Diabetes

Insulin hormone deficiency is a disease known to mankind since ancient times, but despite this and the speed of development of medical technologies, gaining new knowledge about the disease is extremely difficult to identify in the early stages. Many patients are not even aware of the presence of diabetes mellitus, attributing the symptoms to hormonal changes in the body and other diseases. Diabetes mellitus negatively affects health and metabolic processes, so it is extremely important to identify it as soon as possible and start timely treatment.

What is diabetes mellitus?

Diabetes mellitus is a chronic endocrine disease that develops as a consequence of a lack of insulin. A hormone synthesized by the pancreas is involved in the breakdown of sugar and the transport of glucose through the blood to organ tissues to provide the body with additional energy. In case of a lack of insulin, the sugar level rises significantly, which negatively affects the entire body.

Reasons for the development of the disease

The disease most often occurs in the presence of the following causes or prerequisites:

• Hereditary predisposition, in particular, if the father suffers from diabetes, the probability of developing the disease in children is much higher than if the disease is observed in the mother.
• Inadequate nutrition: the abuse of foods rich in calories, glucose and carbohydrates.
• The presence of excess weight, and with the second and subsequent degrees of obesity, the probability of developing diabetes mellitus increases by 80%.
• Lack of physical activity, low human activity.
• Frequent experiences of stressful situations or prolonged depression. Severe shock or nervous breakdown can also lead to illness.
• Long-term use of drugs from a certain group, for example, hormonal, diuretic or choleretic.
• The presence of a viral infection in the body (chicken pox, influenza, rubella).

disease symptoms

Warning signs that are evidence of the presence of the disease include:

• Constant feeling of thirst, which does not go away even after excessive drinking.
• Frequent urination, especially at night. This causes some discomfort and inconvenience, violates the established way of life.
• Drops of urine remain on the clothes, which, when dried, look like dried starch residues (dense white stains).
• The person complains of fatigue and drowsiness.
• Vision is drastically reduced, all objects are blurred.
• It is usually accompanied by a sensation of tingling and numbness, especially in the palms of the hands and the soles of the feet.
• Slow and very poor healing of wounds, even the smallest and most insignificant ones.
• The patient is concerned about itching, which is especially intense in the groin area.
• Sudden weight loss for no other apparent reason.
• Strong hunger that is difficult to satisfy.

It is important to remember that many of the symptoms already appear when there is a deficiency of insulin in the body and irreversible processes of interruption of the production of the hormone by the pancreas have begun. It is extremely difficult to determine the disease at the initial stage, which is why 80% of patients are not aware of the presence of the disease.

types of diabetes

There are 2 types of diabetes mellitus, which have characteristic differences despite some similarities.

• Type 1 diabetes (insulin dependent) is a disease characterized by the death of the beta cells of the pancreas, whose main function is the production of insulin. As a result of this process, there is a deficiency of the hormone that causes diabetes. The causes of the development of the disease include a violation of the immune system, the presence of a viral infection in the human body. As a rule, this type of disease affects children and adolescents. The only treatment option for the disease is regular insulin injections for the rest of your life.
• Type 2 diabetes mellitus is a disease that affects people over thirty years of age and develops as a result of the lack of perception by the body, the cells of the tissues and organs of the insulin produced by the pancreas. Due to the inadequate response of the body to the hormone, glucose accumulates in the blood and provokes the course of negative processes in the body. In case of untimely treatment, the production of insulin stops completely, since an increase in the level of glucose in the blood negatively affects beta cells and contributes to their destruction.

diabetes diagnosis

To diagnose the disease, you need to contact the clinic to see an endocrinologist who specializes in this disease. For the examination, the following procedures and examinations are carried out:

• Fasting blood tests for blood sugar levels. In some cases, when the patient is at risk for the disease, a stress test is performed to determine glucose tolerance.
• Conducting a urine test for sugar content and determining its level. A urine test may also be performed to detect the presence of acetone.
• It is also important to take an analysis for the installation of glycosylated hemoglobin, which will help determine the average blood glucose for the last three months.
• It is important to remember that diabetes is a chronic disease that cannot be cured, so regular maintenance therapy is required to maintain a normal condition.

Treatment of the disease

The main treatment for type 1 (insulin dependent) diabetes is regular injections of insulin. Thanks to modern medical instruments, injections have become much easier; insulin pumps and pens are used for this. The insulin dose is set individually for each patient and it is not recommended to change it yourself. The amount of insulin depends on the level of sugar in the blood, the presence of other concomitant diseases (for example, obesity), the lifestyle of the patient.

In case of incomplete pancreatic insufficiency, the doctor may prescribe drugs that can stimulate the production of the hormone in the human body. To eliminate insulin resistance in the body, other groups of drugs that eliminate insulin resistance and help maintain human health can be used. An important factor is the observance of a special diet, in which foods with a minimum content of sugar, carbohydrates, and which also stimulate the pancreas, are selected.

disease prevention

In order to avoid the development of the disease, it is important to follow the recommendations of the endocrinologist, which will help maintain health and not fall into the risk group. Preventive methods include:

• Regular monitoring of blood sugar levels is especially recommended for people at risk. People over forty years of age should conduct this study regularly, at least twice a year.
• Change eating habits, switch to a balanced diet with a predominance of healthy foods: low-glucose fruits, vegetables, fish, lean meats. In addition, it is recommended to follow a diet and divide food intake into three equal meals and several snacks.
• Daily performance of simple physical exercises, which will help normalize weight and reduce the probability of developing diabetes.
• Weight normalization, which will help reduce the likelihood of developing the disease.