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| What is diabetes and how does it affect your health |
*** Diabetes Overview
Diabetes refers to a group of chronic diseases that affect the body's ability to use blood sugar, known as glucose, normally. Glucose is the primary source of energy needed by the body's cells to carry out their vital functions, including muscles and various vital tissues. Glucose is also the primary source of energy for the brain, which relies heavily on this substance to generate the energy needed for neurological function.
The causes of diabetes vary depending on the type, but the end result is often the same: abnormally high blood sugar levels. When this level remains elevated for long periods, it can lead to serious health complications, including damage to the heart, nerves, kidneys, and eyes, and may exacerbate other health problems.
Chronic diabetes includes two main types: type 1 and type 2. Treatable or preventable conditions include prediabetes and gestational diabetes. Prediabetes occurs when blood sugar levels are higher than normal, but not high enough to qualify as full-blown diabetes. Without early intervention and preventative steps, prediabetes can progress to type 2 diabetes.
Gestational diabetes occurs during pregnancy and usually resolves after delivery, but it can increase the risk of developing type 2 diabetes in the future for both the mother and the baby. Understanding the nature of each type of diabetes and its associated risk factors is crucial to ensuring early prevention and treatment and reducing potential complications.
*** Symptoms
The symptoms of diabetes depend on how high your blood sugar is. Some people may not experience any noticeable symptoms, especially if they have prediabetes, gestational diabetes, or early-stage type 2 diabetes. In the case of type 1 diabetes, symptoms usually appear quickly and are more severe, requiring immediate medical attention.
Common symptoms of both type 1 and type 2 diabetes include:
- Excessive thirst and increased water intake.
- Frequent urination, especially at night, as the body tries to get rid of excess blood sugar.
- Sudden, unexplained weight loss despite eating normally.
- The presence of ketones in the urine, which are byproducts of the breakdown of fat and muscle when insulin is insufficient.
- Feeling tired and generally weak due to cells not receiving enough energy.
- Mood changes, such as irritability or mild depression.
- Blurred vision or other vision problems, due to the effect of sugar on the small blood vessels in the eyes.
- Slow healing of wounds and skin ulcers, due to poor circulation and decreased resistance to infection.
- Repeated exposure to infections, such as infections of the skin, gums, and genital areas.
Type 1 diabetes symptoms can begin at any age, but they most often appear during childhood or adolescence. Type 2 diabetes, which accounts for the vast majority of diabetes cases, typically begins after the age of 40, but the incidence is increasing in children and adolescents, reflecting lifestyle changes and increased obesity.
*** When to see a doctor?
If you notice any of the above symptoms, or suspect your child may have diabetes, it's important to contact a doctor immediately. Early diagnosis allows for timely treatment, reducing the likelihood of long-term complications.
If you already have diabetes, close medical follow-up is an essential part of treatment. This includes regularly monitoring blood sugar levels, adhering to medication, and undergoing periodic checkups to detect any potential complications affecting the heart, kidneys, eyes, and nerves.
*** Causes
To understand diabetes, it's important to know how the body normally uses glucose.
How does insulin work?
Insulin is a hormone produced by the pancreas, a gland located behind and below the stomach. The pancreas secretes insulin into the bloodstream, allowing sugar to enter cells for use as an energy source. Insulin also lowers blood sugar levels to normal levels, and when blood sugar drops, the pancreas automatically reduces insulin secretion.
The Role of Glucose
Glucose, or sugar, is the primary fuel for cells. The body obtains glucose from two main sources: food and the liver. After eating, sugar is absorbed into the blood and delivered to cells by insulin. The liver also stores glucose as glycogen and releases it when needed, such as during fasting, to maintain blood sugar balance.
If the pancreas does not produce enough insulin, or the body does not respond properly to insulin, this leads to a buildup of sugar in the blood and the development of diabetes. Genetic and environmental factors may play a role in the development of both types 1 and 2, although the exact cause is not yet clear.
*** Risk factors
Risk factors vary depending on the type of diabetes, but they often include:
- Family history: This plays an important role in all types of diabetes.
- Environmental and geographic factors, which may increase the risk of type 1 diabetes.
- The presence of autoantibodies in some family members increases the likelihood of developing type 1 diabetes.
- Ethnicity: Certain ethnicities are more likely to develop type 2 diabetes, such as Black people, Hispanics, American Indians, and Asian Americans.
- Obesity and overweight: Increase the risk of type 2 diabetes, prediabetes, and gestational diabetes.
*** Complications
Complications develop gradually with persistently high blood sugar levels and include:
- Cardiovascular disease: Increased risk of angina, heart attacks, strokes, and atherosclerosis.
- Diabetic neuropathy: Damage to the peripheral nerves, especially in the feet and hands, causing pain, numbness, or burning.
- Digestive problems: Including nausea, vomiting, constipation, or diarrhea, and erectile dysfunction in men.
- Kidney damage: Malfunction of the fine filtration system leads to problems removing waste from the blood.
- Diabetic retinopathy: Damage to the blood vessels in the eyes can lead to blindness.
- Foot damage: Poor blood flow and increased nerve damage increase the risk of ulcers and infection.
- Skin and mouth problems: Increased susceptibility to bacterial and fungal infections.
- Hearing loss.
- Brain disease: Increased risk of dementia and Alzheimer's disease.
- Depression: Common among both type 1 and type 2 diabetes patients.
*** Complications of Gestational Diabetes
Most babies are born healthy, but untreated high blood sugar can lead to:
- Excessive fetal growth: Excess glucose stimulates the fetus's insulin production, leading to increased weight and potentially leading to a difficult birth or the need for a cesarean section.
- Hypoglycemia after birth: Due to high insulin levels in the baby.
- Risk of diabetes and obesity later in life.
- Death in severe, untreated cases.
- Maternal complications include preeclampsia, high blood pressure, and a higher risk of developing gestational diabetes in the next pregnancy.
*** Prevention
Type 1 diabetes cannot be prevented, but preventive health choices can reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes, prediabetes, and gestational diabetes:
- Eat a healthy, low-fat, high-fiber, varied, and nutritious diet.
- Regular moderate physical activity, such as walking or aerobic exercise, for 150 minutes per week.
- Losing 5–10% of excess weight reduces the risk.
- Regular blood sugar monitoring for people with prediabetes.
- Medications such as metformin can be used under medical supervision to prevent type 2 diabetes in appropriate cases.
