Diabetes: Symptoms and Causes

Overview

• Diabetes Mellitus: A group of diseases that affect how the body uses blood sugar (glucose).
  • Glucose is a critical energy source for body cells and the brain.
• Main Cause: Depends on the type of diabetes but leads to excess sugar in the blood, causing health problems.
• Types of Diabetes:
  • Chronic: Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes.
  • Potentially Reversible: Prediabetes and gestational diabetes.
    • Prediabetes: Elevated blood sugar levels not high enough for diabetes diagnosis, can lead to diabetes without intervention.
    • Gestational Diabetes: Occurs during pregnancy, may resolve post-birth.

Symptoms

• Dependence on Blood Sugar Levels:
  • Some may have no symptoms, especially in prediabetes, gestational diabetes, or type 2 diabetes.
  • Type 1 diabetes symptoms appear quickly and are severe.
• Common Symptoms for Type 1 and Type 2 Diabetes:
  • Increased thirst and frequent urination.
  • Unexplained weight loss.
  • Ketones in urine.
  • Fatigue, irritability, mood changes.
  • Blurred vision, slow-healing sores, frequent infections.
• Type 1 Diabetes: Can start at any age, often during childhood or teen years.
• Type 2 Diabetes: More common post-40 years but increasing in children.

When to See a Doctor

• Suspected diabetes symptoms should prompt a visit to a healthcare provider.
• Diagnosed individuals require close medical follow-up.

Causes

How Insulin Works

• Insulin: Hormone from the pancreas helps glucose enter cells, reduces blood sugar.
• Insulin Functionality:
  • Released into bloodstream, circulates, and aids glucose entry into cells.
  • Lowers blood sugar concentration, reducing insulin secretion.

Role of Glucose

• Source: Food and liver.

• Process: Sugar enters bloodstream, cells absorb with insulin help. Liver stores/makes glucose.

• Low Levels: Liver releases glucose from glycogen.

• Cause of Diabetes: Often unknown, involves insufficient insulin production, genetic/environmental factors.

Risk Factors

• Type-dependent: Family history and environmental/geographic factors.
• Type 1 Diabetes: Autoantibodies testing.
• Type 2 Diabetes: Higher risk in certain ethnicities (Black, Hispanic, American Indian, Asian American).
• Weight: Overweight/obesity increases risk for prediabetes, type 2, and gestational diabetes.

Complications

• Long-term Risks: Increase with diabetes duration and poor blood sugar control.
• Potential Complications:
  • Cardiovascular disease.
  • Nerve damage (diabetic neuropathy).
  • Kidney damage (diabetic nephropathy).
  • Eye damage (diabetic retinopathy).
  • Foot damage.
  • Skin/mouth conditions.
  • Hearing impairment.
  • Alzheimer's disease.
  • Depression.

Gestational Diabetes Complications

• For Baby:
  • Excess growth, low blood sugar, risk of type 2 diabetes later, death.
• For Mother:
  • Preeclampsia, recurrence in subsequent pregnancies.

Prevention

• Type 1 Diabetes: Cannot be prevented.

• Healthy Lifestyle Choices:

  • Diet: Low-fat, high-fiber, diverse, with fruits/vegetables.
  • Exercise: 30 minutes moderate activity most days or 150 minutes weekly.
  • Weight Loss: Losing 7% body weight can reduce diabetes risk.

• Drugs: Metformin may lower type 2 risk; lifestyle changes remain crucial.

• Monitoring: Annual blood sugar checks for prediabetes.