What causes the appearance of such an insidious disease as diabetes? Causes and symptoms of diabetes in adults.

What does diabetes lead to? This question is quite relevant, since statistical information provides data that there are more than 300 million people in the world suffering from a "sweet" disease.

As you know, diabetes is chronic disease, which is observed due to impaired glucose uptake against the background of relative or absolute insufficiency of insulin in the body.

All this leads to the fact that over time, if the functionality of the pancreas is impaired, sugar begins to accumulate in the human blood, leading to numerous complications.

Let's look at what type 2 diabetes can lead to, and whether it is possible to prevent the likely Negative consequences disease?

general information

Before considering the consequences sugar disease, it is necessary to consider the pathology in more detail. Glucose (in everyday life it is called sugar) is the main source of nutrition for the human body.

You can get this substance only by eating food. During food processing, glucose is released, binds to insulin for cellular level, and then it is transformed into energy, which allows the body to work normally and fully.

When the functionality of the pancreas is impaired, this leads to a decrease in insulin production in the human body. Since glucose cannot be absorbed on its own, that is, without a hormone, an accumulation of sugar in the blood is observed.

Most often in medical practice Type 1 and type 2 diabetes occur. The second type of the disease develops after 40 years, progresses relatively slowly. At the same time, complications are observed in the patient before the diagnosis is made.

Type 1 diabetes occurs in young adults, teenagers and young children. Despite the fact that medical practice has not established exact reasons development of pathology, it is often associated with a genetic predisposition.

The disease itself does not threaten the life of the patient. However, a chronic hyperglycemic state (persistent increase in blood sugar) disrupts the functionality of internal organs and systems, leading to numerous failures in the body.

Allocate acute complications, which are the result of an excessive increase in blood sugar, as well as chronic effects due to persistently high glucose levels.

Acute complications

So, what are the possible complications due to the disease? The norm of sugar is considered to be the variability from 3.3 to 5.5 units. If the patient has sugar from 5.5 to 6.9 units, in this case we are talking about prediabetes. Over 7.0 units, we can safely talk about diabetes.

Treatment of the second type of sugar disease involves a low-carbohydrate diet, optimal physical activity. These measures prevent the increase in sugar, while increasing the sensitivity of cells to the hormone insulin.

Ketoacidotic coma. In the vast majority of clinical pictures, it develops in type 1 diabetes. Energy deficiency leads to the fact that the body receives it from adipose tissue, due to the breakdown of which ketone bodies are released.
Hyperosmolar coma can develop within a couple of days or a couple of weeks. Against the background of high blood sugar, sodium accumulates in the body. Symptoms: desire drink, increase specific gravity urine per day.
Lactic acid coma is characterized by the accumulation of lactic acid in the body, which leads to the development negative symptoms. It is more often observed in patients against the background of a violation of the functionality of the liver, kidneys.

Hypoglycemia is an acute complication diabetes, which is the result of a hunger strike, an overdose of a hormone or pills to reduce sugar, excessive physical activity, severe stress or nervous tension.

Hypoglycemia progresses rapidly, signaling its development with such symptoms: a strong feeling of hunger, dizziness, weakness, lethargy, general malaise.

Diabetes cannot be cured, so the only way live normal and full life is to constantly control sugar.

Late Complications

Chronic negative consequences of the sweet disease develop as a result of a violation of the structure of blood vessels and peripheral nerves. First, capillaries in the kidneys, feet, and retina suffer.

Type 2 diabetes can lead to diabetic angiopathy, which damages blood vessels, they become brittle, lose their elasticity and elasticity, the development of atherosclerotic plaques occurs.

Retinopathy is characterized by impaired visual perception, which can lead to complete loss of vision. As a rule, it is observed with a long "experience" of sugar disease against the background of non-compliance with the recommended treatment.

Chronic complications of diabetes:

Renal failure.
Polyneuropathy is a disease that affects the lower extremities.
Arthropathy is characterized by joint pain, a violation of the musculoskeletal system.
Cataract (clouding of the lens in the eye).
Encephalopathy is a violation of blood circulation in the brain.
Erectile dysfunction (sexual impotence) in men.
Diabetic foot.

As all of the above shows, there are many complications of diabetes mellitus, and many of them are characterized by severe consequences.

Absence adequate treatment and control of blood glucose levels can lead to irreversible impairment, disability, and even lethal outcome.

Prevention of complications

As already noted, the first and second types of the disease are most often diagnosed. There are specific varieties of the disease, like Lada diabetes. They are difficult to diagnose and are often confused with the first two types.

Regardless of the type of illness, the patient must take all necessary preventive actions that help prevent the development of acute and chronic complications.

First of all, you need to constantly monitor blood sugar levels. You need to do this not once a week or a day, but much more often, and several times every day. For example, right after waking up, before and after breakfast, during lunch, after physical activity, etc.

Only timely detection of a jump in sugar will allow it to be immediately reduced, respectively, to nullify the likelihood of complications.

Basic rules for diabetics:

Strict compliance diet food(Calculation of calories, dividing carbohydrates into several doses, choosing foods with a low glycemic index).
Regular visits to the doctor, preventive examination for possible complications.
Constant physical activity (slow running, brisk walking, swimming, cycling, going to the gym).
Complete abstinence from alcohol.
Timely treatment of existing comorbidities.

To live fully and normal life, a diabetic should always keep a "finger on the pulse" - this is the only way that will minimize possible complications in the present and future.

What do you think about this? What measures are you taking to prevent chronic complications?

The phenomenon is much more insidious. Unfortunately, it cannot be cured. But it can be prevented. In this article, we will not talk about how terrible the consequences of diabetes are.

We will talk about prevention, the first symptoms of diabetes and how to detect the disease at the very beginning. Tells endocrinologist of the Chernihiv City Polyclinic No. 3 Olena Piskun.

If all diseases in our country were not called romantic ancient Greek phrases, then it would be much easier to understand their essence. After all, the wise Greeks encrypted in the names not only the essence of the disease, but also its symptoms. For example, the disease "diabetes mellitus" could be translated only as "a person losing sugar."

The essence of the disease lies in pancreatic dysfunction, which cannot enough produce insulin. Why do we need insulin?

We are losing him!

Imagine the cells of the body as some spheres with closed doors. Glucose accumulates around the cells, but cannot get inside without the help of insulin. It serves as a key to the cage doors. Glucose, in turn, is necessary for cells to exist, like gasoline is needed for a car to drive.

What happens in a situation where there is little or no insulin at all? Here the food enters the body, then complex carbohydrates are processed into monosaccharides (mainly glucose) and, absorbed through the walls of the intestine into the blood, are carried throughout the body. It seems like there is glucose and everything is fine, but it cannot get into the cells without insulin. As a result, cells starve, but blood sugar levels rise.

Head as an indicator

Where does glucose go if there is no insulin and it cannot enter the cells? Part of it interacts with insulin-independent tissues that absorb sugar from the blood, despite the absence of insulin, and if there is too much sugar, then they absorb it in excess.

First of all, such sugar absorbers are the brain, nerve endings and nerve cells. Yes, yes, that is why the first symptoms of diabetes are heaviness in the head, fatigue, fast fatiguability, impaired attention, a cataract or clouding of the lens of the eye appears a little later, vision deteriorates (a white veil appears before the eyes of a person).

Glycemic index. Who needs it?

The glycemic index reflects the rate at which a particular product is broken down in our body and converted into glucose. Glucose itself is taken as a standard and, accordingly, is equated to 100 units. For all other products glycemic index(GI) varies from 0 to 100 or more, depending on how quickly they are absorbed.

If a product is assigned a low glycemic index, it means that when it is consumed, blood sugar levels rise slowly. The higher the glycemic index, the faster the rise in blood sugar after eating the food and the higher the immediate blood sugar level after eating the food.

Heredity. There are observations that type 1 diabetes is inherited with a probability of 3-7% through the mother and with a probability of 10% through the father. If both parents are sick, the risk of the disease increases several times and is up to 70%. Type 2 diabetes is inherited with a probability of 80% both maternal and paternal, and if both parents suffer from non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus, the probability of its manifestation in children approaches 100%, but, as a rule, in adulthood. Well, in this case, doctors differ only in the percentage, otherwise they are in solidarity: heredity is the main factor in the onset of diabetes.

Obesity. From the point of view of the development of diabetes, it is especially dangerous if the body mass index is more than 30 kg / m2 and obesity is of an abdominal nature, that is, the shape of the body takes the form of an apple. Importance has a waist circumference. The risk of diabetes increases with a waist circumference in men over 102 cm, in women over 88 cm. It turns out that wasp waist is not only a tribute to fashion, but also the right way protect yourself from diabetes. This factor, fortunately, can be neutralized if a person, aware of the full extent of the danger, fights overweight (and wins this fight). Best Recipe from doctors in this case - give up a sedentary lifestyle. Just 30 minutes of exercise a day or 3 hours a week can work wonders.

Diseases of the pancreas. Pancreatitis, pancreatic cancer, diseases of other endocrine glands - everything that provokes pancreatic dysfunction contributes to the development of diabetes. By the way, often physical trauma can contribute to damage to the pancreas.

Viral infections. Rubella, chickenpox, epidemic hepatitis and some other diseases, including influenza, increase the risk of diabetes. These infections play the role of a trigger, as if provoking the disease. Clearly, for most people, the flu will not be the onset of diabetes. But if this is an obese person with aggravated heredity, then even a simple virus poses a threat to him. A person whose family did not have diabetics can repeatedly suffer the flu and other diseases. infectious diseases, and at the same time, the likelihood of developing diabetes is significantly less than that of a person with a hereditary predisposition to diabetes. So the combination of risk factors increases the risk of the disease several times.

Diabetes prescribed in the genes may not manifest itself if it is not triggered by one of the following factors: nervous stress, sedentary image life, not proper nutrition, inability to breathe fresh air and spend time in nature. All these "urban" troubles only increase the risk. Add to this an increase in life expectancy (the highest incidence of diabetes was recorded in people over 65), and we get huge statistics by the number of diabetic patients.

Diabetes young and old

There are two types of diabetes. What are their features?

1st type. insulin dependent.

This disease is most often genetically determined, it can manifest itself at any age, more often at a young age (even in the first months of life). In the first type, pancreatic cells are destroyed, leading to absolute insulin deficiency. Which, in turn, leads to an increase in blood sugar levels, the appearance of constant thirst and weight loss (despite the fact that the appetite is usually good). The first type of diabetes is treated only subcutaneous injections insulin.

Also needed special diet and a minimum of nervous shocks.

2nd type. Insulin independent.

This type of disease usually develops over the years. Most often it is diagnosed in adulthood. In type 2 diabetics, only relative insulin deficiency develops, i.e. pancreatic insulin is produced in sufficient quantities, but the sensitivity of cell receptors is impaired, which leads to impaired carbohydrate metabolism, high level blood glucose.

The cause, and at the same time the symptom of this type of diabetes, is often obesity. Such diabetes is kept under control with glucose-lowering pills, diet and, again, the right way life.

Myths and facts about diabetes

If a child is given a lot of sweets, he will develop diabetes..

It is not true. As we have already found out, the amount of sugar in foods does not directly affect blood sugar. In the case of children, it is necessary to understand whether they have a hereditary predisposition to the disease. If there is, then it is necessary to draw up a menu based on the indicators of the glycemic index of products. If hereditary factor exclude, then there is a need in the form of prevention to maintain a healthy body weight and a healthy mentality of the child. But the amount of sweets he ate did not affect the development of diabetes.

Have infectious diabetes.

This is a 100% myth, which is the result of misinformation. Unfortunately, a large number of materials are replete with allegations that diabetes can be “caught” through dishes or physical contact with a sick person, as well as through the blood of a diabetic.

This is absolute nonsense. Diabetes is a dysfunction of the pancreas. And that's it! It's not about the quality of blood, not about viral bacteria, but about specific features (or acquired diseases) of the body.

But ordinary flu can also provoke diabetes, but only if a person already has a predisposition to diabetes.

Diabetes is dangerous for the legs.

Indeed, the most is a disease of the feet, the so-called " diabetic foot". Often similar phenomenon can be seen in type 2 diabetics with 15-20 years of experience. Funnel-like wounds first appear on the surface of the feet, which eventually grow and turn into an ulcer.

Diabetes destroys the nervous system and blood vessels. The foot is that part of the body that constantly experiences increased load and often injured. And in conditions of impaired blood circulation, the protective function of tissues is reduced, and any minor injury (abrasion, abrasion) can lead to a long-term non-healing wound.

Diet for type 2 diabetes

Breakfast:

Eggs - 2 pcs., hard boiled

Boiled meat with stewed zucchini

Coffee or tea with milk

Butter (10 g) and 2 slices of rye bread

Dinner:

Soup-pickle fish or meat broth with meatballs

Low-fat boiled meat with stewed cabbage

Compote of fresh apples or jelly

afternoon tea:

Bran cheesecake

Rosehip tincture or tea with lemon

Dinner:

Cabbage rolls with meat or marinated cod

Chamomile tea or infusion

For the night:

Yogurt or apple

If glucose metabolism is disturbed, and later other types of metabolism in a disease such as diabetes mellitus, the consequences can be very serious, especially if the disease is left to chance.

This question is all the more relevant because, according to statistics, there are about 300 million people in the world who suffer from this disease. And many long time are unaware of their problem. Until problems with vision or blood vessels begin. A person gets a consultation with other specialists, and after donating blood for sugar, or during a mandatory medical examination, treatment continues with the participation of an endocrinologist.

Every year, more than 4 million people with this diagnosis die as a result of the development of various complications. And many patients of working age become disabled.

Long-term consequences

Long-term consequences of diabetes mellitus result from damage to blood vessels and peripheral nerves. First of all, the small capillary network, which is located in the kidneys, the retina of the eye, and on the soles of the feet, suffers. As a result of the development of changes under the influence of prolonged hyperglycemia, the following problems arise:

. Develops as a result of change vascular wall, increased fragility of blood vessels, deposition of atherosclerotic plaques.

. Belongs to the most common pathological conditions in people with long-term diabetes. It develops especially rapidly as a result of the lack of constant monitoring of glucose levels, violation of the diet and timely administration of drugs. Leads to complete loss of vision. When examining the retina of such a patient, areas of multiple hemorrhages and the appearance of a new vascular network are revealed. Often in patients with type 2 diabetes, retinal detachment is noted. After 10 years from the onset of the disease, such pathologies are observed in half of the patients, and after 20 years it affects almost all.

. The defeat of the nephrons leads to a violation of the filtration capacity and the development of CRF. At first, the process is expressed in the appearance of a small amount of protein (microalbuminuria). Then, as you progress pathological process, it gets bigger. AT terminal stage the patient can be saved only by a kidney transplant or permanent dialysis. The kidneys are affected in this process slowly, and Clinical signs appear only when 50% of the nephrons die.

. Violation of peripheral innervation occurs as "socks" or "gloves". The lower extremities are most commonly affected. The lack of pain sensitivity leads to trauma and infection, and the consequences of diabetes are that any wound can lead to the development of gangrene and loss of a limb or sepsis. Obese women and smoking men are more likely to suffer from this pathology.

Arthropathy. They appear in the form joint pain, crunching, violation of freedom of movement.

Angiopathy. Violations of the structure and function of blood vessels affect the work of the heart and central nervous system. Patients with diabetes therefore often have attacks of arrhythmia and angina pectoris. In the second type of the disease, the likelihood of developing a stroke or heart attack is high several years after the diagnosis.

. When constantly elevated level sugar often develops clouding of the lens.

encephalopathy. Circulatory disorders in the brain leads gradually to mental disorders. They can be expressed in the form of emotional lability, depressive syndrome, character changes.

In addition, the consequences of diabetes mellitus in women are expressed in violations of the reproductive function, malfunctions menstrual cycle, ovarian dysfunction.

The consequences of diabetes in men are manifested in the form of, lack of orgasm, premature ejaculation. characteristic feature this disease is the fact that type 2 diabetes is more severe in men than in women.

. Occurs as a result of impaired blood circulation and innervation of the distal parts lower extremities. As a result, complete insensitivity of the foot develops, in which any abrasion or callus ends with the addition of a purulent infection. Dangerous in diabetes and the development of fungal infections that affect the toenails.

In addition, with long-term diabetes, hair begins to fall out, nail plates break, and inelastic. Often. Development, in the absence of blood sugar control, can lead to fetal death, or miscarriage.

Acute complications

Early, or acute complications develop as a result of constant fluctuations in sugar levels, with improperly selected treatment or its absence, and may also be the first sign of the disease. The most common are:

. It is more common in patients with an insulin-dependent form of the disease. The lack of energy in the body due to the lack of absorption of glucose by cells begins to be replenished due to the breakdown of adipose tissue. In the process of such biochemical reactions, ketone bodies accumulate in the blood and appear in the urine. Clinically, this condition is manifested by a characteristic odor from the mouth, pronounced weakness, shortness of breath.

The acute consequences of type 2 diabetes mellitus and the first are equally true. It occurs as a result of starvation, with an overdose of insulin or hypoglycemic agents, increased physical activity, stressful situation. It develops quickly, the patient experiences a strong feeling of hunger, dizziness, then he may lose consciousness.

has consequences in the elderly in the form of hyperosmolar and lactic acid coma. In the first case, sodium begins to accumulate in the body against the background of hyperglycemia. Clinically, this is expressed in the form of very strong thirst and polyuria. lactic acid coma occurs with pathology of the heart, kidneys or liver. At the same time, the patient has sharp drop pressure and stop urination.

Diabetes mellitus is one of the diseases that cannot be cured at this stage of science. But subject to the doctor's recommendations, constant monitoring of sugar levels, a mobile lifestyle, you can save normal condition on the long years and avoid the consequences of this disease. Be sure to adhere to the basic principles of hygiene, eliminate bad habits.

Discussion: there is 1 comment

Very good and helpful article. We currently lack schools for patients with diabetes mellitus of the first and second types, since the patients themselves are little aware of their disease and often come with complications, especially now there are many patients with diabetic polyneuropathy. We try to treat with what we have - correction of sugars, B vitamins (neuromedin, neuromultivit), metabolic agents (thioctacid bv), vascular agents

Diabetes mellitus causes, symptoms and treatment depend on many factors. The stage of the disease and its type play an important role. Diabetes is divided into 2 types. The first type of diabetes mellitus is considered insulin-dependent, and the second - non-insulin dependent. In recent years, the number of patients with diabetes has increased dramatically. In total, there are more than 150 million patients in the world. The disease is one of the most ancient, but it was diagnosed in 1922.

There are many myths, misconceptions and even superstitions around this disease. Of course, diabetes mellitus is considered a very serious disease and requires a serious approach to treatment, compliance with all the recommendations of endocrinologists and nutritionists. The patient will have to change a lot in his life: habits, nutrition, attitude to work. However, by properly prioritizing, you can keep the disease under control and enjoy the usual little things in life.

Diabetes mellitus occurs in 2 cases:

the pancreas stops producing insulin (type 1);
insulin is produced, but the cells are not sensitive to it (type 2).

There are many reasons for such failures in the body. The first type of the disease is considered more dangerous. The patient needs daily injections of insulin. responsible for the processing of sugar in the body. Without the proper amount of this hormone, the conversion of sugar into glucose becomes impossible. As a result, sugar rises in the blood and is excreted through the urine into in large numbers. With diabetes, all metabolic processes are disturbed:

water;
protein;
carbohydrate;
fatty.

In a healthy person, the pancreas produces 200 units of insulin per day. Due to disruption of this important body insulin production may slow down or stop completely. Depending on the processes occurring in the body, diabetes is classified as type 1 or type 2. The first type of diabetes can also be called juvenile. This means that the insulin-dependent form of the disease can occur in adolescents and even young children. Diabetes mellitus can be congenital or acquired.

Factors provoking the development of the disease

The causes of type 1 diabetes can be many. However, doctors cannot say exactly what causes diabetes in each individual patient. It is believed that the main cause of diabetes is a genetic predisposition. The child receives the genetic background from the biological parents. It contains the "instruction" for the production of proteins, thanks to which numerous processes in the body will be possible. Some genes carry a susceptibility to the development of type 1 diabetes. The risk is significantly increased if the grandparents had diabetes. If both parents have diabetes, then the risk of congenital pathology in the child exceeds 60%.

Causes of diabetes may include:

pancreatic injury;
overweight or obesity;
bad habits (smoking and alcohol abuse);
autoimmune diseases;
stress;
sedentary lifestyle;
endocrine diseases;
viral infections;
hypertension;
age-related changes;
abuse of fatty foods;
diseases of the gastrointestinal tract;
toxic damage by medicinal or chemical substances.

There is an opinion that if there is a lot of sweets, then this ailment can develop. But it is not so. Although sweets are considered junk food, but by themselves they do not provoke diabetes. However, the use of sweet products - sweets, pastries, cakes, pastries - leads to obesity. And obesity affects the work of all organs, including the pancreas.

Among viral infections that can become a provoking factor in the development of diabetes are: mumps, chicken pox, measles, rubella, hepatitis, virus mumps. Endocrine diseases that increase the risk of diabetes in adults are:

acromegaly;
glucagonoma;
hyperthyroidism.

The occurrence of diabetes may be due to the use of drugs that are prescribed for asthma, rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, ulcerative colitis. Steroid hormones and corticosteroids can weaken the action of insulin or affect the functioning of beta cells responsible for hormone responsiveness.

The etiology of the disease in men

How does the juvenile form develop?

The very name "juvenile diabetes" indicates that children or adolescents suffer from it. What are the causes of diabetes in teenagers? Usually children suffer from an insulin-dependent form of diabetes. The first reason is heredity. There are cases when diabetes in parents was diagnosed after the birth of the child. Acquired diabetes mellitus develops due to:

viruses in the body
toxic effects of chemicals;
diseases of the pancreas (acute or chronic pancreatitis);
weak immunity;
birth weight over 4 kg;
taking drugs that disrupt the function of the pancreas.

Children, like adults, can suffer from overweight, get involved in unhealthy foods, and lead a sedentary lifestyle. For the purpose of prevention, it is necessary to exclude croutons, chips, fast foods, carbonated drinks from the diet of children. Watching TV and working on the computer should not replace full-fledged walks in the fresh air.

Observing the child, you can notice the characteristic ones, among which:

increased appetite;
poor school performance;
irritability;
drowsiness for no reason;
frequent desire to drink (even in the middle of the night);
the appearance of diaper rash (in babies);
pustular rashes on the skin;
change in the color of urine;
vulvitis (in girls);
fungal infections;
frequent colds.

If at initial signs diabetes does not start treatment, then after 3-4 weeks the child will develop ketoacidosis, which is accompanied by pain, nausea, vomiting. With severe complications, the child may fall into a diabetic coma.

Whatever the causes of diabetes in children or adults, they cannot be eliminated with treatment. All that the patient can do is to change the approach to nutrition, lifestyle and stressful situations.

With this diagnosis, it is very important to teach a sick person to eat regularly, but at the same time take into account the amount of carbohydrates absorbed.

With obesity, nutritionists make a menu that must be followed for life.

Preventive measures

Adults and children develop diabetes for the same reasons. Heredity cannot be changed, but other factors are subject to a person. Therefore, as preventive measures necessary;

eliminate junk food;
play sports 2-3 times a week;
treat infectious and viral diseases;
strengthen immunity;
change your attitude to stressful situations;
to refuse from bad habits;
include more vegetables and fruits in the diet;
prevent obesity.

For children, the best prevention is breast-feeding. Thanks to him, the child develops strong immunity- a defense mechanism against numerous diseases. As you grow older, you need to monitor nutrition and exercise. Girls are prohibited from strict diets with prolonged fasting. If a person has a labile nervous system, is prone to depression and anxiety, a psychotherapist's consultation is required. It is important to teach a person to solve life's difficulties while maintaining emotional calmness.

If, with all the preventive measures, a person is faced with this disease, then the solution is taking medications that regulate blood sugar levels. Diabetes is a disease that cannot be left to chance. Complications of diabetes can lead to loss of limbs, gangrene, diabetic coma, partial loss of vision, loss of teeth, kidney failure. Therefore, treatment should be started as soon as the diagnosis is made.

Our time is called the diabetes epidemic. People of all ages get sick, the disease is increasingly common in children. At the same time, not everyone comes to the endocrinologist in time, because they either do not pay attention to the manifestations of pathogenesis, or attribute them to other conditions. The symptoms of diabetes at the initial stage can be blurred, increase gradually, but it is important to be able to notice them as early as possible in order to prevent the occurrence severe complications.

What is diabetes mellitus?

The disease was known in ancient times, but then the main symptom of diabetes was considered only thirst combined with frequent urination, then people had no idea about endocrine changes. Later, the disease was repeatedly studied, although it has not yet been fully established why it occurs, and there is also no way to finally get rid of an already existing pathology.

The general characteristics of diabetes mellitus are pathological changes relative to basal uptake of glucose and any sugars. This change can be absolute, that is, insulin stops being released at all, or relative, depending on how much the pancreas loses its ability to produce the hormone that is responsible for converting sugar into energy - insulin.

During the development of the disease, the following occurs:

The cells of the pancreas either stop producing insulin at all, or its production is reduced to critical level. As a result, there severe starvation all body systems, since glucose is the main source of energy. All incoming sugar remains in the blood without undergoing further metabolic conversion.
In another case, insulin production does not decrease, but the cells that are supposed to take this hormone and assimilate glucose become resistant to the substance - that is, they stop “noticing” it.
A paradoxical situation arises: the body, on the one hand, experiences hunger due to the fact that incoming sugars are not processed into nutrients, and on the other hand, the content of glucose in the blood increases, which has a destructive effect on the state of the cells.
Diabetes is a disease endocrine system in which all organ systems are affected human body. The degree of involvement depends on the complexity of the course of the disease, the measures taken and the therapy.
Early signs of diabetes can go unnoticed for a long time, most often, people come to the doctor already with a severe, neglected process that is much more difficult to correct.

Diabetes is dangerous both for its complications, which affect absolutely all organs, and risk of coma. Many doctors say that this is not so much a disease as a way of life: it is impossible to cure it completely, but if you stick to correct mode, take medications depending on the type, constantly monitor their condition and the percentage of sugar in the blood plasma, then you can live long without experiencing the characteristic effects.

Doctors also say that there is now a real epidemic of diabetes in the world. To one degree or another, it is found in almost every third person, and if it was previously diagnosed either in children or in the elderly - depending on the type, now almost everyone is at risk.

Causes

Medicine has not yet established whether there is any single cause that provokes the disease. Currently, only factors that increase the risk that the development of diabetes mellitus will occur are established.

Among them are the following:

genetic predisposition- it has a particularly significant effect on the appearance of "childhood" type 1 diabetes, if the parents were diagnosed with the disease, then the child will inherit it with a high degree risk.
Another risk factor early appearance diseases: large fetal weight. Normally, a newborn weighs 2.5-3.5 kg, if this figure is increased, then endocrinologists immediately begin to observe the baby.
In children, the development of pancreatic pathology is provoked by viral diseases Or rather their complications. Often, the death of pancreatic cells occurs against the background of measles, rubella, even such a harmless disease as chicken pox.
Adults get diabetes on the background malnutrition , lifestyle. It is believed that being overweight with a body mass index of more than 30 doubles the risk of insulin resistance. With a BMI of 35 or more, the incidence of diabetes reaches one hundred percent.
Even a little extra weight, at which body fat located around the abdomen - according to the abdominal type, it is recognized as one of the key factors in the development of diabetes.
The disease can be triggered by other pathologies of the endocrine sphere, for example: Itsenko-Cushing's syndrome, diffuse toxic goiter, acromegaly.
Any illness or injury pancreas- an organ that produces enzymes and insulin, are fraught with complications in the form of diabetes mellitus, more often than the first type.

Factors can overlap, increasing the risk of developing the disease. However, no doctor can give a 100% “guarantee” that even a perfectly healthy person with a normal weight, diet and no pancreatic pathologies will never develop diabetes. Currently, there is even a theory that this is a viral and quite contagious disease.

Outside of scientific disputes and discussions, doctors can only recommend that people monitor their condition, pay attention to even small changes, and take timely measures.

First signs

Early symptoms of diabetes can be mild, especially when it comes to type 2 or insulin resistance. Manifestations go unnoticed until they pass into a more serious stage.

In this regard, it is worth paying attention to such early signs of the disease:

Feeling of dry mouth, which may not be strong, and a person writes it off for the summer heat and other factors.
Dry skin, causing minor discomfort. This symptom is most noticeable on the palms, elbows, and heels. The skin feels rough and dry due to dehydration and lack of nutrition.
Increased feeling of hunger the person may gain weight. This is due to a decrease in the ability of cells to receive useful material from incoming food.
Urination becomes more frequent, while increasing the amount of fluid released. A person gets up to go to the toilet two or three times at night.
Feeling subjectively tired, fatigue, unwillingness to do the usual work - a characteristic feeling of "brokenness". "Popular" Syndrome chronic fatigue sometimes it can be early sign diabetes mellitus.

The severity of symptoms can be very mild. The most noticeable are dry mouth and thirst. If at the same time a person has overweight body, the habit of eating unhealthy food, that is, it makes sense to go to the endocrinologist and analyze the body's ability to absorb glucose. It must be remembered that a single blood sampling does not give a complete picture; for the purpose of diagnosis, a stress test for glucose resistance and other measures are carried out.

Types

There are different forms of the disease depending on the pathogenesis occurring in the body. Determination of the type is extremely important, since the method of treatment differs radically.

In addition to the two main ones, there are other subspecies, but, as a rule, they talk about the following:

First type

This is a disease of children and young people, caused, according to most scientists, genetically. Sometimes the first type can develop after a severe attack of pancreatitis or even pancreatic necrosis, when a person can be saved, but the functions of the pancreas are hopelessly lost. The first type is the absence of insulin in the body, so it is administered artificially.

Type II or insulin resistance

With this type of disease, the pancreas continues to produce insulin, and its amount may be even greater than that of healthy people. However, the cells responsible for the perception of the hormone cease to “understand” it. metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes mellitus is corrected without the introduction of a hormone, with the help of specific therapy and diet.

Gestational diabetes

Appearing in pregnant women - this process is reversible, occurs in many women, disappears after childbirth. It cannot be ignored, because gestational diabetes indicates increased risk the onset of the disease in the future, both in the mother and in the child.

situational diabetes

May develop as a nonspecific immune response, sometimes as by-effect taking certain medications. These cases are quite rare, so the main attention of doctors is focused on the two main types plus gestational diabetes.

Symptoms

Symptoms depend on the severity of the disease, its degree of development and the measures taken by the patient himself. Diabetes causes great amount complications that affect the whole body, but as the main clinical picture considered:

increased thirst- a person can drink up to three to four liters of water per day, experiencing constant dry mouth.
Frequent urination- also in large portions, unlike, for example, cystitis or other diseases of the genitourinary system.
Feeling of hunger, there may be weight gain or, on the contrary, its sharp decrease.
Man gets tired quickly experiencing drowsiness during the day.
Wounds, cuts, scratches heal poorly. Pimples and other skin problems appear.
There is a deterioration in vision, the subjects appear to be a bit fuzzy.

Already the basic signs - dry mouth, combined with severe thirst and repeated up to two or three times an hour, the urge to urinate is enough to suspect high sugar in blood. The remaining signs indicate the severity and advanced stage of the disease.

Appearance of patients with different forms diabetes is different. People with the first are not prone to obesity, on the contrary, as a rule, these are painfully thin people with bad skin acne prone. Persons with the second type are often full, and fat deposits are located according to the "male" type - on the stomach. Sometimes external signs diabetes may be completely absent.

Treatment

Radical treatment does not exist. Lifelong support of the patient with constant monitoring of his condition is possible. Therapy is selected depending on the form of the disease.

The first type provides:

The introduction of insulin in the form of injections.
Also currently there are special insulin patches or pumps.
The patient needs to constantly monitor the level of sugar in the blood.
It is also important to remember that in the first type, hypoglycemia - a lack of glucose with an excess of insulin - is even more dangerous than hyperglycemia. People are advised to always carry a few sweets, cookies for an "emergency" case for rapid rise glucose levels.

The latest treatment for type 1 diabetes involves transplantation of sections of the pancreas. However, these surgical interventions are still rare.

The second type is more common, and if the first type is typical for children and adolescents, then insulin resistance develops in people over 35 years of age, although there is currently a downward trend in age.

Treatment for this type of diabetes includes:

Strict diet with restriction of carbohydrates and fats.
Measures to reduce body weight.
Hypoglycemic drugs - Glipizide, Glimepiride.
Biguanides are substances that promote natural recovery normal glucose metabolism by reducing glucogenesis in the liver, - Metformin, Glucofarge.
Alpha-glucosidase inhibitors, which block the rise in blood sugar Miglitol, Acarbose.

Therapy in the second type allows not to use external sources of insulin. The idea of treatment is to preserve as much as possible normal balance in the body without resorting to serious intervention. Drug therapy always serves only as the basis of treatment, because the main part of the responsibility for their health lies with the patient, on his ability to adhere to the proper nutrition recommended for this disease, as well as to monitor his condition.

Consequences and complications of diabetes

Diabetes is dangerous both in itself and in its complications. The first type gives the worst prognosis for life in the long term, while the compensated disease of the second type can proceed "background", without worsening the quality of life.

Consequences and complications include emergency:

hypermolar coma- occurs against the background of dehydration, if you do not take enough fluid, which continues to be excreted from the body.
Hypoglycemic coma- occurs in people with type 1 diabetes, with the wrong dosage of insulin.
lactic acid coma- occurs against the background of the accumulation of lactic acid caused by diabetes and, as a rule, kidney failure, also provoked by this disease.
Ketoacidosis is the accumulation of ketone bodies, products of fat metabolism, in the blood.

These conditions are emergency, life threatening. Hypoglycemic coma is especially dangerous, because without urgent administration of glucose it can be fatal in 30-40 minutes.

There are also long-term consequences of diabetes:

Diabetic neuropathy and encephalopathy- destruction nervous system both central and peripheral. The manifestations are wide - from pain in the muscles to memory impairment and decreased intelligence. This is one of the most common long-term complications of the disease, occurring in one in eight people with diabetes. The process begins with the arms and legs, forming characteristic symptoms"Gloves", in the future the pain spreads to the whole body, also capturing the central nervous system.
diabetic retinopathy- Decreased vision against the background of damage to the retina, up to complete blindness. During this disease, degeneration and detachment of the retina occurs. It is also an extremely common pathology, and every year the disease adds 10% to the risk of developing this complication.
diabetic nephropathy- damage to the kidneys up to the development of a severe form of renal failure against the background of the constant need to conduct fluid, often containing excessive glucose.
Diabetic angiopathy- violation of the permeability of small and large vessels due to the fact that they are "clogged" with undigested glucose. This pathology causes the development of severe complications, up to heart failure, blood clots.
Leg injury, "diabetic foot"- the appearance of purulent-necrotic processes in the lower extremities. It starts with small ulcers that heal very poorly. In the future, edema develops, the process ends wet gangrene with the need for amputation of the affected limb.

Severe consequences develop only in the decompensated form of the disease. It develops against the background of a systematic violation of the diet, improper selection drug therapy, inattention of the patient to the level of glucose in the blood. Even one-time violations of the diet can provoke a sharp deterioration in the condition, so no “relaxations” and “ public holidays» Diabetes cannot be.

Prevention

Prevention consists in timely vaccinations against viral diseases in children, and in adults - to the normalization of body weight, diet. It is recommended to eat green vegetables, unsweetened fruits, limit sweet and fatty foods. Moderate physical exercise also serve as a preventive measure.

A healthy lifestyle, proper nutrition, avoiding stress are all excellent methods to avoid not only diabetes, but also many other diseases. Of course, not everyone can maintain an ideal daily routine, but you can always reduce the amount of fast food in your diet and simple sugars, replacing them with slow carbohydrates, fiber, protein products.

Diet for diabetes

Nutrition - key feature patient support and correction of his condition. Without diet therapy, all other measures are meaningless.

The principle of the diet is as follows:

Exclusion of glucose and sugar, including foods with added sugar.
Restriction of other sugars - for example, fructose can be no more than 20 g per day.
The exclusion of fatty foods is especially important in type 1 diabetes.
Eating green vegetables, unsweetened fruits, fish, lean meats.
Constant monitoring of blood sugar levels and dietary adjustments. You can't go hungry with diabetes.

The basic principle of nutrition is the concept of "bread unit". This is a conditional dose of about 10 g of carbohydrates, which equals approximately 20 grams of bread. A diabetic can eat no more than 10 of these per day. bread units, and at one meal a range from 2 to 7 is allowed, which is strictly forbidden to exceed.

Depending on the type of diabetes, the characteristics of the diet may vary. For example, ban on fatty foods very strict in the first type, many people who take insulin constantly are advised to avoid fats and even proteins as much as possible due to the risk of ketoacidosis. However, these patients can have more carbohydrates, since the injected insulin is able to compensate for the intake of these substances.

Conversely, if a person has type 2 diabetes, then he healthy fats allowed contained in eggs, sea fish, some fruits - for example, avocados, but it is recommended to limit carbohydrates as much as possible, and eliminate fast ones completely.

The symptoms of diabetes are easy to miss, and dealing with advanced disease is much more difficult than with early stages. Therefore, from time to time, it is recommended to do a glucose test for everyone who is at risk for age, body weight, genetic or other factors.