Discussion: Diabetes.

Today our review is about Diabetes. First of all let's read a brief introduction about diabetes and it's treatments.

What Is Diabetes?

Diabetes, referred to by doctors as diabetes mellitus, describes a group of metabolic diseases in which the patient has high blood glucose (blood sugar), because insulin production is inadequate, or because the body's cells don't respond properly to insulin, or both.

People with high blood sugar will normally experience polyuria (frequent urination), they will become increasingly thirsty (polydipsia) and hungry (polyphagia).

There Is two dIfferent main types of diabetes, 1 & 2. Read few facts below about both.

- Diabetes is a long-term condition that causes high blood sugar levels.

In 2013 it was estimated that over 382 million people throughout the world had diabetes (Williams textbook of endocrinology).

- Type 1 Diabetes - the body does not produce insulin. Approximately 10% of all diabetes cases are type 1.

- Type 2 Diabetes - the body does not produce enough insulin for proper function. Approximately 90% of all cases of diabetes worldwide are of this type.

- Gestational Diabetes - this type affects females during pregnancy.

- The most common diabetes symptoms include frequent urination, intense thirst and hunger, weight gain, unusual weight loss, fatigue, cuts and bruises that do not heal, male sexual dysfunction, numbness and tingling in hands and feet.

- As the risk of cardiovascular disease is much higher for a diabetic, it is crucial that blood pressure and cholesterol levels are monitored regularly.

As smoking might have a serious effect on cardiovascular health, diabetics should stop smoking.

- Hypoglycemia - low blood glucose - can have a bad effect on the patient.

- Hyperglycemia - when blood glucose is too high - can also have a bad effect on the patient.

How To Treat & Control Diabetes?

All types of diabetes are treatable. Diabetes type 1 lasts a lifetime, there is no known cure. Type 2 usually lasts a lifetime, however, some people have managed to get rid of their symptoms without medication, through a combination of exercise, diet and body weight control.

Patients with Type 1 diabetes are treated with regular insulin injections, as well as a special diet and exercise.

Patients with Type 2 diabetes are usually treated with tablets, exercise and a special diet, but sometimes insulin injections are also required.

If diabetes is not adequately controlled the patient has a significantly higher risk of developing complications. We will publish another posts related to specific ways of diabetes treatment soon, keep in touch.

Curiosities:

Researchers from the Mayo Clinic Arizona in Scottsdale show that gastric bypass surgery can reverse type 2 diabetes in a high proportion of patients. They added that within three to five years the disease recurs in approximately 21% of them.

Yessica Ramos, MD., said "The recurrence rate was mainly influenced by a longstanding history of Type 2 diabetes before the surgery.This suggests that early surgical intervention in the obese, diabetic population will improve the durability of remission of Type 2 diabetes."

You are encouraged to manage your blood glucose levels and aim to keep them as close to your target range as possible. This may delay or even prevent damage to your eyes, kidneys, nerves, blood vessels and sexual function.

If you already have early signs of damage to some of these areas, pro-active management of your diabetes may improve this damage to some extent. To settle up, diabetes can be treated in many ways and it's patients can live a normal life. Join our discussion, Share your thoughts! Regards from Tchose, and have a nice week my dear friends.