Diabetes Mellitus: Type 1 vs 2, Symptoms, Causes, & Treatments

What is Diabetes mellitus?

Diabetes mellitus (Latin diabetes mellitus) is a group of endocrine diseases associated with impaired glucose uptake and developing due to the absolute or relative insufficiency of the insulin hormone, resulting in the development of hyperglycemia

It is one of the most important social and medical problems. On November 14 - World Diabetes Day: to increase the global awareness of the population about diabetes, disease rates, the prevention of disease - this is aimed at the efforts of doctors, volunteers and community activists. This day was established with the support of the International Diabetes Federation and the World Health Organization (WHO). They hold mass events that help to inform people about the disease on November 14 - the birthday of  Dr. Frederick Banting, a Canadian doctor and one of the discoverers of insulin hormone.

Why people have diabetes: types of disease

"It is a disease in which a person has an absolute or relative lack of an insulin hormone''. In most cases, the incidence of type 1 diabetes mellitus is hereditary: for a given type of disease, the pancreas does not produce enough insulin hormone. This type of diabetes is also called insulin-dependent, as a person has to monitor blood glucose all his life and receive insulin injections.

 Type 2 diabetes mellitus or insulin-independent diabetes is controlled by the use of hypoglycemic drugs, diet, exercise control, etc.

Factors for the development of diabetes can be:

overweight and obesity.

It is overweight that often leads to the development of type 2 diabetes because with obesity the body becomes less susceptible to glucose (tolerance is developed). The penetration of glucose into muscle cells worsens, it accumulates in the blood and provokes the development of diabetes. Therefore, doctors focus on how important it is to eat right, lead an active lifestyle and prevent obesity.

·        Inflammatory processes in the pancreas

·        Stress

·        viral infectious diseases

·        taking many medications.

How to Suspect Diabetes: Symptoms of Disease?

Diabetes of the first type, as a rule, develops in childhood. Diabetes of the second type is the opposite: the risk of developing the disease increases with age. The main type 1 diabetes symptoms are growing quite quickly:

·        thirst

·        the odor of acetone in the air breathed by man

·        frequent urge to urinate

·        itching of the skin

·        poorly healing wounds.

With an extremely severe degree, a sharp rise in blood glucose and a diabetic coma can develop: a person in this state needs urgent hospitalization. Diabetes of type 2 can last for a long time without symptoms: only fatigue worries, which most people write off the workload. It is in the pre-diabetic state that it is easiest to avoid the development of pathology if the treatment is started in time.

What to do with diabetes mellitus

Even if there is the slightest suspicion of diabetes, it is necessary to contact the endocrinologist and take a survey. It will be required to pass a glucose tolerance test, pass urine analysis for sugar, etc. Executing clear doctor's recommendations, taking medications and dieting will help control the disease and prevent the development of complications: nephropathy (kidney damage), diabetic foot, mental disorders, etc. It's important to check the level of glucose in the blood; modern glucometers allow you to check the blood sugar even at home independently.