DIABETES MELLITUS

Diabetes Mellitus (DM), more commonly or simply known as diabetes, is a very common disease that all of us are familiar with. It affects nearly 10% of the world population and over 25%  or 1 in 4 people over the age of 65 have diabetes. Okay, leaving all these data behind, we all know someone who is diabetic in our family or among our near and dear ones, right? So this time let's talk about a very common and also a very familiar disease condition in detail.

Coming to the topic, Diabetes Mellitus is a group of diseases that results in too much sugar in the blood, or it can also be termed as a metabolic disease that causes high levels of glucose (sugar) in the blood.

In simple language, normally after we eat or drink, our body breaks down the sugar from those foods we consumed and use them in our cells for energy. To facilitate this process, a hormone called Insulin is produced by the Pancreas. Insulin basically pulls sugar from the blood and gives it to the cells. Diabetes Mellitus occurs when the body has some trouble moving glucose from the body into the cells because of insulin deficiency, resulting in a high glucose level in the blood.

TYPES

Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus -

It is a condition where the body does not make enough insulin to control blood sugar levels. Type 1 diabetes was previously called insulin-dependent diabetes or juvenile diabetes. It is basically an autoimmune disorder in which the immune system attacks its own insulin-making cells in the body. These cells are known as beta cells. This is usually seen in children and young people and is called as Juvenile Diabetes.

Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus -

Type 2 DM is more common than Type 1 DM and is also a chronic disease condition. It is also known as Adult-onset Diabetes because it is seen usually in middle and late adulthood. This can be caused either due to insulin resistance i.e, the body's cells don't respond normally to the insulin produced, or due to insufficient production of insulin by the pancreas. 

Gestational Diabetes - 

It is a condition during pregnancy when the blood sugar level rises. This happens with those pregnant women who haven't ever been diagnosed with diabetes earlier. It usually subsides after delivery can cause serious complications to the baby. If it doesn't subside after delivery, then this can be developed as Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus in the mother later in life.

Other types :

LADA (Latent Autoimmune Diabetes in Adults)-

It is a slow-progressing form of autoimmune diabetes. LADA occurs when the pancreas stops producing adequate insulin, most likely from some "insult" that slowly damages the insulin-producing cells in the pancreas.

MODY (Maturity Onset Diabetes of Youth) -

It is an inherited form of Diabetes Mellitus which is caused by errors, or mutations, in a single gene, and in most cases, the gene mutation is inherited from a parent. 

Secondary Diabetes Mellitus -

Secondary Diabetes can be defined as a diabetic condition that develops after the destruction of the beta-cells that results as a consequence of another disease or any medical condition.

Health conditions that can result in Secondary Diabetes include:

• Cystic Fibrosis
• Hemochromatosis
• Chronic Pancreatitis
• Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (Pcos)
• Cushing’s Syndrome
• Pancreatic Cancer
• Glucagonoma

SYMPTOMS

Symptoms of Diabetes Mellitus vary depending upon the level of blood sugar elevated. People who have been diagnosed with prediabetes (a condition in which blood sugar is high, but enough to be type 2 diabetes) or type 2 diabetes, may sometimes not experience any symptoms. 

Some common symptoms are :

• Thirst
• Frequent urination
• Extreme hunger
• Unexplained weight loss
• Presence of ketones in the urine (ketones are a byproduct of the breakdown of muscle and fat that happens when there is not enough available insulin)
• Fatigue
• Irritability
• Blurred vision
• Slow-healing sores
• Frequent infections, such as gums or skin infections and vaginal infections

RISK FACTORS

As we all think or say, sugar isn’t always the primary cause of diabetes, though consuming a lot of sugary food items can definitely contribute to increased glucose levels in the blood and also cause tooth decay. The exact cause of diabetes mellitus is still not known but here are some of the risk factors of DM :

Hereditary -

Family history plays a significant cause in diabetes in its next generation. If you have a family history or a personal history of gestational diabetes, then you are at a higher risk. 

Race -

Belonging from the African-American race, Native American, Pacific Islander, or Asian-American increases the risk of getting diabetes mellitus.

Autoimmune disease  -

A self-attack on the body parts can also cause diabetes as in case of type 1 Diabetes Mellitus.

Age -

The risk of developing Diabetes Mellitus increases with the increasing age. 

Injury -

Any harm or injury to the pancreas can also cause diabetes through infection, tumor, accident, or surgical procedures. 

Other risk factors include -

• Smoking
• High blood pressure
• Abnormal blood cholesterol or triglyceride levels
• Obesity
• Intake of medication, like steroids

COMPLICATIONS

Long-term complications of diabetes develop gradually. The longer you have diabetes and the less controlled your blood sugar the higher the risk of complications. Eventually, diabetes complications may be disabling or even life-threatening. These include:

Cardiovascular disease -

Diabetes dramatically increases the risk of various cardiovascular problems, including coronary artery disease with chest pain (angina), heart attack, stroke, and narrowing of arteries (atherosclerosis). If you have diabetes, you're more likely to have heart disease or stroke.

Nerve damage (neuropathy) -

Excess sugar can injure the walls of the tiny blood vessels (capillaries) that nourish your nerves, especially in your legs. This can cause tingling, numbness, burning, or pain that usually begins at the tips of the toes or fingers and gradually spreads upward.

Kidney damage (nephropathy) -

The kidneys contain millions of tiny blood vessel clusters (glomeruli) that filter waste from your blood. Diabetes can damage this delicate filtering system. Severe damage can lead to kidney failure or irreversible end-stage kidney disease, which may require dialysis or a kidney transplant.

Eye damage (retinopathy) -

Diabetes can damage the blood vessels of the retina (diabetic retinopathy), potentially leading to blindness. Diabetes also increases the risk of other serious vision conditions, such as cataracts and glaucoma.

Foot damage -

Nerve damage in the feet or poor blood flow to the feet increases the risk of various foot complications. Left untreated, cuts and blisters can develop serious infections, which often heal poorly. These infections may ultimately require toe, foot, or leg amputation.

Skin conditions -

Diabetes may leave you more susceptible to skin problems, including bacterial and fungal infections.

Hearing impairment -

Hearing problems are more common in people with diabetes.

Alzheimer's disease -

Type 2 diabetes may increase the risk of dementia, such as Alzheimer's disease. The poorer your blood sugar control, the greater the risk appears to be. Although there are theories as to how these disorders might be connected, none has yet been proved.

Depression -

Depression symptoms are common in people with type 1 and type 2 diabetes. Depression can affect diabetes management.

REACHING TO THE CONCLUSION

NOTE - IF YOU ARE HAVING ANY OF THESE SYMPTOMS OR YOU FEEL THAT YOU MIGHT BE DIABETIC, I RECOMMEND YOU TO CONSULT A DOCTOR AND NOT TO SELF DIAGNOSE ANY DISEASE. DOING THIS CAN CAUSE SERIOUS COMPLICATIONS AND IS DANGEROUS. IN THE SAME WAY, DO NOT SELF MEDICATE YOURSELF, RATHER I URGE YOU TO TAKE MEDICAL OPINIONS.

Hope you all have attained some more information about Diabetes Mellitus. This year let us all be happy and healthy, eating good food, staying fit and energetic, and making this year a better one by creating good memories and doing our best at everything.
Stay healthy, stay safe.

Jeslin Mariam Jose