English
● Diabetes is a metabolic disorder. In this disorder, body cells stop utilizing glucose (sugar), leading to high glucose or sugar levels in the blood.
● The high sugar or glucose level in the blood is called hyperglycemia.
● The human body breaks down dietary carbohydrates into a simple sugar called glucose for absorption by the body. The glucose molecules are released into the blood and are absorbed by body cells through blood.
● Body cells use glucose for energy and other activities by using insulin hormones.
● In diabetes, either body stops making insulin or body cells become resistant to insulin. In both cases, insulin is not used for glucose utilization leading to high glucose levels in the blood.
● Insulin is a hormone produced by the beta cells of the pancreas that regulate the levels of glucose in the blood.
● As per the latest ADA Guidelines for 2021, blood glucose levels are classified as:
○ Normal- Fasting sugar levels less than 100 mg/ l
○ Pre-Diabetes- Fasting sugar levels between 100 -125 mg/ l
○ Diabetes- Fasting sugar >= 126 mg/l on two separate tests
● Based on insulin-dependent diabetes can be:
Type 1 diabetes | Type 2 diabetes |
It is also called insulin-dependent diabetes or early-onset diabetes or juvenile diabetes | It is also called non-insulin-dependent diabetes or adult-onset diabetes |
Caused by a deficiency of insulin in the body | Caused by resistance to insulin by the body cells |
Insulin is necessary | Insulin is not necessary, but medicines, a healthy diet, lifestyle changes, and regular exercise are necessary for maintaining normal sugar levels
|
Children and people below 30 years | Not age-specific anymore, but mostly seen in people above 40 years of age |
● There is one more type of diabetes that is seen during pregnancy called gestational diabetes. This kind of diabetes is seen due to hormone imbalance during pregnancy. In most cases, it goes back to normal after pregnancy.
● Gestational diabetes also requires treatment to keep sugar levels normal, as high sugar levels can lead to deformity in the fetus or miscarriage.
● Carbohydrates in food are broken down by our body into basic units i.e., glucose, for further absorption by body cells and insulin hormone helps in taking glucose inside the body cells for energy and storage.
● The main cause of diabetes is insulin deficiency or insulin-resistant in the body leading to the state of high glucose levels in the blood.
● The deficiency of insulin in the body leads to type 1 diabetes. Causes of insulin deficiency:
○ Autoimmune disorder leading to damage of the pancreas
○ Infection of the pancreas leading to dysfunction of the pancreas
○ A congenital defect in the pancreas to produce less or no insulin hormone
○ Family history of type 1 diabetes
● In type 1 diabetes insulin is not produced in the body at all, leading to high blood sugar levels.
● When the body cells stop using insulin and become resistant to insulin, it leads to type 2 diabetes. Causes of insulin resistance in the body:
○ Sedentary lifestyle
○ Obesity
○ Family history of type 2 diabetes
○ Extreme mental stress
○ High cholesterol levels
○ Poor eating habits
○ Lack of exercise
● In type 2 diabetes, insulin is produced in the body but body cells become resistant to insulin. Body cells stop taking insulin to utilize sugar or glucose resulting in hyperglycemia.
● Symptoms of diabetes are popularly known as 3Ps. 3P stands for polyphagia, polyuria, and polydipsia.
● Polyphagia: It is a condition when a patient starts eating frequently and still feels hungry. The cause of polyphagia is insufficient glucose absorption from the blood and the body keeps asking for food as hunger signals.
● Polyuria: It is a condition when a patient starts urinating frequently. This is caused by the glucose elimination process of the body. The body tries to eliminate high glucose from blood through urine.
● Polydipsia: It is the condition of excessive thirst and is caused by frequent urination in diabetes. The body tries to hydrate by sending thirst signals.
● Other symptoms are:
○ Fatigue
○ Weight loss
○ Tingling in feet and hands
○ Blurred vision
○ Skin infections
○ High cholesterol levels
○ Irregular menstruation
○ Urinary tract infections
○ Delayed wound healing
○ Abdominal pain
○ Nausea and vomiting
○ Headache
● Visit a diabetic clinic if you are experiencing any symptoms mentioned above and get your blood tests done. The sooner, the better to avoid life-threatening complications.
● As soon as your symptoms and blood tests confirm diabetes or prediabetes, you are eligible for diabetic treatment.
● The sooner diabetes is diagnosed, the easier it is to keep it in control and avoid diabetes complications.
● High sugar levels are dangerous for everyone, either child or adult or pregnant woman. High sugar levels must be controlled by taking insulin, medicines, a healthy diet, regular exercise, and a stress-free lifestyle.
● Don’t hesitate to visit our diabetic clinic and get your required tests done. According to blood test reports, your age and medical condition, our endocrinologist will counsel you and provide the best-suited treatment plan.
● When high blood sugar levels are constant, they lead to serious and life-threatening complications of diabetes. Maintaining normal sugar levels is the basis of the whole diabetic treatment plan.
● An average normal sugar level is within 140- 160 mg/dl.
● High blood sugar levels or hyperglycemia leads to:
○ Heart diseases are due to the thickening of blood as the heart has to work more to pump thick glucose-laden blood.
○ Recurrent infections of the skin like boils, acne, etc.
○Infections of the urinary tract are also common in hyperglycemia.
○ Diabetic nephropathy: it is a kidney disorder caused by hyperglycemia
○ Diabetic neuropathy: it is due to nerve damage caused by constant high sugar levels in the blood leading to tingling sensations or loss of sensations.
○ Diabetic foot: It is the most common complication of uncontrolled diabetes leading to the amputation or cutting off of the foot in diabetics. Loss of sensations in diabetes along with foot infection results in the diabetic foot. In advanced conditions of foot infection, the foot starts decaying and can spread the infection to other body parts. So, to stop the infection, the foot is amputated.
○ Diabetic ketoacidosis: In this complication, due to the inability of the body to use glucose in the blood, the body starts breaking fat stored in the body leading to a large number of ketones in the body. Excess ketones in the body can cause mental confusion, abdominal pain and even death.
○ Diabetic retinopathy: In this complication, hyperglycemia damages the retina of the eyes leading to blurred vision and loss of eyesight.
○ In pregnancy, hyperglycemia can lead to fetus deformity, abnormally increased of the baby, chances of diabetes in baby and in worst cases miscarriage.
● We at MEDSTAR have a diabetic clinic where we provide:
○ Counseling of the patient
○ Diet and exercise plan
○Internal Medicine Specialist with a special interest in Diabetes
○ Also, we have a facility for conducting blood tests like fasting, postprandial and random glucose and HbA1c blood tests.
● We also provide treatment options for all diabetes complications like diabetic foot, eye disorders, nerve disorders, etc.
● Our doctors at the Diabetic clinic are easy to approach. With the help of their vast experience in endocrinology and medicines, we maintain stress-free and controlled sugar level results for our diabetic patients.
● A result-oriented diabetes treatment plan makes our diabetic clinic one of the best in Dubai.
● We not only treat diabetes but we also encourage and support our patients to live healthy lives by sharing their diabetes-related problems.
● After consulting the doctor, the doctor will ask you for blood tests to confirm the diagnosis
● If blood tests confirm diabetes or prediabetes, don’t lose heart. Our doctor will counsel you and tell you what to do with diabetes.
● The first is to counsel the patient, what diabetes is and its complications are explained to the patient. Also, why maintaining a normal sugar level is necessary is explained to the patient.
● After counseling the medicines or insulin is started according to the type of diabetes.
● A healthy diet plan and regular exercise options with instructions are provided to the patient.
● Mental stress plays a very important role in maintaining normal levels. It can elevate blood sugar levels. The patient is advised to meditate and talk about the diabetic problems with our doctor for solutions to minimize the stress.
● Diabetes is not reversible but maintaining a healthy and active lifestyle helps in delaying the complications up to 20 years and more. Mantra is maintaining regularity in taking medicines, regular exercising, a healthy diet and meditating for mental stress.
● After starting diabetic treatment normal blood sugar levels and a better stress-free life is expected for the patient.
P.O BOX: 117084, DUBAI, UAE
copyright @ medstarhc.com
العربية