Diabetes - types, symptoms & complications

Diabetes affects the body's ability to produce or use of insulin hormone in absorption of glucose in the human body. Insulin acts as a key to transport energy to the cells, when the human body turns the food consumed into energy. If the small amount of insulin or no insulin. If insulin resistant,  too much sugar remains in blood. Blood glucose levels are higher than the normal glucose levels for diabetic persons.
Three main types of diabetes are:
Type-1 diabetes
Type -2 diabetes
Gestational diabetes
Type - 1 diabetes:
In this type of diabetes pancreas does not produce insulin, and is often diagnosed in children or teens, it can also be noticed in adults. This type is called as Juvenile diabetes
Type - 2 diabetes:
This occurs when the body does not produce enough insulin or when the cells are unable to use insulin properly, which is called insulin resistance. This type  is diagnosed later in life, generally after the age of 45. Type - 2 diabetes is generally called "adult onset diabetes".
Gestational diabetes
Placenta produces hormones to sustain during pregnancy, which make cells more resistant to insulin. As a result, pancreas releases high insulin that remains in the blood and less energy is taken into the cells of the pregnant women and leads to gestational diabetes.
Causes of diabetes disease
  • High blood pressure (hypertension)
  • Obesity 
  • Stress 
  • Ageing
  • Genetic predisposition 
  • Sedentary life style 
  • Unhealthy food 
  • Side effects of drugs 
Common signs & symptoms for type - 1 & type - 2 diabetes:
  • Increased thirst
  • Frequent urination
  • Extreme hunger
  • Unexplained weight loss
  • Presence of ketones in the urine
  • Fatigue
  • Irritability
  • Blurred vision
  • Slow-healing sores
  • Frequent infections in gums or skin infections and vaginal infections are observed.
Symptoms of type 1 diabetes can include
  • extreme hunger
  • increased thirst
  • unintentional weight loss
  • frequent urination
  • blurry vision
  • tiredness
Symptoms of type 2 diabetes can include:
  • increased hunger
  • increased thirst
  • increased urination
  • blurry vision
  • tiredness
  • sores that are slow to heal
Women with gestational diabetes do not have any symptoms and condition is often detected during a routine blood sugar test or oral glucose tolerance test that is normally performed between the 24th and 28th weeks of gestation.

Complications

Many factors affect blood sugar levels, problems may arise suddenly that needs immediate care for the patient:
High Blood Sugar (hyperglycemia): If the blood glucose levels increase from the normal glucose levels that condition is said to be hyperglycemia. Reasons can include eating too much, not taking proper glucose lowering drugs. Signs and symptoms of high blood sugar can include frequent urination, increased thirst, dry mouth, blurred vision, fatigue and nausea. Person with this condition should adjust with a proper meal as well as medication.
Increased ketones in urine (diabetic ketoacidosis): Toxic acids called ketones are released when cells are starved without proper supply of energy released from glucose molecules. This leads
loss of appetite, weakness, vomiting, fever, stomach pain and a sweet, fruity breath among the patients.
Hyperglycemic hyperosmolar nonketotic syndrome:
This includes signs and symptoms that are life-threatening conditions with a blood sugar reading over 600 mg/dL, dry mouth, extreme thirst, fever, drowsiness, confusion, vision loss and hallucinations. Hyperosmolar syndrome leads to sky-high blood sugar that turns blood thick and syrupy.
Low blood sugar (hypoglycemia): when blood sugar levels go down from the normal glucose levels that condition is said to be hypoglycemia, this can be due to skipped meals, more physical activity or higher intake of insulin or excess glucose lowering drugs that helps in production of insulin by pancreas.


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