Diabetes - An Overview

Diabetes is a disease in which sugar is not utilized by the blood due to low levels of insulin produced by the body. Keeping your blood and sugar level low can help a lot in controlling your diabetes. Genetic and environmental factors as well as eating habits can be attributed for causing diabetes.

Introduction to Diabetes

Diabetes is a disease in which the body does not produce or properly use insulin. Insulin is a hormone that converts sugar, starch and other foods into energy that is needed by the body to perform its daily chores.

It can be caused both by genetic and environmental conditions as well as imbalanced diet and overweight.

Diagnosis of Diabetes

A test called Fasting Plasma Glucose Test (FPG) or an Oral Glucose Tolerance Test (OGTT) is carried out by a physician to check whether a patient has pre-diabetes or diabetes. With FPG test, glucose level between 100 and 125 mg/dl signal pre-diabetes.

An individual with glucose level of 126 mg/dl or higher is said to suffer from diabetes.

In OGTT test, an individual’s glucose level is measured after a fast and 2 hours after drinking a glucose rich beverage. If the glucose level is between 140 and 199 mg/dl, the person has pre-diabetes, however, if the after 2 hour blood glucose level is at 200 mg/dl or more, the person has diabetes.

Types of Diabetes

Type 1 Diabetes

This kind of diabetes results from body’s failure to produce insulin that allows the glucose to enter the body cells and fuel them. A very small number of people suffer from this kind of diabetes.

Type 2 Diabetes

It results from insulin resistance, a condition in which the body fails to make proper use of insulin combined with insulin deficiency. Most of the people have this kind of diabetes.

Signs of Diabetes

Most of the symptoms of diabetes are harmless and go unnoticed. Some of them include:

• Frequent urination
• Excessive thirst
• Extreme hunger
• Unusual loss of weight
• Blurry vision
• Increase in fatigue

Treatment of Diabetes

Treatment for Type 1 Diabetes

People with Type 1 diabetes need to be injected with insulin injections to use the glucose they obtain from food. Insulin can either be injected using a needle and syringe or it can be administered externally by a pump, pen or injector.

Insulin cannot be taken as a pill as it’s a protein and would break down during digestion. It must be balanced with diet and activities.

Treatment for Type 2 Diabetes

People with Type 2 diabetes need diabetes medicine or extra insulin to help their bodies use their own insulin better, as their bodies do not use the insulin produced.

Diet and exercise often bring glucose level to normal, otherwise medications are given.

Oral Medication for Diabetes Patients

Oral medication may include:

• Sulfonylurea drugs, they stimulate the production of insulin in pancreas
• Biguanides, they decrease the amount of sugar made in the liver
• Alpha-glucosidase inhibitors, they slow the starch absorption
• Meglitinides, help in stimulation of insulin in pancreas
• Thiazolidinediones, they make body more sensitive to insulin

Diabetes is an important medical condition and needs prompt attention and treatment. If diabetes is not diagnosed and treated on time, it can cause severe complications like loss of vision, heart problems, loss of coordination and other problems. It is advised that if you are suffering from diabetes, get proper medical help.