Diabetes - Some Useful Notes

There are in fact two main types of the disease – Type 1 and Type 2, and they are quite different in cause and treatment regime. There is also a strain of the disease called gestational diabetes that only affects pregnant women.

To understand the disease, we must first appreciate the part that insulin plays in our body. When we eat or drink glucose, fructose or carbohydrates, our system converts them into glucose in the blood stream. For us to be able to utilise the glucose to produce energy, our pancreas produces insulin which 'unlocks' receptors in our cells and permits the glucose to enter the cells and be converted into energy.

Type 1 diabetes is characterised by the failure of the body to produce enough insulin to regulate blood sugar levels correctly. It is frequently referred to as insulin dependant diabetes or juvenile diabetes, and it is usually found in people under 30 years of age.

The condition comes on quite suddenly and is characterised by excessive thirst caused by an excess of glucose in the blood stream. This also results in frequent urination, another symptom. It is a chronic condition – that is, it is a lifelong illness. It appears that the pancreatic cells that normally produce the insulin could have been damaged or destroyed by the body's own immune system.

Those suffering from Type 1 diabetes make up around 5-10% of diabetes sufferers and it is treated by administering insulin either by injection or by a drip feed. There is a danger for type 1 diabetics that they may suddenly lose consciousness and they are also at serious risk of contracting further complications in later life.

A recent medical breakthrough has created a new treatment that involves the transplantation of islet cells, and even though the recipient is required to take anti-rejection drugs, the newly introduced cells are capable of producing insulin and patients in the medical trial have reported significantly reduced levels of insulin injection. It is hoped that the injections may one day be completely eliminated through more islet cell transplants.

Type 1 diabetics are prone over time to be affected by sight problems, micro-vascular disorders, vascular disorders and kidney problems due largely to long term damage to the blood vessels.

Type 2 diabetes accounts for 90-95% of diabetes cases. Patients with type 2 diabetes can produce insulin, but their cell receptors have become resistant to the chemical. Thus, their body has to produce ever increasing amounts of insulin to be able to 'unlock' the cells so that they can utilise the glucose from the blood stream. Eventually, these sufferers get to the point where they cannot create enough insulin to reduce the sugar levels in their blood stream.

Type 2 diabetes affects 15-20% of those over sixty. A large number of adults have the disease but are undiagnosed. It is usually recognised during a physical check-up following complaints of problems such as skin, chest or urinary infections.

Type 2 diabetes can be managed through diet control and weight reduction or with prescription drugs. Although there is a definite genetic link to the disease in a high number of cases, it is brought about by being overweight, not taking sufficient exercise and eating too much food full of high glycaemic index carbohydrates (white rice, white bread, sugar and fruit).Weight management, exercise and a diet low in sugars, fructose and processed carbohydrates are recognised as important techniques when trying to avoid the disease.

Many members of the medical profession are expressing alarm at the recent trend of type 2 diabetes cases being found in children. This is almost certainly due to the prevalence of childhood obesity, together with the lack of exercise taken by overweight children and the foods they eat that are high in carbohydrates and sugar with a high glycaemic index.

About 4% of pregnant women are diagnosed with gestational diabetes. Most of them recover from this form of the illness after giving birth, but it does appear to indicate an increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes in later life.

The most common sign of diabetes is constant thirst and subsequent regular urination. Other symptoms include unexplained weight loss, constant fatigue, dizziness, itching and pain in the legs whilst walking.

If diabetes only involved taking insulin for the remainder of your life, it wouldn't be such a serious disorder. Diabetics have a number of increased risks including:

- double the rate of heart disease compared to non-sufferers

- five times the risk of having a stroke

- the most frequent need for amputation of limbs outside of accidents

- diabetes is the most likely cause in all new cases of blindness in persons aged 24 to 74

- the major cause of end-stage renal disease and over one third of new kidney diseases.

Consistent and accurate management of blood sugar levels reduces the chances of any of the above occurring.

Article Source: http://www.myaddirectory.com

This article on the causes and treatment of diabetes was written by Terry Cod, a travel writer who himself suffers from the illness. He is the owner of www.twistedorange.co.uk/ which has sections on avoiding junk food and eating healthily.

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