Diabetes mellitus

Diabetes mellitus is a disease characterized by excess blood sugar, due to the ineffective action of insulin, which is the hormone responsible for lowering blood glucose.

The patient with diabetes mellitus has to take the blood glucose test to know the blood sugar value that should not exceed 126 mg / dL in fasting, and the treatment includes the use of medicines, such as oral antidiabetics or insulin, practice of physical exercise and adequate nutrition.

Types of diabetes mellitus

There are several types of diabetes mellitus, type 1 diabetes, type 2 diabetes and gestational diabetes, and their differences include:

Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus: it is a chronic disease, as it has no cure and it occurs because the pancreas produces little or no insulin, being generally frequent in childhood or adolescence. See more about Type 1 Diabetes at: Type 1 Diabetes; Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: often results from poor eating habits and physical inactivity and is more frequent in adults and the elderly. In this type of diabetes, the pancreas produces insufficient insulin or the body's cells are insulin resistant, so the blood glucose level remains higher than normal. Learn more about Type 2 Diabetes at: Type 2 Diabetes; Gestational Diabetes: is characterized by excess blood sugar during pregnancy, caused by hormonal changes, however, it usually disappears after delivery. Learn more about gestational diabetes at: Gestational diabetes

In addition to these types of diabetes, there is also diabetes insipidus that is not related to diabetes mellitus, as it is caused by the malfunction of the antidiuretic hormone and occurs frequently due to kidney failure. Read more about diabetes insipidus at: Diabetes insipidus.

Symptoms of diabetes mellitus

Symptoms of diabetes mellitus can include:

Willingness to urinate a lot and often; Feeling of constant thirst; Excessive hunger; Weight loss; Blurred vision; Weakness and tiredness.

There are factors that increase a person's risk of developing diabetes mellitus, such as being over the age of 45, obesity, hypertension, high cholesterol or a family history of diabetes, for example. These individuals must pay particular attention to the symptoms of diabetes and consult a general practitioner every year to detect the disease.

Diabetes mellitus reference values

The reference values of diabetes mellitus are identified through the glycemia test, which is when the patient pricks the finger, and in fasting the patient must have up to 126 mg / dL and at any time of the day less than 200 mg / dL.

In addition, when the patient with diabetes mellitus undergoes the examination of glycosylated hemoglobin it should have a reference value of less than 5.7%.

Find out more about the blood test for diabetes at: How to take a blood test for diabetes

Treatment for diabetes mellitus

Treatment for type 1, type 2 and gestational diabetes mellitus includes:

Eat a balanced, low-sugar diet. See what the patient with diabetes should eat: What to eat in diabetesPractice physical exercise daily, at least 30 minutes a day; Measure blood glucose according to medical advice; Administer insulin by medical advice, before meals through an injection, in the case of type 1 diabetes mellitus; Learn how to administer insulin at: How to apply insulinTake antidiabetic remedies, such as Glipizide and Metformin as directed by your doctor, in the case of type 2 diabetes mellitus.

When treatment for diabetes mellitus is not done properly, complications can arise that include diabetic nephropathy, infections, acute myocardial infarction, stroke, diabetic neuropathy or diabetic foot. Learn more about treatment at: Treatment for diabetes.