Diabetes Mellitus, also called diabetes mellitus, is a disease that occurs when the glucose level in the blood, also called blood sugar, is high. Glucose in the blood from food is the main energy source. The insulin hormone produced by the pancreas in the body helps the glucose taken from the foods consumed to be transported to the blood cells.
Glucose is mostly taken from carbohydrates, protein, fatty foods, fruit, vegetables, honey and jam, legumes, sugar and sugar products. In some cases, the body may not produce enough (or no) insulin or may not be able to use the insulin produced effectively. In this case, the glucose taken into the body mixes with the blood and cannot be transported to the cells. Increasing glucose levels in the body over time can also cause some diseases.
Diabetes is a chronic disease, although there is no permanent treatment for this disease, it is possible for patients to continue their normal lives by taking necessary precautions such as a balanced diet, a healthy life and regular sports.
What are the Types of Diabetes Disease?
The most common types of diabetes; Type 1 diabetes, Type 2 diabetes, and gestational diabetes.
Type 1 Diabetes
Type 1 Diabetes is a chronic disease. In the pancreas of patients diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, the cells that produce insulin are destroyed and therefore insulin cannot be produced in sufficient quantity (or at all).
Insulin helps the body’s cells use glucose, which provides energy. Insulin takes the glucose that enters the body through food and distributes it to the cells.
When cells have enough glucose, the liver and muscle tissue store the remaining glucose (blood sugar) in the body as glycogen. This stored glycogen is separated from blood sugar and used when energy is needed between meals, during exercise or while sleeping.
Glucose cannot be processed in type 1 diabetes patients due to insulin deficiency. Therefore, glucose taken into the body cannot be transferred to the cells. As a result, it can be said that too much glucose will accumulate in the bloodstream. High glucose values can cause some problems in the short and long term.
Type 1 Diabetes Symptoms
Type 1 diabetes may not always manifest itself with symptoms. Symptoms of type 1 diabetes include excessive thirst, hunger, dry mouth, nausea and vomiting, frequent urination, unexplained weight loss despite eating, fatigue, blurred vision, breathing difficulties, and infections on the skin and urinary tract. If you experience symptoms such as shaking, confusion, rapid breathing, abdominal pain and, in rare cases, loss of consciousness, it is recommended to consult a doctor immediately.
What Causes Type 1 Diabetes?
Dehydration: When you have too much sugar in your blood, you naturally urinate more. Because the body can only get rid of excess sugar in this way. Type 1 diabetes can lead to dehydration, as frequent urination causes loss of too much water.
Weight loss: Glucose excreted from the body when you urinate also causes calories to be burned. Therefore, it can be said that many people with high glucose levels lose weight.
Diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA): If the body can’t get enough glucose for energy, it instead breaks down fat cells and creates chemicals called ketones. The liver also releases the stored sugar to control the situation, but without insulin, this sugar cannot be used in the body. Therefore, sugar and acidic ketones can accumulate in the body. This condition is also called ketoacidosis. If not treated immediately, it can reach life-threatening dimensions.
Damage to your body: High glucose levels in your blood can over time damage nerves and small blood vessels in the eyes, kidneys, and heart. There may also be an increased chance of hardened arteries and atherosclerosis, which can lead to heart attacks and strokes.
Type 2 Diabetes
Type 2 diabetes is a lifelong disease in which the body cannot use insulin as it should. It can be summarized as the resistance of type 2 diabetes patients to the insulin produced at normal levels in the body and therefore not being able to benefit from the sugar in the blood. People who are middle-aged or older are more likely to develop type 2 diabetes. For this reason, this type of diabetes is also called adult-onset diabetes. However, Type 2 diabetes can also affect children and teenagers, especially because of childhood obesity. Excess weight, sedentary lifestyle and stress are among the factors that trigger type 2 diabetes. Type 2 diabetes is the most common type of diabetes.
Type 2 Diabetes Symptoms
Symptoms of type 2 diabetes usually develop slowly. A person can go on with his life for years without realizing that he has type 2 diabetes. Increased thirst, frequent urination, increased hunger, unintended weight loss, fatigue, blurred vision, slow-healing wounds, frequent infections, darkened skin
Symptoms such as lower areas (usually in the armpits and neck) are among the symptoms of type 2 diabetes. If you have two of these symptoms, it would be best to consult a doctor.
What Are the Causes of Type 2 Diabetes?
There are both genetic and environmental factors that cause type 2 diabetes. As this disease can be passed on through genes, overweight or obesity, metabolic syndrome and poor communication between cells, affecting insulin and glucose levels, are among the conditions that can cause type 2 diabetes.
Gestational Diabetes
Gestational diabetes, also known as gestational diabetes, is a type of diabetes that can be diagnosed during pregnancy. Some women may experience high blood sugar (glucose) during pregnancy. The rise in blood sugar and the development of gestational diabetes usually occur between 24 and 29 weeks of pregnancy.
It is of great importance for women who have been diagnosed with gestational diabetes during pregnancy to keep in touch with their doctor and have regular check-ups until delivery. Expectant mothers who have been diagnosed with gestational diabetes should take great care to protect their health, do regular sports and follow a healthy diet program aimed at reducing the glucose level in the body. If these are not taken care of, the possibility of developing type 2 diabetes in the future in the mother who has been diagnosed with gestational diabetes is high. In this case, it can be said that the risk of developing diabetes in the baby will increase in the postnatal period.
Gestational Diabetes Symptoms
It has been observed that gestational diabetes can occur without showing any symptoms in many expectant mothers. In some cases, the disease may not be diagnosed even if the disease manifests itself with symptoms. Because these symptoms are mostly similar to pregnancy symptoms. For this reason, mothers 24-28 weeks of pregnancy. It is recommended to check the blood sugar values by consulting a specialist doctor in the time interval corresponding to the week of the week.
Symptoms such as excessive thirst, feeling of tiredness at any time of the day and dry mouth are among the symptoms that can be seen in expectant mothers with gestational diabetes.
Gestational Diabetes Risk Factors
If the expectant mother is over 25 years old, has high blood pressure, has a family history of diabetes, is overweight (obesity), gains weight faster than normal during pregnancy, wants to have more than one baby, or if she has gestational diabetes in her previous pregnancy, in these and similar situations. It can be said that the risk of gestational diabetes is high.
What is Hidden Sugar (Pre-Diabetes)?
Hidden sugar is used to refer to the condition in which the blood sugar level is higher than normal but not high enough to be diagnosed as diabetes. It may also be called impaired fasting glucose or impaired glucose tolerance.
It can be said that in almost all cases of type 2 diabetes, latent sugar is seen before, but this does not always manifest itself with symptoms. If diagnosed early, treatment for pre-diabetes can prevent many serious health problems, including problems with the heart, blood vessels, eyes and kidneys, and Type 2 diabetes.
Hidden Sugar Symptoms
Hidden sugar usually does not have any symptoms. A possible symptom is darkening of the skin in certain areas of the body. Color change can be seen in the neck, armpits, elbows, knees and joints. There are some signs that show the transition from hidden sugar to type 2 diabetes. Please contact your doctor in case of at least two of the symptoms such as increased thirst, frequent urination, extreme hunger, fatigue and blurred vision.
Diabetes Disease Treatment
There is no definitive treatment for diabetes. However, patients diagnosed with diabetes can lead a quality life with the right treatment methods, healthy eating and regular exercise. It is of great importance that the blood sugar level of individuals with diabetes is within the values that are considered normal. Thus, the harm that the disease can cause to the body is minimized. At the same time, individuals diagnosed with diabetes should routinely check their blood sugar values in their daily lives. In order not to increase the risk of cardiovascular disease, tobacco products should not be used and blood pressure and cholesterol values should be kept at normal levels.
Diabetes is not a disease that gets better and disappears after using medication for a period of time. On the contrary, this disease requires lifelong treatment. The treatment can be started with the regulation of the diet as the first step. Being at an ideal weight and getting rid of excess weight makes it easier to control blood sugar. As a second step, regular exercise should be done. In the third stage, drug treatment can be applied, if necessary, with the precautions taken. Drugs used by diabetic patients in 3 groups