Diabetes

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WHAT IS DIABETES ? Diabetes is a condition in which a person's body is not able to make enough insulin (a hormone used for the utilization of blood sugar) or use insulin to produce energy from blood sugar.

TYPES OF DIABETES !

Diabetes mellitus is an illness with 2 common forms:
 

• Type I diabetes: The body is unable to produce insulin—the hormone that regulates blood sugar levels. It is believed that Type I diabetes is an autoimmune disease. This means the body's immune system attacks itself—in this case, the cells in the pancreas that produce insulin.

   

• Type II diabetes: The body is partially or completely unable to use insulin. With Type II diabetes, there may also be varying degrees of deficiency in the secretion of insulin. Type II diabetes is believed to have a strong genetic link, meaning that it tends to run in families. There are several genes being studied that may be related to the cause of Type II diabetes.

   

  RISKS FOR DIABETIC PATIENTS !

   

  Diabetes accelerates atherosclerosis, or the formation of fatty plaques inside the arteries, which can lead to blockages, or thrombus, which then can lead to heart attack, stroke, and decreased circulation in the arms and legs.

  Many infections are associated with diabetes, and infections are frequently more dangerous in someone with diabetes than in the general population.

  Increasing age is also a significant risk factor for Type II diabetes. Risk begins to rise significantly at about age 45, and rises considerably after age 65.

   

  SYMPTOMS !

  • Fatigue: In diabetes, the body is inefficient and sometimes unable to use glucose (which is sugar) for fuel.

  • Excessive thirst (polydipsia)

  • Excessive urination (polyuria)

  • Poor wound healing: High blood sugar levels prevent the white blood cells, which are important in defending the body against bacteria and also in cleaning up dead tissue and cells, from functioning normally. When these cells don't function properly, wounds take much longer to heal and become infected more frequently.

  
   

  HOW TO FIGHT DIABETES !

  • Diet: A healthy diet is key to preventing diabetes and also to aid in its treatment.

  • Exercise: Regular exercise, in any form, can help reduce the risk of developing diabetes.Twenty minutes of walking at least 3 times a week has a proven beneficial effect.

  • Smoking: If you have diabetes, and you smoke cigarettes or use any other form of tobacco, you are raising your risks markedly for nearly all of the complications of diabetes.

  • Just to give yourself a boost just remember that even Wasim Akram, one of the greatest cricketers of all time, is also a diabetic. Infact he has been a know diabetic since 1996 and he is on regular insulin therapy !

  
   

  COMPLICATIONS !

  • Sores (ulcers) on your feet or legs (less than 1 inch across): Any nonhealing sore or ulcer on the feet or legs of someone with diabetes needs to be seen by a doctor. If the sore is less than 1 inch across, is not draining pus, there is no deep tissue or bone exposed, and no high fever (lower than 101.5°F), it may be safe to call the doctor for an appointment.

  • Fever is a sign of infection.

  • Trauma to the feet or legs.

  • Nausea, vomiting.

  
   

  MANAGING THE COMPLICATIONS !

  • Nausea or vomiting: If you are nauseated or vomiting and cannot keep food or fluids down at all, go to the Emergency Department . If you have not already taken the latest insulin dose or oral diabetes medicine, do not take it without talking to the doctor. You will be unable to take in the necessary calories and may have a serious low blood sugar.

  • Altered mental status: hypo or hyper

  • Chest pain.

  • Severe abdominal pain.

  
   

  DIAGNOSING COMPLICATIONS OF DIABETES !

  • Your doctor should recommend at least an annual visit to an ophthalmologist (medical doctor who is an eye specialist) to screen for diabetic retinopathy, a leading cause of blindness.

  • Your doctor should also test your urine for protein on a regular basis, at least 1-2 times per year. Protein in the urine is an early sign of diabetic nephropathy (disease of the nerves usually causing lack of sensations), a leading cause of kidney failure.

  • Your doctor should also regularly check the sensation in your legs using a tuning fork. Diabetic neuropathy is a leading cause in diabetic lower extremity ulcers, which frequently lead to amputation of the feet or legs.

  
   

  TREATMENT !

  • Type I diabetes

  
  Treatment almost always involves the injection of insulin, usually a combination of short-acting insulin such as regular or lispro insulin and a longer-acting insulin such as NPH, lente, or ultralente insulins. People with Type I diabetes usually give these injections to themselves, 2-3 per day, generally half an hour before mealtimes. Dosage is individual and is tailored by your doctor.

  
   

  • Type II diabetes

  
  The treatment usually involves intake of oral hypoglycemic drugs (drugs which lower the blood glucose) .