• having PCOS
• History of stroke or Heart disease
• Smoking
• Having gestational diabetes

Gestational Diabetes Risk Factors

• Overweight at the time of pregnancy
• Family history of prediabetes or Type-2 Diabetes

Treatment of Diabetes

Treatment of diabetes depends on diabetes you have. It also depends you have any other health condition or not.

Type-1 Diabetes

In type-1 diabetes pancreatic cell are not produce insulin. Such patients take insulin injections daily.

Type-2 Diabetes

Doctors prescribe some medications (for both diabetes and for the condition which can cause diabetes). Along with medicine, some other factors play an essential role in regulating diabetes. Such are: 

1. maintaining a healthy lifestyle, 
2. losing weight,
3. Physically active

Prediabetes

Doctor’s main concern is to control the symptoms of progressing diabetes. Doctor’s main concern is to treat the risk factor which can cause diabetes in the future. Treatment included:

1. Maintaining a healthy lifestyle
2. Losing weight
3. Healthy eating (Mediterranean diet)

Gestational Diabetes

In this type of diabetes, your blood sugar level is not too high. The doctor in the initial phase tries to modify your lifestyle and diet. Suggest doing regular exercise. If still glucose level is not balanced then the doctor starts medication for the same.

Medication Working Mechanisms

The main targets of the medicines are:

• Stimulate pancreatic cells to synthesize more insulin
• Try to slow the glucose release from the liver
• Increase urination to excrete out the extra glucose in the body
• Stop the digestion of carbohydrates so the cell reacts to insulin better.

Food to consume in Diabetes

Intaking healthy food helps the patient in managing diabetes. Following are the food suggested to eat if you are diabetic:

• Fruits and Vegetables
• Food with high fiber
• Whole grains
• Healthy fat (olive oil and nuts)
• Lean protein (Fish and chicken)

Prevention of Diabetes

There is no know own medication and prevention for Type-1 Diabetes. Type-2 Diabetes still can be prevented by taking some precautions.

• Doing daily exercising. Almost 150 minutes per week
• Eating healthy food: Eating healthy food having low fat and calories with high in fiber.
• Losing weight, females if pregnant have to ask the health provider about healthy body weight. Not suggested pregnant women lose weight.
• Quit smoking
• Intake less alcohol
• Take medicine according to your doctor’s suggested to do.

Please Note: These measures and Symptoms may vary and are just to provide educational information about the disease and are not standard practices. We advise you to consult a healthcare professional, before trying anything at home.

FAQs on Diabetes

Question 1: How common is Diabetes?

Answer:

Type-2 Diabetes is the most common disease because of obesity, being physically inactive, and intaking healthy food. Almost 1 out of 10 is having this disease in America.

Question 2: Who is more likely to develop type 2 diabetes?

Answer:

Mid-old age people, or having a family history people develop type-2 Diabetes.

Question 3: What health problems can people with diabetes develop?

Answer:

Health problems people have with diabetes:

• Heart disease
• Chronic Kidney Disease
• Mental health
• Eyesight problem

Question 4: What are the complications if a pregnant woman gets infected due to diabetes?

Answer:

The following are the complication of a pregnant woman infected with diabetes:

• Miscarriage
• High Blood Pressure
• Early Birth (Preeclampsia)
• Low Blood Sugar
• Birth Defects