Diabetes – Causes, Symptoms and Treatment

Diabetes Mellitus is a metabolic disease that is capable of attacking anyone. Diabetes mellitus (or diabetes) is a chronic condition and lasts a lifetime that affects the body’s ability to use energy from food. There are two main types of the disease: Type 1 and Type 2.

As many as 350 million people worldwide have diabetes. In 2004, approximately 3-4 million people died of high blood sugar levels. More than 80% of deaths from diabetes disease occurred in countries with medium and low income levels. WHO estimates that the number of deaths due to diabetes will increase two-fold over the period 2005-2030

Cause
The principle causes of this disease of any kind is a disruption of the body’s ability to use glucose into cells. Normal body is able to break down the sugars and carbohydrates you eat into a special sugar called glucose. Glucose is the fuel for the cells in the body. To enter the glucose into the cells needed insulin. In people with diabetes, the body does not have insulin (Type 1 diabetes) or insulin that is inadequate (Type 2 diabetes).

Because the cells can not take up glucose, the glucose accumulates in the blood stream. High blood glucose levels can damage the small blood vessels in the kidneys, heart, eyes, and nervous system. Therefore, untreated diabetes can lead to heart disease, stroke, kidney disease, blindness, and nerve damage in the legs.

Symptom
Both types of diabetes have several symptoms and signs are the same:

Hunger and fatigue. The body converts food into glucose which is used to produce energy. When insulin is not optimal anymore or does not exist, then the body will feel tired easily and quickly hungry.

Urinate more frequently and being easily thirsty. The average person usually urinate between 4-7 times in 24 hours, but people with the disease may become more frequent. Why? Usually the kidney will absorb glucose followed by absorption of water. But in people with diabetes, blood sugar levels have been increased so that the body may not absorb the glucose. Finally, the water that passes through the kidneys into more.

Dry mouth and itchy skin. As more frequent urination, lack of water in the body. You can become dehydrated and dry mouth. Dry skin can make you itch.

Blurred vision. Changes in the level of fluid in the body can make the lens in the eye to swell so that the eye lens to change shape and lose the ability to focus.

In certain circumstances, there are symptoms that tend to appear after the glucose has been high for a long time.