Archive for the ‘Diabetes’ Category

What is Diabetes Mellitus?

Monday, April 5th, 2010

What is Diabetes MellitusDiabetes Mellitus occurs when the pancreas produce less insulin than normal. It is sometimes fatal and is one of the leading once of death in the United States. Nobody knows the causes of diabetes however diabetes can be inherited from a family line. 

Food that we consumed into our body and digested will be converted into glucose and enter into the blood. The beta cell in the pancreas will then release the insulin into the blood. The insulin helps to carry the glucose to the livers and muscle cells. Finally, the beta cells will release it to the blood and be utilized in metabolism. 

If the pancreas is unable to produce enough insulin to transport the glucose or if the pancreas cannot function properly, diabetes will result. Due to insufficient insulin produced by the pancreas, it interrupts the body processing of the glucose. Instead of reaching the necessary body components, the glucose circulates in the blood stream and upset the chemical balance of the body. This will lead to all kinds of disorders over a period of time.  (more…)

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Long Term Complications of Diabetes

Tuesday, January 26th, 2010

diabetes long term complicationsThe long term complications related to both types of diabetes are basically the same but they may occur at different times and will develop at different speeds. Type 1 diabetes development of complications is slower and they develop through the years. Type 2 diabetes complications tend to develop very fast and are more aggressive.

Blood pressure in the eyes is a very delicate matter and something that must remained permanently balanced. Excessive sugar contents in the blood increase blood pressure in the eyes which after a long period of time will cause cataracts and retinopathy. Both of these can eventually lead to complete or partial loss of vision in one or both eyes.

High blood pressure and excessive sugar will also cause a malfunction in the kidneys. Impaired functioning of the kidneys will lead to failure of one or both kidneys. The patient will then require dialysis or a kidney transplant; this depends on the damage caused.

Long term untreated diabetes will also damage the nervous terminals in the body. Nerves are irrigated by blood through tiny vessels, when these clog and blood stops flowing, the nerves will die. This can also happen to major nervous terminals and the brain causing large permanent damage. This damage is irreparable.

Long term complications and affections produced by both types of diabetes are serious and dangerous if not controlled. The excess of sugar in the blood tends to create plaque and close up the blood vessels this will eventually produce a heart attack or heart failure. Another, equally dangerous result of these complications is the blockage of major arteries to the legs which can lead to the need for amputation of one or eventually both limbs.

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Warning Signs and Symptoms of Diabetes

Tuesday, December 22nd, 2009

158960-main_FullDiabetes is a silent killer. It will advance on you without any symptoms or notice. Overweight, inactive lifestyles can lead to it. There are also certain ethnic groups who have a tendency to become diabetes in greater numbers than others. Symptoms can go unnoticed for a long time and it is hard to connect one with the other.

The most common symptoms for both Diabetes Type1 and Type 2 are a feeling of weakness and/or fatigue, constant thirst caused by body dehydration, constant urination, abdominal pain, nausea and/or vomiting, blurry vision, irritation, quick mood changes, constant infections, slow wound healing and menstrual changes.

The reason why it is hard to detect Diabetes is that all these symptoms will not show up at once. They will come and go, appear and disappear, so it is difficult to relate one with the other. The other fact is that they are usually unrelated to each other so a person may believe he or she is getting sick again, and not necessarily believe it is the same disease showing another symptom.

Constant monitoring and alertness about the person’s ailments and pains is necessary to detect diabetes. Repetition of any of these symptoms or a combination of them should make the person consider testing himself for diabetes. There are other symptoms which become visible and are easier to relate to diabetes; these are constant weight loss, a rapid heartbeat, low blood pressure and low body temperature.

These are easier to track, detect and relate but unfortunately threes appear once the disease has already set in and treatment is necessary. The symptoms mentioned above will start appearing at the early stages of diabetes when some preventive measures can be taken. Diabetes advances slowly and may go unnoticed for a long time, knowing your body and being alert to these signs can help you prevent it or control it at an early stage of development.

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