Diabetes_Mellitus

How many of you have friends or family members that have types 1 or 2 Gestational diabetes' In the US there are 23.6 million children and adults which is 7.8% of the population in America that have diabetes. Sushruta Samhita, an ancient Indian physician is who discovered diabetes. It was around 600 B.C., when Samhita connected obesity and sedentary life style with diabetes. Now in the modern day, diabetes is related with excess weight, but can also be hereditary. For instance, type 1 diabetes is called Insulin-Diabetes and it is not gender or race specific, not even age specific. 0.22% of people in the age group of under 20 years of age have diabetes. The amount of children and adolescents that have type 1 diabetes are one in every 400 to 600 people. In the age group 20 years and up with diabetes are in the 10.7% or 23.5 million range nation wide. Many may or may not know what this disease does and what effect it has, or that many women also get it during pregnancy. Diabetes is a disorder in the metabolism. Glucose is the main source of fuel for the body. We get glucose from broken down food that we eat. After we digest that food, glucose is passed into the bloodstream and is used by cells for energy. Another part of this process is that insulin must be present so the glucose can enter the cells. The part of the body that produces insulin is the pancreas, it produces the right amount of insulin so the glucose can move from the blood into the cells. The problem that people have with diabetes is that their pancreas produces too little or no insulin at all. Having diabetes is not just having complications in the pancreas, there are many more diseases that can develop with diabetes like for example: heart disease, kidney failure, and nerve damage. The reason why heart disease can develop with diabetes is because of high fats and food loaded with carbohydrates which increase blood sugar. If you are diabetic and you think you have kidney failure, one of the signs you would experience are swelling of the legs and feet. Nerve damage is also a serious effect due to diabetes. Diabetes symptoms vary depending on how high your blood sugar is elevated. In type 1 diabetes, symptoms tend to come on quickly and be more severe. Some of the signs and symptoms of type 1 and type 2 diabetes include: Increased thirst Frequent urination Extreme hunger Unexplained weight loss Presence of ketones in the urine Fatigue Blurred vision Slow-healing sores Mild high blood sugar Frequent infections, such as gum or skin infections and vaginal or bladder infections If you have been diagnosed with diabetes, you will initially need close medical follow-up until your blood sugar levels stabilize. To get tested for diabetes you can go to a clinic or personal doctor. At this point in time you will be told and explained what the symptoms are. To be diagnosed you will take a blood glucose test, or you can also take an oral glucose tolerance test. A urine test is also given to check for a possible kidney disease. If you do have diabetes and have been trying to control it, you will be given a hemoglobin (A1C) test to check how well it has recently controlled your diabetes. There are many treatments for diabetes, all depending what type of diabetes it is. For diabetes type 1 you will have insulin exercise and put on a diabetic diet. For type 2 diabetes it would be treated first with weight loss, diet and exercise, if these do not work, oral medications are used to control the disease. Monitoring your blood sugar, depending on your treatment plan, you may check and record your blood sugar level several times a week to three or more times a day. Careful monitoring is the only way to make sure that your blood sugar level remains within your target range. Diabetes may not seem like a big deal to people who don't know about it. This disease can be deadly if not controlled, and can cause many complications. It should be taken seriously. Diabetes can be prevented by eating healthy and exercising. If this disease runs in your family, there is a chance you can inherit it. Don't take the chance, watch your diet and the way you choose to live.