Today we are talking about a disease that is spreading very fast in the world at the moment. What we all know as diabetes. Diabetes is becoming an epidemic with each passing day. In 2012, an estimated 28 million people in the US had diabetes mellitus, of which about 2 million have Type 1 diabetes and the remaining have Type 2 diabetes.
What is diabetes?
There is an organ in our abdomen which we call pancreas. The functions of the pancreas is to make insulin and excrete it as required, this helps in food digestion and endocrine .its regulates insulin level in our body.
So because of that we able to store fat or sugar in our body. When this pancreas stops making or releasing insulin, the amount of sugar in the body increases due to the lack of insulin.
There are many types of diabetes, but here we will talk about 3 main types.
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Types of diabetes mellitus
1.Type 1 diabetes
2.Type 2 diabetes
3.Gestational diabetes
Type 1 diabetes
Type 1 diabetes is immune - mediate in over 90% of cases (type 1a) and idiopathic in <5 5% (type lb).It occurs at any age but it is more common in children and young adults with a peak incidence before school age.
It is a catabolic disorder in which circulating insulin is virtually absent, plasma glucagon is elevated, and the pancreatic B cells fail to respond to all insulin stimuli. Insulin is therefore required to reverse the catabolic state, prevent ketosis, reduce the hyperglucagonemia and reduce blood glucose.
Type 2 diabetes
This type occurs mostly in adults. In this type, the pancreas suddenly reduces or stops making insulin. Genetically and environmental conditions also play an important role in increasing the risk of diabetes.
Obesity is the most important environmental factor which causes assistance of insulin in the body and causes diabetes mellitus 2. 30% of Chinese and Japanese population is suffering from diabetes mellitus 2. It is found 60 to 70% of North American.
Gestational diabetes
This type of diabetes is more common in women if their blood sugar goes up the normal level during pregnancy. It is very dangerous for both mother and the child. It can lead to abortion or preterm delivery or congenital defects in babies.
These women should have a regular follow up at their antenatal clinic monitored at the same time with an endocrinologist up till delivery and postnatal period.
Tests for diagnosing diabetes mellitus
- Fasting blood sugar (FBS) The blood sugar level for normal fasting (no food for 8 hours) is between 70 and 99mg/dl,
- Random blood sugar (RBS) The normal level is less than 140mg /dl (7.8mmol/L)after 2 hours of eating.
- Glycated haemoglobin test (HbA1c test) HbA1c is a blood test for type 2 and prediabetes. The test result of HbA1c is given as a percentage. The higher the percentage, the higher the level of the blood sugar. There is a standard HbA1c level below 5.7 percent.
Prediabetes is in the 5.7 to 6.5 percent range. A risk factor for developing type 2 diabetes is having Prediabetes. Every year, people with prediabetes will require re-tests. Type 2 diabetes is above 6.5 percent. If someone has diabetes, you should have the A1C test at least twice a year.
Test for Gestational diabetes
- Oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) Normally, gestational diabetes is tested between the 6th and 7th month of pregnancy, or a past history of miscarriage, using a test called the Oral Glucose Tolerance Test.
Complications
Complications of diabetes: Diabetics need to be very careful because if diabetes is not taken seriously, it can lead to more dangerous diseases. These include heart disease, osteoporosis, poor eyesight, kidney failure, etc. Many complications can be avoided if diabetes is well controlled.
Preventions of diabetes mellitus
By lifestyle modification, which includes
- Daily exercise (Walking 30 minutes in morning and evening)
- Food is rich in protein and less in carbohydrates and fats.
- Avoid alcohol
- stop smoking
- Eating fresh fruits and vegetables
- Increase the amount of water intake
- Use natural sweeteners
- Decrease amount of tea or coffee
- Avoid stress
- Taking medications regularly
- Annual follow up at the hospital
- In case of emergency contact to hospital
- Keep the body weight normal
- Foot care sees the podialogist annually.
Diabetes is a disease that cannot be cured, but it's all about controlling it, preventing it. If you follow the guidelines, you can live a healthier, longer life.
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