Baton Rouge Clinic Health Library
What Do You Need To Know About Diabetes? Published: 11, 2004
Seventeen million people have diabetes, and nearly six million do not even know they have the disease. When a person’s blood glucose, often called blood sugar, is too high, that person is diagnosed with diabetes. Every person has some glucose in their blood because our body needs glucosefor energy to stay active andhealthy, but the problem ariseswhen people have too much glucosein their blood.
What is Diabetes Mellitus?
Diabetes Mellitus is a disease characterized by elevated blood sugar caused by abnormal insulin production or insulin action. In general, the basic defect in Type I Diabetes Mellitus derives from inadequate insulin secretion, and in Type II Diabetes Mellitus it derives from inadequate insulin action or both.
What is Type I Diabetes Mellitus?
Type I Diabetes Mellitus is also known as Insulin Dependent Diabetes Mellitus. It is a state of insulin deficiency requiring insulin replacement therapy for life. This condition cannot be treated with oral hypoglycemic medications. In most severe states of Diabetes Mellitus Diabetic Ketoacidosis (DKA) develops with potentially fatal consequences.
What causes Type I Diabetes Mellitus?
Type I Diabetes Mellitus is an autoimmune disease that occurs in individuals with a genetic susceptibility who encounters an environmental stress, causing the development of a clinical disease. Type I Diabetes Mellitus does not have to occur in childhood. A relation exists between developing Type I Diabetes Mellitus and the human leukocyte antigen (HLA) coded on chromosome 6.
What are the environmental factors?
Many environmental factors play a role in the onset of Type I Diabetes Mellitus, but the mechanisms of such effects are not always clear. Factors such as viral injections and chemical substances trigger Beta Cell destruction in susceptible individuals. Beta Cells are the insulin producing cells in the pancreas. Months can pass until the Beta Cell function is reduced to 20% of normal levels. The degree of impairment leads to frank clinical disease.
What are the signs and symptoms of Type I Diabetes Mellitus?
Increased thirst, frequent urination and weight loss with dehydration are the classic signs of Type I Diabetes Mellitus. About 25% of individuals with Type I Diabetes Mellitus have clinically apparent Diabetic Ketoacidosis (DKA), which is a life threatening emergency that requires acute insulin administration and close observation.
How do you treat Type I Diabetes Mellitus?
Subcutaneous insulin administration is the main stay therapy in Type I Diabetes Mellitus.
What is Type II Diabetes Mellitus?
Type II Diabetes Mellitus is also known as Non-Insulin Dependant Diabetes Mellitus. It is not an autoimmune condition and has a stronger genetic tendency than Type I Diabetes Mellitus.
What causes Type II Diabetes Mellitus?
Type II Diabetes Mellitus results from a combination of insulin resistance and impaired insulin secretion of the Beta Cells of the pancreas. With the epidemic of childhood obesity and insulin resistance there has been an increase in Type II Diabetes Mellitus. It is not considered a disorder that can only affect adults anymore and can occur in children as young as six years old, and possibly younger. African-American children have a higher risk of getting Type II Diabetes Mellitus.
What are the signs and symptoms of Type II Diabetes Mellitus?
The physical finding of an area of darkened and thickened skin at the back of the neck or in flexoral areas is a physical evidence of insulin resistance. Patients with this finding should be screened for Type II Diabetes Mellitus.
How do you treat Type II Diabetes Mellitus?
Insulin is usually administered on diagnosis in the acute phase. The main stay of therapy for Type II Diabetes Mellitus remains diet and exercise. With weight control, oral medication can be added and insulin may be decreased and/or discontinued. If you have any signs or symptoms of Diabetes Mellitus i.e.: obesity, thickening and darkening of the skin around the neck area or other areas of the body, or increased thirst and/or urination, please call and schedule an appointment with an Endocrinologist at The Baton Rouge Clinic, AMC at (225) 246-9240.
The Baton Rouge Clinic, AMC, offers this information as a courtesy service. Please remember that medical knowledge is always evolving and we cannot represent that any of our information is absolutely current. Please consult a physician before taking any medical action based on information gathered from this or any website.
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