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Diabetes mellitus, a well known disease, is what you simply call diabetes. It is a condition in which there is a high level of blood sugar(glucose).
This condition is usually a result of low production of insulin or inability of your body to effectively make use of the insulin produced. Insulin is the hormone that transports sugar from the blood into your cells.
Diabetes mellitus can destroy organs in the body such as the nerves, kidneys, eyes etc.
There is another disease called Diabetes insipidus, it is not a type of diabetes mellitus nor are they related. They only have similar names.
Types Of Diabetes Mellitus
1. Type 1 Diabetes
Type 1 diabetes is a type of diabetes that involves your immune system attacking your body, which means it is an autoimmune sickness. The immune system attacks and damages your pancreas cells where insulin is manufactured.
2. Type 2 Diabetes
Type 2 diabetes happens when your body forms resistance against insulin and results in excess sugar building up in your body.
3. Prediabetes
This type of diabetes is one that is lower than the type 2 diabetes. It involves your blood sugar level being higher than normal but not up to that of type 2.
4. Gestational diabetes
This is caused by hormones which blocks insulin from the placenta and raises the blood sugar to a high level during pregnancy.
General symptoms of diabetes mellitus
The symptoms of diabetes vary with the types but there are still systems related with each type. They are:
- Extreme fatigue and tiredness
- Loss of weight
- Unclear or blurred vision
- Increased thirst
- Increased appetite for food
- Frequent urge to release urine
- Wounds refusing to heal
- Low urge for sex and ED (In men)
- Low muscular strength (in men)
- Yeast infections (for women)
- Urinary tract infections (for women)
- Dry and itchy skin (for women)
Causes of diabetes mellitus
As said before, diabetes mellitus occurs when your body has a problem with the production or use of insulin. However, the causes of the diabetes are specific to the different types.
- Type 1 diabetes – Unknown cause. It is an autoimmune disease.
- Type 2 diabetes – Genetics, being obese or overweight
- Prediabetes – Same causes with type 2
- Gestational diabetes – changes in hormones during pregnancy
Risk factors for diabetes mellitus
There are some things which could increase your risks of having diabetes.
- Type 1 Diabetes – family history of type 1 diabetes (high rate in Sweden and Finland)
- Prediabetes/Type 2 Diabetes – Weight, family history, Old age, lack of exercise, high blood pressure and previous gestational diabetes.
- Gestational diabetes – Weight, family history, age (25+)
How more can diabetes harm you?
Diabetes mellitus can result in several other complications and that is why it has to be prevented or treated quickly. Diabetes complications are:
- Heart diseases
- Vision loss
- Loss of hearing
- Depression
- Skin conditions
- Dementia
- Premature birth of baby, low blood sugar, jaundice, stillbirth ( all these can affect the baby carried by a woman with gestational diabetes)
In conclusion, finding yourself with any type of diabetes is not a good thing. You would agree that diabetes should rather be prevented than cured. Follow our blog and our next post will talk more about diabetes and probably the prevention.
Also, you must make a decision to live a healthy life. Scroll down a little and subscribe to our blog for you to keep getting health information and news that will ensure you live a disease free life.
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