subject: Diabetes...What Is It? [print this page] Diabetes...What Is It? Diabetes...What Is It?
Diabetes mellitus, colloquially referred to as simply diabetes, is one of the most debilitating and common metabolic diseases affecting U.S citizens, with over 170 million people suffering. Diagnosing and determining if you are symptomatic is sometimes tricky, as both type 1 and type 2 diabetes routinely present themselves as asymptomatic in patients. However, finding out if you have symptoms of either type 1 or type 2 diabetes is of paramount importance, considering the fact that when the disease is caught early, the survival rate increases nearly 10 fold. The most common issue physicians have with properly treating and diagnosing either type 1 or type 2 diabetes are that the symptoms themselves may seem harmless. However, upon knowing what symptoms to look for you can greatly increase your chances of catching the disease early.The most common and classic symptoms of type 1 diabetes are as follows: frequent urination, overt thirst, overt hunger, weight loss and fatigue. The reason that type 1 diabetes can be so difficult to diagnose is because the previously listed symptoms are easy to misread or even ignore. The symptoms of type 2 diabetes include all symptoms of type 1, and including these: frequent infections, blurred vision, cuts and bruises that may be slow to heal, numbness of the extremities, and receding skin of gum line. The symptoms of type 2 diabetes are very subtle, or not even present most of the time, so considering frequent check ups when you fall within certain risk categories(genetic, lifestyle) may be advisable.There are 3 types of diabetes mellitus: type 1, type 2, and gestational. type 1 is a result of the bodies inefficiency or refusal to produce the necessary hormone insulin, which requires patients to self-inject themselves with it daily to maintain an acceptable blood/sugar ratio. Type 2 diabetes, while similar, results from an absolute insulin resistance. Cells in patients with type 2 diabetes will fail to properly use insulin, which is sometimes combined with an insulin deficiency. Lastly, gestational diabetes occurs only in pregnant women. During the pregnancy, high blood glucose levels may arise, which thankfully is usually not fatal due to check-ups and doctor supervision. However, without proper care, gestational diabetes may manifest into type 2 diabetes, the most common of the diabetes spectrum of diseases.To combat and manage diabetes, lifestyle changes and medication are the most common routes. Insulin therapy is used type 1 diabetes cases, while diet and exercise is advisable for type 2. However, this is just a general guideline. Extreme cases on both ends of the spectrum may be evident, and complications may call for a host of other treatments to fight the illness. Diabetes is an especially dangerous disease due to its ability to double the risk for other vascular illnesses, including cardiovascular disease. Hypertension may also develop. Certain activities or risk factors may speed up the harmful effects of diabetes, these include smoking, high cholesterol, obesity, high blood pressure, and lack of exercise.In conclusion, while diabetes isn't a death sentence, it certainly isn't a pleasant disease to live with. By understanding the risk factors and the symptoms, you can protect yourself from the siege of this terrible disease, and prevent others from going down the same road of people who have it.
