Diabetes Information.
What is it?
Diabetes is a chronic disease that appears because the pancreas does not manufacture the amount of insulin that the human body needs, or the factory of a lower quality.Insulin is a hormone that has the fundamental mission to transform the sugars contained in food into energy.When it fails, it causes an excessive increase in sugar that contains blood (hyperglycemia).In fact, the scientific name of the disease is diabetes mellitus, which means "honey."

Causes
Diabetes affects 6% of the population.The possibilities of contracting it increase as a person becomes older, so that around 15% of people suffer from seventy years.It is essential to educate patients to control their diabetes properly, since it can lead to other diseases both or more important than diabetes itself: cardiovascular, neurological diseases, retinopathy (ocular condition that can lead to blindness) or nephropathy (diseaseof the kidney).The moment of appearance of the disease, as well as the causes and symptoms presented by patients, depend on the type of diabetes in question.

Type 1 diabetes.
The most frequent ages in which childhood, adolescence and the first years of adult life are.It usually appears abruptly, and many times regardless of whether there is a family history.It is due to the progressive destruction of pancreas cells, which are those that produce insulin.This has to be administered artificially from the beginning of the disease.Its particular symptoms are the increase in the need for drinking and the amount of urine, the feeling of tiredness and weight loss.

type 2 diabetes.
It is usually presented at more advanced ages and is about ten times more frequent than the previous one.As a general rule, there is the circumstance that they also suffer or other people in the family have suffered.It originates due to a scarce insulin production, together with the insufficient use of said substance by the cell.According to what defect of the two predominates, the patient will be treated with antidiabetic pills or insulin (or with a combination of both).It does not usually present any type of discomfort or specific symptom, so it can go unnoticed by the affected person for a long time.

gestational diabetes.
It is considered occasional diabetes.It can be controlled just like the other types of diabetes.During pregnancy insulin increases to increase energy reserves.Sometimes, this increase does not occur and can cause diabetes due to pregnancy.Nor does it have symptoms and the detection is almost always done after the routine analysis to which all pregnant women are subjected from 24 weeks of gestation.

Symptoms
Among the main symptoms of diabetes are included:


  • * Frequency in urinating (phenomenon of the "wet bed" in children).
    * Unusual hunger.
    * Excessive thirst.
    * Weakness and tiredness.
    * Weight loss.
    * Irritability and mood changes.
    * Sensation of discomfort in the stomach and vomiting.
    * Frequent infections.
    * Cloudy view.
    * Cortures and scratches that do not heal, or that are cured very slowly.
    * Itching or numbness in the hands or feet.
    * Recurrent infections on the skin, gum or bladder.
    * In addition there are high levels of blood sugar and urine


Prevention
For type 1 diabetes there is no effective method at the moment.On the other hand, it is proven that the type 2, which is the one that appears more frequently, being related to obesity can be treatedGreat avoiding healthy lifestyle:


  • * avoiding overweight and obesity.
    * Performing physical exercise regularly.
    * Leaving tobacco and alcoholic beverages.
    * Following a healthy food diet.

To prevent hypoglycemia, diabetics must take into account the following:


  • * Adjust the doses of medicines to their real needs.
    * Maintain a regular meal schedule as much as possible;
    * Take moderate amounts of carbohydrates before performing extraordinary exercises;
    * Always carry sugar with him.

As soon as the first signs of hypoglycemia appear, sugar must be taken (2 or 3 lumps), cookies (3 to 5 units) or drinking a glass (150 ml) of some drink containing rapid absorption carbohydrates (juices offruits, tail, etc.).Symptoms usually pass in 5 or 10 minutes.If hypoglycemia is serious or the person loses consciousness, it is necessary to inject a glycagon blister subcutaneously (just like insulin) or intramuscular (in the buttock).The glucagon mobilizes the organism's glucose reserves and takes effect in about 10 minutes.If there is no recovery, the affected must receive immediate medical assistance.

types
diabetes mellitus type 1 mediated by autoimmune processes:

It is caused by autoimmune destruction of pancreas cells.
It represents most cases of type 1 diabetes mellitus.
The normal thing is that it appears in young children or adults, but it can also occur in other ages.
It usually starts abruptly.
Risk factors are not well defined, but it is known that genetic, autoimmune and environmental factors are involved in their appearance.
The weight is usually normal or below normal, although the presence of obesity is not incompatible with the diagnosis.
Patients are prone to other alterations of the immune system.

diabetes mellitus type 1 idiopathic:

The cause that causes it is unknown.Only a minority of patients with type 1 diabetes belongs to this category, the majority of African and Asian origin.
There is an important hereditary factor and there are no alterations of the immune system.
In patients, the need for insulin may appear and disappear.

diabetes mellitus type 2:

Although it may appear at any age, it is common for adulthood, after 40 years.
It is characterized by insulin resistance and is usually associated with a relative production deficit of this substance by the pancreas.
Obesity is present in 80 percent of patients.
The risk of developing this form of diabetes increases with age, weight and lack of physical activity.It is more frequent in women with a history of gestational diabetes and in individuals with hypertension or disorders in fat metabolism.
It represents 90-95 percent of the total cases of diabetes mellitus.
Patients do not need insulin, although they may require it to control the glucose level.
It is frequently associated with a strong genetic predisposition, although this factor is complex and is not clearly defined.

gestational diabetes:

It begins or is diagnosed for the first time during pregnancy.
It appears between 2 and 5 percent of gestation processes.
Usually, the patient regains the status of normality after childbirth.
Women with gestational diabetes have, in the short, medium or long term, greater risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
The risk factors for gestational diabetes are obesity and family history.
Other types of diabetes: There are other types of diabetes caused by a malfunction of cellsof the pancreas or insulin that they manufacture, due to metabolism problems, etc.Many times these dysfunctions are caused by genetic defects, drugs, infections or other diseases.

treatments
The treatment of diabetes mellitus is based on three pillars: diet, physical exercise and medication.Its objective is to maintain blood glucose levels within normality to minimize the risk of complications associated with the disease.In many patients with type II diabetes, medication would not be necessary if excess weight was controlled and a physical exercise program is regularly carried out.However, it is often necessary a substitute therapy with insulin or the taking of hypoglycemic drugs orally.

oral hypoglycemic drugs .They are prescribed to people with type II diabetes who fail to descend the concentration of blood sugar through diet and physical activity, but are not effective in people with type I diabetes.

Insulin treatment .In patients with type I diabetes, exogenous insulin administration is necessary since the pancreas is unable to produce this hormone.It is also required in type II diabetes if diet, exercise and oral medication fail to control blood glucose levels.Insulin is administered through injections in the fat under the skin of the arm, since if taken orally it would be destroyed in digestive system before moving to the blood flow.Insulin needs vary depending on the foods that are ingested and the physical activity that is performed.People who follow a stable diet and regular physical activity vary little their insulin doses.However, any change in the usual diet or the realization of some sport requires modifications of insulin guidelines.Insulin can be injected through different devices:

traditional syringes , of only one use, graduated in international units (from 0 to 40).

feathers for insulin injection .They are feather -shaped devices that have a cartridge that contains insulin.The cartridge is changed when insulin ends, but the pen is still used.

preloaded syringes .They are devices similar to feathers, but previously loaded with insulin.Once the insulin ends, the entire syringe is thrown.The blood glucose level depends on the body area in which insulin is injected.It is advisable to be introduced through the abdomen, arms or thighs.Penetrates more quickly if injected into the abdomen.It is recommended to always inject in the same area, although moving about two centimeters the injection point once to another.You have to avoid injections in the skin folds, the midline of the abdomen and the groin and navel area.