How diabetes appears, its causes and ways to prevent it

Diabetes mellitus is the most common endocrine disease. Inadequate diet, lack of physical activity and hereditary predisposition - these factors increase the risk of its occurrence. Today, approximately 347 million people worldwide suffer from pathology. The number of cases has increased tenfold in the last two decades. If the disease is detected at an early stage, serious complications can be avoided. Therefore, it is important to know how diabetes manifests itself.

Causes and types of diabetes

Diabetes is a disease characterized by a disruption of the body's metabolism. The pancreas is associated with insufficient production of insulin hormone. Lack of sugar leads to the accumulation of sugar in the body.

It should normally be processed into glucose due to the action of insulin. This process is accompanied by malaise and other symptoms. The sugar itself is excreted in large quantities in the urine, leading to gradual dehydration and a constant haunting thirst.

The exact causes of the disease have not been studied so far. However, doctors identify a group of factors that increase the risk of its occurrence.

1. hereditary predisposition.
2. Overweight.
3. Pathologies of the pancreas (cancer, inflammation of the pancreas).
4. Exposure to viruses (especially dangerous influenza, rubella and smallpox).
5. Common stress.
6. Advanced age.

The classical classification of the disease prescribes two forms: type 1 and type 2 diabetes. The first option is considered to be the most dangerous and will last a lifetime. Insulin must be administered continuously intramuscularly to maintain the body's normal condition. In the second type, the body produces this hormone, but not in the required amount.

There are also the following types of diabetes: pregnancy, insipidus, steroids, latent, autoimmune, bronze. Each form is characterized by its own clinical picture and course characteristics.

How do you get type 1 and type 2 diabetes?

Diabetes is an insidious disease. A person may not know about health problems for many years until they fall into a hyperglycemic coma. Therefore, it is important to know the main manifestations of the pathology, taking into account its diversity.

Table 1. Manifestation of type 1 and type 2 diabetes mellitus

types of diabetes	Clinical picture
Type 1 diabetes	Intense and constant thirst, difficult to quench with water. The patient may also experience dry mouth and throat. You only need to drink a glass of water because the urge to urinate will appear immediately. Fast weight loss. You can lose 11 kg in one month. Increased appetite. Due to hormonal disorders, water-salt metabolism is disrupted and nutrients are difficult to digest. Frequent urination. The fluid simply does not remain in the body. A patient can consume more than 2 liters of water per day and the number of toilet requests can increase up to 10 times. Fast fatigue, decreased performance. These symptoms are also common in other diseases. It is therefore wrong to judge diabetes on the basis of these alone. Reduced temperature. Many people mistakenly believe that only elevated temperatures indicate health problems. However, in diabetes, a reduction is possible due to a slowdown in all metabolic processes. Itchy skin. Cracked skin can cause cracks. Vision impairment. Numbness of the lower extremities. This is a rather indicative symptom that cannot be ignored. It can then turn into gangrene as the peripheral nervous system suffers. Bad breath, reminiscent of acetone. Acetone is a breakdown product of proteins that must be utilized in a healthy body. In diabetes, the substance persists, gradually poisoning all organs. Decreased sexual desire. Any hormonal disorder is accompanied by a deterioration in libido.
Type 2 diabetes	Abundant urination. Strong thirst. Itchy skin. Weight gain in the background of hormonal disorders. development of osteoporosis. Muscle hypotension. Muscle weakness occurs due to disruption of the peripheral nervous system.

The clinical picture may vary slightly depending on the age and gender of the patient.

Signs of developing diabetes in children

Recognizing the pathology of children is easy. It is important to do this in time to avoid developing a diabetic coma. It occurs spontaneously and can be fatal if the child does not receive medical care.

Early signs of diabetes in children:

1. Frequent and large amounts of urination. If the baby is still going to the vessel, it is easy to recognize this symptom. Problems with passing urine occur mainly at night. Parents often need to change diapers and bedding.
2. The child is constantly thirsty. If diabetes is suspected, compotes and juices should be replaced with plain water. If thirst does not subside in this case, a doctor should be consulted.
3. The unevenness of the weight and quantity of food consumed. The kid eats a lot, but it won’t get any better. Another option is possible: the child eats little but grows fast.

In addition to these symptoms, diabetes can cause itching and constant tiredness and dry mouth after rest.

Development of diabetes in men

The clinical picture of the disease in men is no different from the general one. However, inflammation of the foreskin, the entire urethra, can be added to any sign. This is due to frequent urination. The concentration of sugar in the urine is quite high, which causes irritation of the tissues of the organ and the foreskin itself.

Diabetic disorders in women

In the fair sex, the onset of the disease is manifested in intense thirst, drowsiness, and itching. However, the pathological process often affects the reproductive system, which is accompanied by the following symptoms:

1. Violation of the menstrual cycle. Bloody secretions may be completely absent for several months and then appear as blood clots.
2. Appearance of ulcers on the mammary glands. They are often confused with allergies, but ongoing treatment does not produce positive results.
3. Weight loss or gain for no apparent reason.

The latter symptom is more common in women than in others. In addition to a high-calorie diet, patients can lose up to 10 kg. On the other hand, while following a strict diet, some, on the contrary, gain weight. Usually, such a violation is perceived as a malfunction of the hormonal system. Only after passing the tests are serious health problems revealed.

Symptoms of gestational diabetes

Gestational diabetes only develops in pregnant women. It has no special external features. They are usually detected during routine examinations, which are regularly prescribed to women in the position. The diagnosis is based on the results of a blood and urine test.

The external manifestations of the disease are virtually indistinguishable from type 1 and type 2 diabetes. We are talking about nausea, weakness, constant thirst. These symptoms do not occur individually and do not indicate toxicosis. They develop mainly in the second and third trimesters.

The pregnancy form of the disease does not pose a direct threat to the woman and the fetus in the womb. However, this can negatively affect your general well-being, the course of your pregnancy. High glucose levels lead to the birth of a large child (4 kg or more).

This is often seen as a prerequisite for obesity and diabetes to appear directly in a child. In some cases, there is a slight delay in development. It is sometimes diagnosed with jaundice, hypoglycemia.

What to do if you have symptoms of diabetes?

If you suspect diabetes, do not recover and ignore the initial symptoms. This disease is within the purview of the endocrinologist. However, the therapist can make a diagnosis.

In all cases, you should seek medical attention to determine the presence of the abnormal process. The specialist will first listen to the patient’s complaints, study his or her medical history, and perform a physical examination. Only these measures can be used to make a preliminary diagnosis. To confirm this, a comprehensive examination must be carried out.

Diagnosis of the disease

Research on the suspicion of diabetes aims to determine blood glucose levels.

Most often, patients are offered a blood test for sugar. It is not possible to eat for 8-12 hours before transport. Alcohol is also prohibited. It is better to quit smoking. Normally, the glucose indicator should be 5. 5 mmol per liter. If this parameter is 7 units or more, an additional scan is selected.

The patient is asked to perform a glucose tolerance test. The analysis consists of several parts. First, the patient has a standard fasting blood test. They then drink a glass of water with sugar (75 g in 200 ml of water) in a medical facility. He will take another blood test in 2 hours.

In a healthy person, the ratio is not more than 5. 5 mmol / liter after the first test and not more than 7. 8 mmol / liter after the second. If these parameters are slightly exceeded (a few tenths), the doctor will draw a conclusion about the pre-diabetes condition. Much higher rates are already indicative of diabetes.

Some require glycated hemoglobin analysis. This will allow you to monitor the level of glucose in your blood for the last 3 months. Normally, this number should be less than 5. 7%. Values between 5, 7-6, 4% have a high risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

In this case, the patient should discuss with the doctor the measures to prevent the disease. If the level of glycated hemoglobin exceeds 6. 5%, diabetes is likely. However, further studies are needed to confirm this.

Possible complications

The disease itself does not pose a threat to human life, but as recommended by your doctor. Its complications are dangerous. The most common of these are:

1. Neuropathy. The pathology manifests itself in the form of burning, severe pain and numbness in the lower extremities. It is caused by metabolic disorders of the central nervous system. Treatment includes taking medicines containing thioctic acid. By seeking medical help in a timely manner, the patient will be able to recover the nerve tissue.
2. diabetic coma. Her symptoms are growing rapidly. Therefore, the patient should be hospitalized immediately. At first, you may complain of darkening of the eye, mental retardation. There are several types of this condition, but ketoacidosis is the most common. It is characterized by the accumulation of toxins in the body that quickly destroy nerve cells.
3. Trophic ulcers. It is a serious pathology that significantly impairs the quality of human life. If treatment is not started in time, trophic ulcers may begin to purulent.

Diabetes can also lead to other health problems. They manifest themselves in the dysfunction of various organ systems (liver, kidneys, visual organs).

Prevention of diabetes

First, it should be noted that the onset of type 1 diabetes is difficult to predict. The disease is predominantly hereditary. Different viruses increase the likelihood of developing.

Type 2 diabetes is much easier to prevent. Its occurrence depends directly on the quality of human life. Addictions, an inactive lifestyle, alcohol consumption - all these factors can provoke the disease. Therefore, doctors make the following recommendations for prevention:

1. Control your weight (try to eat right and balanced).
2. Monitor your blood pressure and see a doctor for treatment if necessary.
3. Participate in challenging sports.
4. Treat diseases in a timely manner, especially those related to the endocrine system.

By following these simple guidelines, you can protect yourself from diabetes. A healthy lifestyle and proper nutrition is the key to the overall functioning of the body.

Diabetes mellitus is a serious disease that usually requires lifelong insulin intake. If you ignore the treatment, the pathological process can become more complicated and lead to quite unpleasant consequences.

Of the latter, mention should be made of diabetic coma, trophic ulcers of the lower extremities and neuropathy. To help control such problems, it is important to know the initial symptoms of the disease and see a doctor immediately if they occur. After performing a test consisting primarily of assessment of blood glucose parameters, the practitioner may choose therapy.