All you need to Learn about Diabetes – Causes, Symptoms, Types, Prevention, Treatment
Diabetes mellitus, often called as Diabetes is one such lifelong disease that is troubling a major part of world’s population. Though the disease can be controlled, but there is always a risk involved with a diabetic patient and an utter care is required. A diabetic patient often gains weight and develop high sugar level with high blood pressure. Let us learn more about diabetes in the given context and beware about the symptoms of diabetes along with its causes, types, prevention, and treatment.
What exactly is Diabetes?
Diabetes is basically a metabolic disorder that is often caused by an increase in blood sugar level. The disease is non-infectious but may turn out to be hereditary in some cases. If a patient is not given a proper diabetes treatment, it may lead to multiple organ failures or many other complications in patient’s body.
A diabetic patient must take care of the food diet and often avoid too much sugary food. The food that contains an excess of carbohydrates/starch or sugar is unhealthy for a diabetic patient.
Diabetes symptoms are often detected at early stages. So, the treatment must be started there and then to avoid any medical complications. The doctors must recommend a diabetic diet plan to the patient. Go ahead to learn how is diabetes caused and what can be done to cure diabetes.
History of Diabetes
Diabetes was one of the first diseases to be described through Egyptian manuscript from 1500BC with mentioned ‘too great emptying of the urine’. This case was believed to be Type 1 Diabetes. The Indian physicians around the same time also identified this disease and named it as ‘Madhumeha’ or ‘Honey Urine’ as the urine of diabetic patient attracted ants.
The term – “Diabetes” or “to pass through” was used in 250BC by a Greek Apollonius of Memphis. The Indian physicians –Charaka and Sushruta discovered Type 1 and Type 2 Diabetes to be the separate conditions between 400 to 500AD. Diabetes Type 1 was associated with youth while Type 2 Diabetes was associated with obesity. The term “mellitus” was added to diabetes by Thomas Willis in late 16th century, as he coined it from honey.
What are the Causes of Diabetes mellitus (DM)?
The causes of Diabetes are varying which depends on your genes, family history, ethnicity, health, and environmental factors. There are no common causes of diabetes mellitus that might fit every type of diabetes. The reason why there are no particular causes of diabetes is only that it depends on the individuals.
Still, we can accommodate some of the common causes of diabetes that are seen in most of the cases. The long bacterial infection, the chemical toxin in food, unidentified component causing an autoimmune reaction, poor diet, obesity, increasing age is among few of the causes of diabetes.
What are the Signs and Symptoms of Diabetes?
As we all know, diabetes is a metabolic disorder, so it is obvious to observe common symptoms in diabetic patients. But a diabetic patient may be identified with different types of diabetes. Before we move on, let us learn about different types of diabetes that might occur in a human being.
Major Types of Diabetes
There are two major types of Diabetes that are often found in a diabetic patient. The first is Type 1 diabetes, commonly found in youth while the second one is Type 2 diabetes, commonly found in people above 35 years of age. Though, there are patients suffering from Gestational Diabetes. Type 1 & Type 2 Diabetes is very common diabetes types found in most of the diabetic patients.
Type 1 Diabetes
Type 1 Diabetes is caused due to immune system failure where the immune system itself destroys the body cells in the pancreas which produce insulin. It is basically the autoimmune reaction where the body is attacking itself. This type of diabetes is commonly observed in children and youth.
Type 2 Diabetes
Type 2 Diabetes is often caused due to the involvement of multiple factors causing diabetes. Often the family history and genes lead to this type of diabetes. It is commonly found in people above 35 years old age group.
Gestational Diabetes (Type 3)
Most of the women in the 24th week of their pregnancy develop Gestational Diabetes. This doesn’t mean that they had diabetes before the pregnancy or they will have it after giving birth. It is the phase which can be neutralized easily with doctor’s mere advice.
Though the symptoms of Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes are a bit different, but we have clubbed a few of them together as these signs of diabetes are common in most of the patients. Here are the symptoms of diabetes that people must notice to identify diabetes at an early stage in order to reduce its impact.
- Being thirsty
- Too Frequent Urination
- Blurry Vision
- Numbness in hands or feet
- Wounds don’t heal easily
- Wight Loss/gain
- Increased Hunger
Is There a Cure for Diabetes?
Now, the common question arises here – ‘Is there a Cure for Diabetes’? Yes, there is a cure for diabetes – both through natural and Allopathic treatment. Being physically active is one of the ultimate solutions to cure diabetes and prevent it from expanding.
A diabetic patient must prepare a nutritional diet for diabetes so that adequate amount of food nutrients are consumed and blood sugar levels are maintained. It is highly recommended to people suffering from diabetes to consult a doctor after every six months and go for regular blood sugar test.
The diabetic patient must do regular blood test every week after buying one of the Diabetes Checking Machines (Glucometers) which has all the tools for easy testing of blood glucose levels. In this way, the patient can stay informed about any rise or downfall in blood glucose level. One must buy the Diabetes Starter Kit for regular monitoring.
Yoga is also considered as the natural cure for diabetes. Yoga is the ancient art form that originated in India and now has spread throughout the world because of its power to heal the diseases, let them be metabolic or life threatening. There are different yoga exercises that must be done by diabetic patient regularly to stay fit and control the low blood sugar levels developed due to diabetes.
The Treatment for Diabetes
As discussed earlier, doing regular physical activity is the ultimate treatment for diabetes. Though Diabetes is a lifelong condition and is really difficult to be cured, but it can be controlled to a large extent.
A regular physical activity is advisable to the diabetic patient because its helps the body to use insulin in a better way. The insulin released by the body converts glucose into energy, which is required by the body cells to function properly.
People suffering from Type 1 diabetes need to take insulin injections on a regular basis. Some patients diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes are also recommended to take these insulin injections. Generally, the patients suffering from Type 2 diabetes are advised to take oral medicines that help their body produce an adequate amount of insulin.
There are people, who are able to control Type 2 Diabetes without medication by taking the adequate diabetic diet. Type 2 Diabetes diet must be planned in such a way that the right amount of food is taken at the right time of the day. So, it is advised to concern an expert for preparing your meal chart if you are suffering from diabetes Type 2.
Medical Advice to Diabetic Patient
Here are certain things that are advised to a diabetic patient and the patient must follow this advice sincerely to avoid any complications in near future.
- Avoid eating food with access to sugar content except for fruits.
- A diabetic patient must concern a diabetes specialist half yearly.
- A diabetic patient must concern a dietitian for a proper diabetic meal plan.
- An exercise physiologist must be concerned to teach the exercises to boost the physical activity.
- An eye specialist must be concerned if you start seeing the things with blur.
- Keep a regular check on normal blood sugar level and you must keep it under control.
Other Problems that might be the result of Diabetes
Diabetes might bring many other complications or health problems with it if not looked after carefully. It is really necessary to maintain the blood glucose levels to normal. Some of the problems that might be faced by diabetic patient if he/she is not keeping a check on blood glucose level are:
- Heart Attacks
- Kidney Failure
- Blindness
- Blood Vessel Disease
- Strokes
- Nerve Damage
- Impotency in Men
According to a study conducted throughout the world for over 10 years, it was revealed that if people maintain their blood sugar level close to normal, they can surely reduce the risk of adopting these health problems to about 50 percent.
Prevention of Diabetes
One of the hard to digest facts about diabetes is that you cannot prevent it. A study recently revealed that nearly 70 percent of world population is prone to have diabetes. No research has ever claimed it that prevention of diabetes is possible.
Though, the onset of diabetes may be delayed in the adults who are at really high risk of getting this disease. But as the technology is advancing, the ways have been innovated to control diabetes and the day is near when doctors will be able to treat the diabetic patient successfully so that he/she never develops diabetes again.