Diabetes mellitus is actually the name given to a group of diseases that are characterized by high blood sugar levels in your body. These blood sugar, or glucose, levels must be maintained within a certain range, or your body can be adversely affected.
Insulin is a hormone that allows body cells to absorb and store glucose, which converts to instant energy. If the body becomes deficient in insulin, the body may succumb to one of several forms of diabetes mellitus. Cells have difficulty absorbing glucose, which then builds up first in the blood supply and then urine. Since those affected must urinate frequently, the water-solute balance in the body is altered. Sufferers grow increasingly thirsty. Without glucose, body cells will then begin to deplete other valuable sources of fat and proteins as alternate energy sources. Sometimes rapid weight loss is the outcome, as is ketone accumulation within the blood and urine. Such a condition can result in what is called ketoacidosis, which affect the acid-base balance and can interfere with normal brain function.
Diabetes mellitus can lead to kidney failure, blindness and nerve damage. Diabetes is one of the major causes of strokes and coronary heart disease. Costs of battling diabetes mellitus are rising at alarming rates, with billions of dollars spent every year in treatment and drugs to fight symptoms, in addition to hospital stays and physician's visits. Diabetes mellitus is the third leading cause of death in the United States, only after heart disease and cancer.
Genetics is a factor in whether or not you're apt to develop diabetes mellitus, as is your ethnic background. African Americans and Native Americans have higher prevalence for acquiring the disease than Caucasians. Birth weight can also be a factor, and the lower the birthrate, the higher your chance of acquiring Type 2 diabetes. By far, however, the greatest contributor to acquiring diabetes mellitus is obesity. American's today are growing heavier than they've ever been before, which is a reason why diabetes mellitus is on the rise.
While diabetes mellitus is a chronic condition, it can be controlled through careful diet and exercise programs. Blood glucose monitors used daily can keep the disease under control for those instructed to inject insulin. For those diagnosed as borderline, maintaining a normal weight and diet are vital to prevent the disease from growing worse. While diabetes mellitus can also be inherited, careful diet and maintaining a healthy life style can slow its onset.
All about Diabetes Mellitus
Diabetes mellitus is a disease that causes higher than normal blood sugars in its sufferers. It is of two types:
The disease of diabetes mellitus affects 20.8 million people in the US or 7% of the total population. Both genetics and environment and heredity play a role in who gets diabetes and who doesn’t. Poor dietary habits and obesity play a large role in the development of type II diabetes.
There are many people who don’t have diabetes mellitus but who are suffering from prediabetes, also sometimes called insulin resistance. Their body doesn’t respond well to the insulin made by the pancreas but the situation isn’t bad enough to raise the blood sugar levels yet. The body has higher than normal amounts of insulin in the system but it is enough to compensate for the blood sugar. Eventually, however, many prediabetics go on to develop diabetes in a few years.
There are several tests for diabetes mellitus. The first is a fasting blood sugar. This is normally less than 100 mg per deciliter. In prediabetes, the number is often between 100 and 120 mg per deciliter. The other test for diabetes mellitus is called the “three hour glucose tolerance test” or “3 hr GTT”. This involves getting a fasting blood sugar and then giving the individual a small bottle of highly sugared liquid to drink. Then the blood sugar is tested at one hour, two hours and three hours after drinking the sugared liquid. If any number is above 200, then diabetes is diagnosed.
Another test for diabetes mellitus is to check the glycosylated hemoglobin level. This is a measure of the amount of “sugar coated” blood cells in the body. The normal level is 6.0 and numbers above that is felt to be diabetes.
The treatment for diabetes mellitus is different depending on the type of diabetes the person has. Type I diabetes is almost always treated by insulin shots. This is because there is no insulin being put out by the pancreas and so insulin must be replaced. Type II diabetes is often treated with diet and medications. The medications are those that make the cells of the body respond better to the insulin being provided by the pancreas. There are also medications that act to lower the blood sugar directly.
Those with diabetes mellitus must check their blood sugars frequently with a glucometer or blood glucose meter. Insulin shots are given before each meal and sometimes at bedtime. Type II diabetics don’t often need to check their blood sugars that often.
Insulin is a hormone that allows body cells to absorb and store glucose, which converts to instant energy. If the body becomes deficient in insulin, the body may succumb to one of several forms of diabetes mellitus. Cells have difficulty absorbing glucose, which then builds up first in the blood supply and then urine. Since those affected must urinate frequently, the water-solute balance in the body is altered. Sufferers grow increasingly thirsty. Without glucose, body cells will then begin to deplete other valuable sources of fat and proteins as alternate energy sources. Sometimes rapid weight loss is the outcome, as is ketone accumulation within the blood and urine. Such a condition can result in what is called ketoacidosis, which affect the acid-base balance and can interfere with normal brain function.
Diabetes mellitus can lead to kidney failure, blindness and nerve damage. Diabetes is one of the major causes of strokes and coronary heart disease. Costs of battling diabetes mellitus are rising at alarming rates, with billions of dollars spent every year in treatment and drugs to fight symptoms, in addition to hospital stays and physician's visits. Diabetes mellitus is the third leading cause of death in the United States, only after heart disease and cancer.
Genetics is a factor in whether or not you're apt to develop diabetes mellitus, as is your ethnic background. African Americans and Native Americans have higher prevalence for acquiring the disease than Caucasians. Birth weight can also be a factor, and the lower the birthrate, the higher your chance of acquiring Type 2 diabetes. By far, however, the greatest contributor to acquiring diabetes mellitus is obesity. American's today are growing heavier than they've ever been before, which is a reason why diabetes mellitus is on the rise.
While diabetes mellitus is a chronic condition, it can be controlled through careful diet and exercise programs. Blood glucose monitors used daily can keep the disease under control for those instructed to inject insulin. For those diagnosed as borderline, maintaining a normal weight and diet are vital to prevent the disease from growing worse. While diabetes mellitus can also be inherited, careful diet and maintaining a healthy life style can slow its onset.
All about Diabetes Mellitus
Diabetes mellitus is a disease that causes higher than normal blood sugars in its sufferers. It is of two types:
- Type I diabetes, which normally affects young people. It occurs when the body doesn’t make enough insulin to rid the body of excess sugar. The only way to treat that disease is to provide insulin to make up for the lost insulin from the pancreas.
- Type II diabetes generally affects older people and is a condition where the body makes insulin but the cells of the body don’t respond to the insulin in the body.
The disease of diabetes mellitus affects 20.8 million people in the US or 7% of the total population. Both genetics and environment and heredity play a role in who gets diabetes and who doesn’t. Poor dietary habits and obesity play a large role in the development of type II diabetes.
There are many people who don’t have diabetes mellitus but who are suffering from prediabetes, also sometimes called insulin resistance. Their body doesn’t respond well to the insulin made by the pancreas but the situation isn’t bad enough to raise the blood sugar levels yet. The body has higher than normal amounts of insulin in the system but it is enough to compensate for the blood sugar. Eventually, however, many prediabetics go on to develop diabetes in a few years.
There are several tests for diabetes mellitus. The first is a fasting blood sugar. This is normally less than 100 mg per deciliter. In prediabetes, the number is often between 100 and 120 mg per deciliter. The other test for diabetes mellitus is called the “three hour glucose tolerance test” or “3 hr GTT”. This involves getting a fasting blood sugar and then giving the individual a small bottle of highly sugared liquid to drink. Then the blood sugar is tested at one hour, two hours and three hours after drinking the sugared liquid. If any number is above 200, then diabetes is diagnosed.
Another test for diabetes mellitus is to check the glycosylated hemoglobin level. This is a measure of the amount of “sugar coated” blood cells in the body. The normal level is 6.0 and numbers above that is felt to be diabetes.
The treatment for diabetes mellitus is different depending on the type of diabetes the person has. Type I diabetes is almost always treated by insulin shots. This is because there is no insulin being put out by the pancreas and so insulin must be replaced. Type II diabetes is often treated with diet and medications. The medications are those that make the cells of the body respond better to the insulin being provided by the pancreas. There are also medications that act to lower the blood sugar directly.
Those with diabetes mellitus must check their blood sugars frequently with a glucometer or blood glucose meter. Insulin shots are given before each meal and sometimes at bedtime. Type II diabetics don’t often need to check their blood sugars that often.
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