Diabetes is considered to be the most common endocrine disease. Improper nutrition, lack of physical activity and hereditary predisposition - these factors increase the risk of its occurrence. Today, about 347 million people worldwide suffer from pathology. The number of cases has increased 10 times in the last two decades. If detected in the early stages, serious complications can be avoided. That's why it's important to know how diabetes manifests.
Causes of diabetes and its types
Diabetes mellitus is a disease characterized by impaired metabolism in the body. It is associated with insufficient production of the hormone insulin by the pancreas. Its deficiency leads to the accumulation of sugar in the body.
It usually needs to be converted to glucose due to the action of insulin. This process is accompanied by malaise and other symptoms. Sugar itself is excreted in large volumes in the urine, which leads to gradual dehydration and a constant feeling of thirst.
The exact causes of the disease have not yet been studied. However, doctors identify a group of factors that increase the risk of its occurrence.
- hereditary predisposition.
- Overweight.
- Pathologies of the pancreas (cancer, pancreatitis).
- Exposure to viruses (especially dangerous are influenza, rubella and smallpox).
- Frequent stress.
- Old age.
The classical classification of the disease provides for the distribution of its two forms: type 1 and type 2 diabetes. The first option is considered the most dangerous and is lifelong. To maintain a normal body condition, a constant injection of insulin is needed intramuscularly. In the second type, the body produces this hormone, but not in the required amount.
There are also the following types of diabetes: gestational, tasteless, steroid, latent, autoimmune, bronze. Each of the forms is characterized by its own clinical picture and peculiarities of the course.
How does type 1 and type 2 diabetes manifest itself?
Diabetes is an insidious disease. A person may not be aware of health problems for many years until they fall into a hyperglycemic coma. That is why it is important to know the main manifestations of the pathology, taking into account its diversity.
Table 1. Manifestation of type 1 and 2 diabetes mellitus
> zxtable border = "1" cellpadding = "0" >- Intense and constant thirst, difficult to quench with water. The patient may also experience dry mouth and throat. One only needs to drink a glass of water, as the urge to urinate immediately appears.
- Rapid weight loss. You can lose 11 kg in one month.
- Increased appetite. Due to hormonal disorders, water-salt metabolism is impaired, nutrients are difficult to absorb.
- Frequent urge to urinate. The fluid just doesn't stay in the body. One patient can consume more than 2 liters of water per day, and the number of toilet calls can be increased up to 10 times.
- Rapid fatigue, reduced productivity. These symptoms are also characteristic of other diseases. That is why it is wrong to judge diabetes only by them.
- Low temperature. Many people mistakenly believe that only fever indicates health problems. However, in diabetes it is possible to reduce it due to the slowing down of all metabolic processes.
- Itchy skin. Dehydrated skin can develop cracks.
- Visual impairment.
- Numbness of the lower extremities. This is a very telling symptom that cannot be ignored. It can subsequently transform into gangrene due to the fact that the peripheral nervous system suffers.
- Bad breath, reminiscent of acetone. Acetone is a product of protein breakdown that should be used in a healthy body. In the case of diabetes, the substance remains, gradually poisoning all organs.
- Decreased sexual desire. Any hormonal disorder is accompanied by a deterioration in libido.
- Heavy urination.
- Strong thirst.
- Itchy skin.
- Weight gain against the background of hormonal disorders.
- development of osteoporosis.
- Muscle hypotension. Muscle weakness occurs due to a disorder of the peripheral nervous system.
The clinical picture may vary slightly depending on the patient's age and gender.
Signs of diabetes in children
Recognizing the pathology in children is easy. It is important to do this in a timely manner to avoid developing a diabetic coma. It occurs spontaneously and can be fatal if the child is not treated.
Early signs of diabetes in children are:
- Frequent and copious urination. If the baby is still going to the potty, it is easy to identify this symptom. Problems with urination occur mainly at night. Parents often have to change diapers and bedding.
- The child is constantly thirsty. If diabetes is suspected, compotes and juices should be replaced with plain water. If in this case the thirst does not decrease, you should consult a doctor.
- Mismatch in weight and amount of food consumed. The child eats a lot, but does not improve. Another option is possible: the child eats little, but his body weight increases rapidly.
In addition to these symptoms, diabetes can manifest itself with itching, constant fatigue even after rest and dry mouth.
The onset of diabetes in men
The clinical picture of the disease in men does not differ from the general. However, inflammation of the foreskin, the entire urethra, can be added to all the signs. This happens due to frequent urination. The concentration of sugar in the urine is quite high, which leads to irritation of the tissues of the body and the foreskin itself.
Diabetic disorders in women
In the fairer sex, the onset of the disease manifests itself as severe thirst, drowsiness and itching. However, the pathological process often affects the reproductive system, which is accompanied by the following symptoms:
- Menstrual irregularities. Bloody secretions may be completely absent for several months and then appear in the form of clots.
- The appearance of ulcers of the mammary glands. They are often confused with allergies, but continued treatment does not bring positive results.
- Weight loss or gain for no apparent reason.
The latter symptom is more common in women than in others. With a high-calorie diet, patients can lose up to 10 kg of weight. On the other hand, adhering to a strict diet, some, on the contrary, gain weight. Usually such a disorder is perceived as a malfunction of the hormonal system. Only after passing the tests are serious health problems revealed.
Symptoms of gestational diabetes
Gestational diabetes develops exclusively in pregnant women. It has no specific external characteristics. It is usually found in routine check-ups, which are regularly prescribed to pregnant women. The basis for the diagnosis are the results of blood and urine tests.
The external manifestations of the disease are practically indistinguishable from those of type 1 and type 2 diabetes. We are talking about nausea, weakness, constant thirst. These symptoms do not occur separately and do not indicate toxicosis. They develop mainly in the second and third trimesters.
The gestational form of the disease does not pose a direct threat to the woman and the fetus in the womb. However, this can negatively affect her general well-being, the course of pregnancy. High glucose levels lead to the birth of a child with a high weight (4 kg or more).
This is often considered a prerequisite for obesity and the onset of diabetes in children. In some cases, there is a slight delay in development. Sometimes jaundice, hypoglycemia is diagnosed.
What to do if you have symptoms of diabetes?
If you suspect diabetes, you should not self-medicate or ignore the initial symptoms. This disease is the responsibility of the endocrinologist. However, the therapist can make a diagnosis.
In order to determine the presence of a pathological process, in any case you should seek medical help. The specialist will first listen to the patient's complaints, examine his medical history and perform a physical examination. Only on the basis of these measures can a preliminary diagnosis be made. To confirm this, you will need to undergo a thorough examination.
Diagnosis of the disease
Any test for suspected diabetes is aimed at determining the level of glucose in the blood.
Most often, patients are asked to take a blood sugar test. You cannot eat for 8-12 hours before delivery. Alcohol is also prohibited. Better to stop smoking. Usually the glucose indicator should be 5, 5 mmol per liter. If this parameter is 7 units or more, an additional inspection is assigned.
The patient should be tested for glucose tolerance. The analysis consists of several parts. First, the patient takes a standard fasting blood test. Then, in a medical facility, he drank a glass of water with sugar (75 g of the substance per 200 ml of water). After 2 hours he does a blood test again.
In a healthy person, the norm after the first test is up to 5, 5 mmol per liter, and after the second - up to 7, 8 mmol per liter. If these parameters are slightly exceeded (by several tenths), the doctor will make a conclusion about the pre-diabetic condition. Indicators that are much higher than these figures already indicate diabetes.
Some are prescribed a glycated hemoglobin test. With it you can monitor the state of blood glucose in the last 3 months. Usually this figure should be less than 5, 7%. At values in the range of 5, 7-6, 4% there is a high risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
In this case, the patient should discuss with the doctor measures to prevent the disease. When the level of glycated hemoglobin is more than 6, 5%, diabetes is likely. However, confirmation by additional tests is required.
Possible complications
The disease itself does not pose a threat to human life, but is subject to the doctor's recommendations. Its complications are dangerous. Among them, the most common are the following:
- neuropathy. The pathology is manifested by burning, severe pain and tingling in the lower extremities. It develops due to metabolic disorders in the central nervous system. Treatment involves taking drugs with thioctic acid. With timely seeking medical help, the patient manages to restore nerve tissue.
- diabetic coma. Her symptoms are growing rapidly. Therefore, the patient should be hospitalized immediately. At first you may complain of darkening of the eyes, mental retardation. There are several variants of this condition, but ketoacidosis is the most common. It is characterized by the accumulation of toxins in the body that quickly destroy nerve cells.
- Trophic ulcers. This is a serious pathology that significantly impairs the quality of human life. If therapy is not started in time, trophic ulcers may begin to fester.
Diabetes can also lead to other health problems. They manifest themselves in the form of dysfunction of various organ systems (liver, kidneys, organs of vision).
Diabetes prevention
First of all, it should be noted that the occurrence of type 1 diabetes is difficult to predict. The disease is mostly hereditary. Different viruses increase the likelihood of its development.
Type 2 diabetes is much easier to prevent. Its appearance directly depends on the quality of human life. Addictions, inactive lifestyle, alcohol abuse - all these factors can provoke the disease. Therefore, doctors give the following recommendations for its prevention:
- Control your body weight (try to eat a proper and balanced diet).
- Monitor your blood pressure and see a doctor if necessary.
- Engage in challenging sports.
- Treat diseases, especially those related to the endocrine system, in a timely manner.
If you follow these simple guidelines, you can protect yourself from diabetes. A healthy lifestyle and proper nutrition are the key to the proper functioning of the body.
Diabetes mellitus is a serious disease that requires mostly lifelong insulin intake. If you neglect its treatment, the pathological process can become more complicated and lead to quite unpleasant consequences.
The latter include diabetic coma, trophic ulcers of the lower extremities and neuropathy. To prevent such problems, it is important to know the initial symptoms of the disease and if they occur, consult a doctor immediately. After passing the examination, which consists mainly in assessing the parameters of blood sugar, the specialist will be able to choose a therapy.