What is diabetes? Diabetes happens when the blood sugar level or glucose level in our blood is too high. For healthy and normal people, blood sugar level should be around 70 ml to 80 ml in every 100 ml of blood. Although the blood sugar increases after meals, it typically will not go beyond 120 ml to 150 ml range. The increased level of blood sugar level after meals will go back to normal after 2 hours with the help of insulin.
Behind our stomach lies a long oval shape pancreas that secretes insulin, which function is to promote nutrients in blood being absorbed by cells smoothly.
Diabetic patients' insufficient level of insulin causes blood sugar cannot be absorbed cells and thus left in blood, this is regarded as high blood sugar. If left unattended, the blood sugar will be secreted out and it is called diabetes. If serious, the diabetic patient, no matter how he or she is, will slim down very fast and the source of energy coming from glucose is passed out with urine.
The signs and symptoms of diabetes in early stage are usually ignored as they appear quite similar to any other illnesses' signs and symptoms.
Some common signs and symptoms of diabetes:
- Urine volume becomes higher, patients usually need to frequent toilet.
- Dry throat
- Feeling tired and weak.
- Always feeling hungry even right after meal.
- Itchy skin.
- Rashes
- Obvious weight change. Gaining weight during early phase, then loosing weight amid high food intake. When this symptom is observed, the illness is quite serious.
- Male impotence.
- Abnormal menstrual cycle and itchy vagina.
If patients are under very serious and worse condition for prolonged time, other complications will develop. One of the most death threatening ones is vein blockage as a result from lost elasticity and harden veins and arteries. It is known that diabetic patients will develop arteriosclerosis 10 years in advance. As veins are scattered through out body, patients might get heart attack, coma, stroke, blindness, kidney failure, neurological disorder, infectious diseases, depending on which veins are hardened or blocked.
Difference between type 1 and type 2 diabetes:
Type 1 diabetes cause is mainly due to function disorder to produce insulin, most cases are due to immune system attacking pancreas cells. Thus, patients have to rely on insulin injection to survive.
Type 2 diabetes accounts to more than 90% of patients diagnosed with diabetes. It is usually because of long term, gradual development and some patients have no signs of diabetes. If the illness is not worsen, there is no need for insulin intake, usually it is treated with proper exercise and diet.
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