How diabetes manifests itself, causes and methods of its prevention

Diabetes mellitus is considered to be the most common endocrine disease. Improper diet, lack of physical activity and hereditary predispositions - these factors increase the risk of its occurrence. Today, an estimated 347 million people worldwide suffer from the pathology. Over the last two decades, the number of cases has increased 10 times. If detected in the early stages, serious complications can be avoided. Therefore, it is important to know how diabetes manifests itself.

Causes of diabetes and its types

Diabetes mellitus is a disease characterized by a disorder of the body's metabolism. It is associated with insufficient production of the hormone insulin by the pancreas. Its absence leads to the accumulation of sugar in the body.

Normally, it must be processed into glucose due to the action of insulin. This process is accompanied by maltreatment and other symptoms. Sugar itself is excreted in large volumes with urine, which leads to gradual dehydration and a constant feeling of thirst.

The exact causes of the disease have not been studied so far. However, doctors identify a set of factors that increase the risk of its occurrence.

1. hereditary predisposition.
2. Overweight.
3. Pathologies of the pancreas (cancer, pancreatitis).
4. Exposure to viruses (influenza, rubella and smallpox are especially dangerous).
5. Frequent stress.
6. Advanced age.

The classic classification of the disease provides for the division of its two forms: type 1 and type 2 diabetes. The first option is considered the most dangerous and is eternal. To maintain the normal state of the body, it is necessary to continuously inject insulin intramuscularly. In the second type, the body produces this hormone, but not in the amount that is needed.

There are also these types of diabetes: gestational, insipidus, steroids, latent, autoimmune, bronze. Each of the forms is characterized by its clinical picture and course features.

How is type 1 and type 2 diabetes manifested?

Diabetes is an insidious disease. A person may not be aware of health problems for many years until they fall into hyperglycemic coma. Therefore, it is important to know the main manifestations of the pathology, taking into account its diversity.

Table 1. Manifestation of diabetes mellitus type 1 and 2

type of diabetes	Clinical appearance
Type 1 diabetes	Strong and persistent thirst, difficult to quench with water. The patient may also experience dryness in the mouth and throat. You only need to drink a glass of water, as the desire to urinate appears immediately. Rapid weight loss. In a month, you can lose 11 kg. Increased appetite. Due to hormonal disorders, water-salt metabolism is disturbed, nutrients are difficult to digest. Frequent desire to urinate. Fluid simply does not stay in the body. A patient can consume more than 2 liters of water per day and the number of urges in the toilet can be increased up to 10 times. Rapid fatigue, decreased performance. These symptoms are also characteristic of other diseases. Therefore, it is wrong to judge diabetes by them alone. Decreased temperature. Many mistakenly believe that only an elevated temperature indicates health problems. However, in diabetes, its reduction is possible due to the slowing down of all metabolic processes. Itchy skin. Dehydrated skin can create cracks. Visual impairment. Numbness of the lower extremities. This is a very indicative symptom, which can not be ignored. Subsequently, it can turn into gangrene due to the fact that the peripheral nervous system suffers. Bad breath, reminiscent of acetone. Acetone is a protein breakdown product that should be used in a healthy body. In the case of diabetes, the substance remains, gradually poisoning all the organs. Decreased sexual desire. Any hormonal disorder is accompanied by a worsening of libido.
Type 2 diabetes	Abundant urination. Strong thirst. Itchy skin. Increased body weight against the background of hormonal disorders. development of osteoporosis. Muscular hypotension. Muscle weakness occurs due to disruption of the peripheral nervous system.

The clinical picture may vary slightly depending on the patient's age and gender.

Signs of diabetes in children

Recognizing pathology in children is easy. It is important to do this at the right time to avoid developing a diabetic coma. It occurs spontaneously and can be fatal if the child is not given medical care.

The early signs of diabetes in children are:

1. Frequent and large urination. If the baby still goes to the potty, it is easy to identify this symptom. Problems with urination occur mainly at night. Parents often have to change diapers and bedding.
2. The child is constantly thirsty. If diabetes is suspected, compotes and juices should be replaced with plain water. If in this case the thirst does not decrease, you should consult a doctor.
3. Discrepancy in weight and amount of food consumed. The child eats a lot, but does not improve. Another possibility is also possible: the child eats little, but his body weight is growing rapidly.

In addition to these symptoms, diabetes can manifest with itching, constant fatigue even after resting and dry mouth.

The onset of diabetes in men

The clinical picture of the disease in men does not differ from the general one. However, inflammation of the foreskin, the entire urethra, can be added to all the signs. This occurs due to frequent urination. The concentration of sugar in the urine is quite high, which leads to irritation of the tissues of the organ and the foreskin itself.

Diabetes disorders in women

In the fair sex, the onset of the disease manifests itself as strong thirst, drowsiness and itching. However, the pathological process often affects the reproductive system, which is accompanied by the following symptoms:

1. Violation of the menstrual cycle. Bloody discharge may be completely absent for several months and then appear in the form of clot.
2. The appearance of ulcers in the mammary glands. They are often confused with allergies, but continuous treatment does not bring positive results.
3. Weight loss or gain for no apparent reason.

The latter symptom is more common in women than others. With a high calorie diet, patients can lose up to 10 kg of weight. On the other hand, while adhering to a strict diet, some, on the contrary, gain weight. Usually such a violation is perceived as a malfunction in the hormonal system. Only after passing the tests are serious health problems discovered.

Symptoms of gestational diabetes

Gestational diabetes develops exclusively in pregnant women. There are no specific external features. It is usually detected during routine examinations, which are regularly prescribed to women in position. The basis for the diagnosis are the results of blood and urine tests.

The external manifestations of the disease are practically no different from those of type 1 and type 2 diabetes. We are talking about nausea, weakness, constant thirst. These symptoms do not occur individually and do not indicate toxicosis. They develop mainly in the second and third quarter.

The gestational form of the disease does not pose a direct threat to the woman and the fetus inside the uterus. However, it can negatively affect her overall well-being, in the course of pregnancy. High glucose levels lead to the birth of a child with high weight (from 4 kg or more).

This is often considered a prerequisite for obesity and the onset of diabetes directly in the child. In some cases, there is a slight developmental delay. Sometimes diagnosed with jaundice, hypoglycemia.

What to do if you have symptoms of diabetes?

If you suspect diabetes, you should not self-medicate or ignore the initial symptoms. This disease is in the competence of an endocrinologist. However, a therapist can make a diagnosis.

To determine the presence of a pathological process, in any case, you should seek medical help. The specialist will first listen to the patient's complaints, study his medical history, and perform a physical examination. Only on the basis of these measures can a preliminary diagnosis be made. To confirm it, you will need to undergo a comprehensive examination.

Diagnosis of the disease

Any research on suspected diabetes aims to determine blood glucose levels.

Most often, patients are offered a blood sugar test. Before birth, you can not eat for 8-12 hours. Alcohol is also prohibited. Better to quit smoking. Normally, the glucose index should be 5. 5 mmol per liter. If this parameter is 7 units or more, an additional examination is scheduled.

The patient is asked to undergo a glucose tolerance test. The analysis consists of several parts. First, the patient receives a standard fasting blood test. Then, in a medical institution, he drinks a glass of water with sugar (75 g of substance per 200 ml of water). After 2 hours he does the blood tests again.

In a healthy person, the rate after the first study is up to 5. 5 mmol per liter, and after the second - up to 7. 8 mmol per liter. If these parameters are slightly exceeded (by a few tenths), the doctor will make a conclusion about the prediabetic condition. Indicators that are much higher than these figures already indicate diabetes.

Some are prescribed an analysis for glycated hemoglobin. With it, you can track your blood glucose status over the last 3 months. Normally, this figure should be less than 5. 7%. With values in the range 5, 7-6, 4%, there is a high risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

In this case, the patient should discuss with the doctor measures to prevent the disease. When the glycated hemoglobin level is more than 6. 5%, diabetes is likely. However, confirmation with additional tests is required.

Possible complications

The disease itself does not pose a threat to human life, but is subject to the recommendations of the doctor. Its complications are dangerous. Among them, these are the most common:

1. Neuropathy. The pathology is manifested by burning, severe pain and numbness in the area of the lower extremities. It develops due to metabolic disorders in the central nervous system. Treatment involves taking medication with thioctic acid. With timely search for medical help, the patient manages to restore nerve tissue.
2. diabetic coma. Her symptoms are growing rapidly. Therefore, the patient undergoes immediate hospitalization. At first, he may complain of darkening of the eyes, mental retardation. There are several types of this condition, but ketoacidosis is more common. It is characterized by the accumulation of toxins in the body, which rapidly destroy nerve cells.
3. Trophic ulcer. This is a serious pathology that significantly impairs the quality of human life. If therapy is not started on time, trophic ulcers may begin to worsen.

Diabetes can also lead to other health problems. They are manifested in the form of disruption of the functioning of various organ systems (liver, kidneys, visual organs).

Prevention of diabetes

First of all, it should be noted that the occurrence of type 1 diabetes is difficult to predict. The disease is largely hereditary. Different viruses increase the possibility of its development.

Type 2 diabetes is much easier to prevent. Its appearance depends directly on the quality of human life. Addictions, an inactive lifestyle, alcohol abuse - all of these factors can provoke illness. Therefore, doctors make the following recommendations for its prevention:

1. Control body weight (try to eat properly and balanced).
2. Monitor blood pressure and, if necessary, go to the doctor for treatment.
3. Engage in challenging sports.
4. Treat diseases in time, especially those related to the endocrine system.

If you follow these simple guidelines, you can protect yourself from diabetes. A healthy lifestyle and proper nutrition is the key to the full functioning of the body.

Diabetes mellitus is a serious disease that requires mainly lifelong insulin intake. If you neglect its treatment, the pathological process can become more complicated and lead to quite unpleasant consequences.

Among the latter should be noted diabetic coma, trophic ulcers in the lower extremities and neuropathy. To protect yourself from such problems, it is important to know the initial symptoms of the disease and if they appear, consult a doctor immediately. After passing the examination, which mainly consists of assessing the parameters of blood glucose, the specialist will be able to choose a therapy.