Diabetes mellitus is a condition in which the pancreas no longer produces enough insulin or cells stop responding to the insulin that is produced, so that glucose in the blood cannot be absorbed into the cells of the body. Symptoms include frequent urination, lethargy, excessive thirst, and hunger. The treatment includes changes in diet, oral medications, and in some cases, daily injections of insulin.
Description
Diabetes mellitus is a chronic disease that causes serious health complications including renal (kidney) failure, heart disease, stroke, and blindness. Approximately 17 million Americans have diabetes. Unfortunately, as many as one-half are unaware they have it.
Background
Every cell in the human body needs energy in order to function. The body's primary energy source is glucose, a simple sugar resulting from the digestion of foods containing carbohydrates (sugars and starches). Glucose from the digested food circulates in the blood as a ready energy source for any cells that need it. Insulin is a hormone or chemical produced by cells in the pancreas, an organ located behind the stomach. Insulin bonds to a receptor site on the outside of cell and acts like a key to open a doorway into the cell through which glucose can enter. Some of the glucose can be converted to concentrated energy sources like glycogen or fatty acids and saved for later use. When there is not enough insulin produced or when the doorway no longer recognizes the insulin key, glucose stays in the blood rather entering the cells.
The body will attempt to dilute the high level of glucose in the blood, a condition called hyperglycemia, by drawing water out of the cells and into the bloodstream in an effort to dilute the sugar and excrete it in the urine. It is not unusual for people with undiagnosed diabetes to be constantly thirsty, drink large quantities of water, and urinate frequently as their bodies try to get rid of the extra glucose. This creates high levels of glucose in the urine.
At the same time that the body is trying to get rid of glucose from the blood, the cells are starving for glucose and sending signals to the body to eat more food, thus making patients extremely hungry. To provide energy for the starving cells, the body also tries to convert fats and proteins to glucose. The breakdown of fats and proteins for energy causes acid compounds called ketones to form in the blood. Ketones also will be excreted in the urine. As ketones build up in the blood, a condition called ketoacidosis can occur. This condition can be life threatening if left untreated, leading to coma and death.
THE CAUSES OF DIABETES MELITUS
The pancreas secretes exocrine (digestive) hormones, as well as the endocrine glucose-controlling hormones insulin and glucagon. Depending on the secretion of these hormones, glucose is either stored in a particular section of the liver or absorbed by the body's cells to generate heat and vital energy.
Diabetes manifests when:
1. The insulin-secreting cells of the pancreas fail to produce enough insulin.
2. The liver becomes too weak to provide adequate storage space for glucose. The vitality of the liver may be weakened by chronic indigestion, constipation (here the stool usually turns into pellets), mental exertion with little or no physical exercise, alcohol and other intoxicants, and excessive seminal waste.
3. Less commonly, the body's muscle cells fail to absorb glucose from the blood.
For whatever reason, the result is an abnormally high level of glucose in the blood and the consequent disturbance of all the other body systems.
TREATMENT
To compensate for the high blood sugar levels, the body tries to expel the excess glucose in the urine. This leads to a high urine flow and loss of body water. That's why sufferers of diabetes often have a continuous thirst. Sugar expelled with the urine in large quantities gradually reduces the vitality of the patient. Insulin may increase the vital energy of the body but can never cure the disease.
There is currently no cure for diabetes. The condition, however, can be managed so that patients can live a relatively normal life. Treatment of diabetes focuses on two goals: keeping blood glucose within normal range and preventing the development of long-term complications. Careful monitoring of diet, exercise, and blood glucose levels are as important as the use of insulin or oral medications in preventing complications of diabetes. In 2003, the American Diabetes Association updated its Standards of Care for the management of diabetes. These standards help manage health care providers in the most recent recommendations for diagnosis and treatment of the disease.
Description
Diabetes mellitus is a chronic disease that causes serious health complications including renal (kidney) failure, heart disease, stroke, and blindness. Approximately 17 million Americans have diabetes. Unfortunately, as many as one-half are unaware they have it.
Background
Every cell in the human body needs energy in order to function. The body's primary energy source is glucose, a simple sugar resulting from the digestion of foods containing carbohydrates (sugars and starches). Glucose from the digested food circulates in the blood as a ready energy source for any cells that need it. Insulin is a hormone or chemical produced by cells in the pancreas, an organ located behind the stomach. Insulin bonds to a receptor site on the outside of cell and acts like a key to open a doorway into the cell through which glucose can enter. Some of the glucose can be converted to concentrated energy sources like glycogen or fatty acids and saved for later use. When there is not enough insulin produced or when the doorway no longer recognizes the insulin key, glucose stays in the blood rather entering the cells.
The body will attempt to dilute the high level of glucose in the blood, a condition called hyperglycemia, by drawing water out of the cells and into the bloodstream in an effort to dilute the sugar and excrete it in the urine. It is not unusual for people with undiagnosed diabetes to be constantly thirsty, drink large quantities of water, and urinate frequently as their bodies try to get rid of the extra glucose. This creates high levels of glucose in the urine.
At the same time that the body is trying to get rid of glucose from the blood, the cells are starving for glucose and sending signals to the body to eat more food, thus making patients extremely hungry. To provide energy for the starving cells, the body also tries to convert fats and proteins to glucose. The breakdown of fats and proteins for energy causes acid compounds called ketones to form in the blood. Ketones also will be excreted in the urine. As ketones build up in the blood, a condition called ketoacidosis can occur. This condition can be life threatening if left untreated, leading to coma and death.
THE CAUSES OF DIABETES MELITUS
The pancreas secretes exocrine (digestive) hormones, as well as the endocrine glucose-controlling hormones insulin and glucagon. Depending on the secretion of these hormones, glucose is either stored in a particular section of the liver or absorbed by the body's cells to generate heat and vital energy.
Diabetes manifests when:
1. The insulin-secreting cells of the pancreas fail to produce enough insulin.
2. The liver becomes too weak to provide adequate storage space for glucose. The vitality of the liver may be weakened by chronic indigestion, constipation (here the stool usually turns into pellets), mental exertion with little or no physical exercise, alcohol and other intoxicants, and excessive seminal waste.
3. Less commonly, the body's muscle cells fail to absorb glucose from the blood.
For whatever reason, the result is an abnormally high level of glucose in the blood and the consequent disturbance of all the other body systems.
TREATMENT
To compensate for the high blood sugar levels, the body tries to expel the excess glucose in the urine. This leads to a high urine flow and loss of body water. That's why sufferers of diabetes often have a continuous thirst. Sugar expelled with the urine in large quantities gradually reduces the vitality of the patient. Insulin may increase the vital energy of the body but can never cure the disease.
There is currently no cure for diabetes. The condition, however, can be managed so that patients can live a relatively normal life. Treatment of diabetes focuses on two goals: keeping blood glucose within normal range and preventing the development of long-term complications. Careful monitoring of diet, exercise, and blood glucose levels are as important as the use of insulin or oral medications in preventing complications of diabetes. In 2003, the American Diabetes Association updated its Standards of Care for the management of diabetes. These standards help manage health care providers in the most recent recommendations for diagnosis and treatment of the disease.
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