Among the most common chronic diseases, diabetes mellitus is far from the last place in the modern world. This disease is expressed in an increased level of glucose in the blood cells. In a healthy person, the corresponding level is always normal, regardless of the amount of sweets consumed. It all boils down to the presence of insulin in the body - a special hormone secreted by the pancreas. It is he who breaks down glucose.
Patients with diabetes also have insulin in their blood, but it is either not enough, or due to a special pathology of the blood cells, it is not able to cope with its functions. The statistics are disappointing: many people skip the early stages of the development of the disease, start its course and turn to specialists only when the symptoms become so strong that they interfere with normal life and work.
Types of diseases
The disease is expressed by multiple symptoms. Different forms of this disease occur for different reasons and have different pathogenesis. By itself, the concept of "diabetes" is quite broad. Experts distinguish between 2 types of the disease.
type 1 diabetes
Type 1 diabetes is insulin dependent. It is most often diagnosed in young people, whose age does not exceed 40 years. This is a disease where the blood cells are full of sugar. The reason for this is antibodies that destroy insulin. The disease, the occurrence of which is associated with the presence of such antibodies, has not been completely cured.
The diagnosis of this disease involves conducting serious laboratory tests. Such a diagnosis is not made on the basis of a photo, so you should not believe people who try to tell a person about their disease without even seeing the test results. At the first suspicion of illness, contact a medical facility immediately.
People with type 1 diabetes tend to have a slim build. They need regular insulin injections from the moment the disease is diagnosed until the end of their lives. The medical history of such patients is standard. The disease is hereditary.
Those who have had diabetes in their family have a genetic predisposition to this disease. In them, under certain circumstances, a chronic variant of this type of disease occurs. It can be caused by various viruses and bacteria, as well as strong or long-term stress. Because of such negative factors, antibodies are formed that can destroy the cells responsible for the presence of insulin.
type 2 diabetes
Non-insulin dependent, another type of disease is often diagnosed in older people. This is a variant of the disease characterized by the inability of insulin to cope with its main function. Sugar cannot be broken down by itself and accumulates in the blood. Gradually, the cells of the body develop an "addiction" to insulin. The hormone itself is produced, there is no shortage of it, but glucose is not broken down in the cells.
The insulin-independent variant of this disease has its own progressive development. As a rule, this disease is detected in people over forty years old, but sometimes it is found even in children. Patients suffering from this type of diabetes mellitus are overweight. The blood cells of such people stop perceiving any effect of insulin.
Characteristics of type 1 diabetes
Type 1 diabetes is the result of insufficient secretion (release) of insulin by the pancreas. Experts point to characteristic symptoms that make it possible to suspect the presence of this disease in a person even in the early stages. Among them: a constant feeling of thirst, excessive urination, fatigue, a chronic feeling of weakness. It is necessary to determine the level of glucose and insulin in the blood. If the diagnosis is confirmed, treatment is prescribed immediately, otherwise the patient may develop ulcers and a number of other complications.
Why does type 1 diabetes occur? The classical medical school gives an unequivocal answer to this question. The main cause of this disease is a disorder of the pancreas, in which the production of insulin stops or significantly slows down. It is also worth noting that pregnant women have so-called gestational diabetes, associated with the risk of developing an insulin-dependent form of the disease.
Let's not forget to talk about topics and very specific symptoms. Type 1 diabetes is often accompanied by the formation of an acetone smell in the oral cavity. These are the first body bells that should alert and encourage a person to contact a specialist. In this case, the sooner the patient comes to the doctor, the more likely it is that the disease can be detected at an early stage. However, often people, especially men, neglect to visit a specialist and live for a year or several years, not even knowing about their diagnosis, until it becomes completely unbearable.
Indirect signs of diabetes mellitus type 1 include:
- Complications in the treatment of infectious diseases;
- Poor wound healing;
- Heaviness in legs;
- Calf muscle pain;
It is also important to remember that people suffering from this disease must constantly monitor their own blood pressure and maintain its normal state with modern drugs. Specific drugs should be prescribed exclusively by a specialist, based on the diagnosis and individual characteristics of the patient.
How to detect type 1 diabetes?
The World Health Organization (WHO) has defined the procedures that people must go through if they suspect the presence of this disease. Their list includes:
- Blood test for glucose;
- Glucose tolerance study;
- Detection of glucose levels in urine;
- Calculation of the percentage of glycosylated hemoglobin;
- Detection of insulin and C-peptide in blood.
You should know that blood for analysis must be taken on an empty stomach. The results of the study are compared with the glucose level values in a separate table. If this level:
- It does not reach 6. 1 mmol / l - there is no hyperglycemia, the disease is excluded;
- It is in the range from 6. 1 to 7. 0 mmol / l - the level of glycemia is close to the maximum allowed;
- It exceeds 7. 0 mmol / l - the presence of the disease is very likely, but an accurate diagnosis requires additional confirmation.
The prediabetic state of a person indicates a violation of glucose tolerance - increased glycemia, which, however, has not yet exceeded the permissible limits. A patient with such findings needs further monitoring and prophylaxis.
How is type 1 diabetes treated?
There are the following ways of treating this disease: special diet, exercises, drugs.
A properly selected nutritional system helps to alleviate the main symptoms of diabetes. The main task of the diet is to limit the intake of sugar in the body as much as possible.
How to treat the disease? In situations with type 1 disease, in most cases, regular insulin injections are indispensable. Experts determine the optimal daily dose of this hormone for each patient individually.
Preparations containing insulin are absorbed into the blood at different rates and act for different times. It is necessary to choose the right injection sites. There are several variants of this hormone:
- Short-acting insulin: its effect can be noticed almost immediately;
- Intermediate insulin is delivered to the body through a special preparation that contains substances that slow down the absorption of the hormone. This medicine works for about 10 hours;
- Long-acting insulin. It is introduced into the body with a series of special drugs. It should take about 14 hours to reach peak effectiveness. Hubbub is valid for at least one and a half days.
As a rule, patients inject the drugs themselves, after they have learned how to give themselves injections under the guidance of a specialist.
The doctor builds a treatment regimen in a special way based on the patient's presentation, reflecting factors such as:
- growth;
- Weight;
- Age;
- Insulin sensitivity.
If a patient with diabetes is overweight, then reducing the percentage of high-calorie foods in the menu is a mandatory measure of treatment and prevention. It is harmful to use canned food, fatty meat, smoked food, sour cream, mayonnaise, nuts and many fruits. We will have to forget about sweets. This is especially difficult if the disease is diagnosed in children or in women who tend to spoil themselves.
We must look for ways to reduce the amount of high-calorie foods. There is an energy deficit, and the body consumes adipose tissue. However, it should be remembered that you cannot bring yourself to energy exhaustion.
Physical activity helps lower blood sugar levels. Moderate workload required. Exercises should be done regularly, dosed. No need to exhaust yourself with heavy weights. Plenty of aerobic exercise.
So-called insulin pumps can significantly improve patients' quality of life. These are devices from the world of electronics that precisely determine the level of sugar in the blood, and based on the readings obtained, independently administer dosed injections of insulin. They make the treatment more effective and reduce the risk of complications.
How to store insulin preparations?
Opened bottles can be stored at room temperature for a maximum of six weeks. They should be kept in places where sunlight or artificial light does not penetrate. Do not store preparations containing insulin in close proximity to heat sources.
The inadmissibility of the use of the drug indicates the formation of a film or characteristic clots inside the bottle, visually similar to flakes. This signal plays an important role. Using an expired medicine threatens to increase the problem with the disease and can even lead to fatal consequences.
diabetes mellitus type 2
The pancreas of a person with type 2 diabetes produces enough insulin on its own, but the body is unable to absorb this hormone due to defective cell receptors. Glucose is not processed properly, which is why blood vessels and internal organs are damaged. This can be especially dangerous during pregnancy. However, the insulin-independent form is typical for older people.
Type 2 diabetes occurs for certain reasons, the main ones being overweight and genetic predisposition to this disease. According to statistics, about 80% of patients with type 2 diabetes are obese. Can you recover completely by reducing your own body weight? The answer here will be negative, but as a preventive measure, this measure can be very effective. According to the generally accepted scientific concept, excess fat cells prevent the body from using insulin.
Symptoms and complications of type 2 diabetes
The symptoms of the first and second type of disease are similar in many respects: strong thirst is accompanied by excessive urination, the person constantly feels bad - weakness and fatigue, bouts of irritability, sometimes nausea and vomiting.
Special attention should be paid to possible complications. According to the latest International Classification of Diseases (MBC 10), their list is quite extensive and causes significant concern for patients. If the blood is full of glucose, pathological changes in almost all internal organs are inevitable. In advanced stages of the disease, patients are even given disability.
Patients with type 2 diabetes have a significantly increased risk of myocardial infarction and stroke, all types of kidney disease and visual impairment. Even minor wounds don't take long to heal. Sometimes the disease can lead to gangrene, which may require amputation of the injured limb. The list of complications for men is complete with impotence. Such a serious list of negative aspects obliges specialists to continue to look for ways for the most effective therapy today.
What makes sense to do when you discover signs of illness?
If there are initial suspicions of another form of diabetes, it is urgent to undergo a medical examination. People who are aware of their genetic predisposition to this disease should regularly monitor the sugar content in their blood and urine. This especially applies to people over 50 years old, as well as to all those who are overweight.
If the diagnosis has already been established, the patient should be under medical supervision and periodically visit a specialist.
For people with type 2 diabetes, doctors prescribe:
- Control glucose and cholesterol levels, as well as body weight;
- Change your own diet by adding low-calorie foods to your menu that should contain as little sugar as possible. You must eat more complex carbohydrates and foods with plant fiber;
- Exercise regularly.
Patients must learn how to self-determine their blood glucose levels. Today, there are specialized devices that make it easier at home. They are called glucometers.
It is necessary to constantly observe strict self-control. Treatment is inextricably linked with diet therapy and exercise. These points effectively complement therapy based on the use of sugar-lowering drugs, which are medically called incretin mimetics. Most often, these are tablets, not injections, as is the case with drugs containing insulin.
A certain medicine should be prescribed exclusively by a doctor, based on all the information he has about the patient. He must individually determine the frequency of subsequent visits. It is necessary to carry out many tests, to determine the general condition of the patient, whether there is a risk of developing complications, the prevention of which will require additional treatment.
With the help of the results of numerous scientific researches, experts were able to determine that, with weight loss, the disease takes on a weaker form. As a result, its symptoms bother patients less, and their quality of life improves significantly.
Recently, a new drug, a Chinese diabetes patch, has been widely advertised in the media. Its manufacturers promise an almost miraculous effect, inviting you not to save money and buy their products. However, practitioners of conventional medicine are skeptical of this treatment option. If you read the reviews online about this patch, they are extremely contradictory. Some write that they allegedly helped. Others are completely disappointed with this drug.
Measures for prevention
Authoritative experts in the field of medicine have long proven that stress is a provoking factor in the development of many diseases. It can also contribute to the onset of diabetes, so you should avoid worrying and try not to react less to any life troubles.
As mentioned above, you should exercise and watch your own diet. There are specially designed diets that are beneficial for the health of such patients. If you strictly follow the doctor's recommendations, you can significantly improve the quality of your life, getting rid of a significant part of the symptoms that accompany this disease.
It is necessary to exclude certain products from the menu. Often, experts prescribe the so-called diet 9. Its goal is to minimize the consumption of foods that contain a large amount of carbohydrates. It has been proven that in patients who use this diet, the work of the pancreas improves significantly.
What products are allowed to be consumed? Their list includes: low-fat varieties of meat and fish; cabbage, cucumbers, eggplants, tomatoes and zucchini; buckwheat, barley, millet and oatmeal. Apples and strawberries are also allowed, but in moderation. Dairy products can only be consumed with a little fat. After such a meal, the blood sugar level will not rise to an unacceptable level.
In the medical selection of the menu, the structural composition of the food must be taken into account. The diet should include:
- 55% protein of animal origin (80-90 grams).
- 30% vegetable fat (70-80 grams).
- 300-350 grams of carbohydrates.
- 12 grams of table salt
- One and a half liters of liquid.
Do not consume more than 2200-2400 kcal per day. You need to eat 5-6 times a day, evenly "scattering" the consumption of carbohydrates over time. Sugar will have to be eliminated. Sweet dishes are prepared in small quantities, and only with sugar substitutes such as stevia, sorbitol or xylitol.
Salt intake should also be limited. The cooking method is important. Boiled and baked dishes should predominate in the diet. Fried and stewed food is acceptable for consumption in minimal quantities. There are recipes specially designed for diabetics. Following them, you can cook delicious dishes that will not harm your health.
You have to follow a certain menu on the day. So, diet number 9 can be presented:
- In the morning: tea, buckwheat porridge, low-fat cottage cheese, milk;
- Second meal: wheat bran (boiled);
- Lunch: cabbage soup with sunflower oil (vegetarian), fruit jelly, boiled meat with milk sauce;
- Afternoon snack: a small amount of apples;
- Evening meal: boiled fish baked in milk sauce, as well as cabbage dishes.
What they eat during the week
Table number 9 is the result of the work of Soviet nutritionists. They have created a food option suitable for specialized sanatoriums. The ninth table significantly increases the effectiveness of complex therapy.
The weekly menu looks like this:
Monday
- Breakfast: chicory, low-fat cottage cheese with milk, porridge (buckwheat).
- Lunch: 200 ml of milk.
- Lunch: vegetarian cabbage soup, white bird breast, fruit jelly.
- Afternoon: apple.
- Evening meal: boiled fish, tea, cabbage dishes.
- Before going to bed: a glass of low-fat yogurt.
Tuesday
- First meal: barley, chicken egg, chicory, stewed cabbage.
- Lunch: a glass of milk (only low-fat is suitable).
- Lunch: mashed potatoes, boiled beef liver, pickle soup, dried fruit compote.
- Afternoon snack: fruit jelly.
- Evening meal: boiled chicken, stewed cabbage.
- Before going to bed: low-fat kefir.
Wednesday
- First meal: fat-free cottage cheese and milk, chicory, oatmeal.
- Lunch: a cup of jelly.
- Lunch: borscht, boiled meat, buckwheat porridge, tea.
- Afternoon snack: one or two pears.
- Evening meal: salad or vinaigrette, egg, tea.
- Before going to bed: a glass of low-fat yogurt.
Thursday
- First meal: buckwheat porridge, chicory, low-fat cottage cheese.
- Second breakfast: kefir.
- Lunch: Lenten borscht, dried fruit compote, boiled meat.
- Afternoon snack: unsweetened pear.
- For the evening meal: cabbage schnitzel, boiled fish of low-fat varieties of tea.
- Before going to bed: a glass of fat-free yogurt.
Friday
- First meal: egg, a little butter, potato-free vinaigrette with sunflower oil, chicory.
- Lunch: an apple.
- Lunch: sauerkraut, stewed or boiled meat, soup with peas.
- Afternoon snack: some fresh fruit.
- Evening meal: pudding with vegetables, boiled poultry meat, tea.
- Before going to bed: a glass of condensed milk.
Saturday
- First meal: millet porridge, chicory, some doctor's sausage.
- Lunch: wheat bran.
- Lunch: boiled meat, mashed potatoes, seafood soup.
- Afternoon snack: a glass of low-fat kefir.
- Evening meal: low-fat cottage cheese, tea, oatmeal.
Sunday
- First meal: chicken egg, chicory, buckwheat porridge.
- Lunch: one or two apples.
- Lunch: beef cutlet, light vegetable soup, pearl porridge.
- Afternoon snack: skimmed milk.
- Evening meal: vegetable salad, boiled fish, mashed potatoes.
- Before going to bed: low-fat kefir.
Folk methods of treatment
In folk medicine, there are many recipes that, with varying degrees of effectiveness, help in the fight against high blood sugar. Licensed physicians are often skeptical of such treatment methods, but they do not forbid patients to use them in combination with the main therapy. This "integrated approach" often gives positive results, allowing patients to reduce the manifestation of painful symptoms.
The most effective recipes of traditional medicine:
- For prevention, an egg with the addition of lemon juice will help you. Shake the contents of the raw egg, add the juice of one lemon. Reception 50-60 minutes before meals, 3 days, in the morning. After ten days, the course can be repeated.
- Eat roasted onions in the morning for a month.
- A good way to lower your glucose levels is to consume mustard or flaxseed daily, plus blackcurrant leaf tea.
- The use of freshly squeezed potato juice contributes to lowering the sugar level. Raspberries and white cabbage are also used.
- White mulberry tincture (2 tablespoons) is prepared by pouring boiling water (2 cups), infusion time is 2-3 hours, taken 3 times a day.
- Do not forget about such a folk remedy as decoction of oats. Pour a spoonful of oats with water (one and a half glasses), then cook for 15 minutes, the course is 3 r / d 15-20 minutes before eating.
- Cinnamon helps - half a teaspoon a day. Consume with tea.
- Grind the oak acorns until a powder is obtained. Course - 1 h/l on an empty stomach in the morning, as well as immediately before going to bed for seven days.
- Pour boiling water (500 ml) over walnut partitions (40 g) and put on fire. Cook for ten minutes. Insist until soft, drink 1 tbsp / l half an hour before meals.
- Pour boiling water (half a liter) over aspen bark (2 tablespoons), put everything on fire and cook for about 10 minutes. Insisting, drink half a glass before eating.
- An effective infusion is prepared from a glass of boiling water, which is poured over cloves (20 pieces). Insist overnight, drink exactly one third of a glass three times a day. Do not take out the used cloves, add another pinch in the evening, pour boiling water again, etc. The course of treatment is six months.
- Boil half a liter of boiling water with two spoons of a mixture of nettles and rowan berries in the ratio: three to seven. Leave it for about three to four hours. Take half a glass twice a day.
- Pour thistle roots (20 g) with boiling water (glass), cook in a water bath for about 10 minutes. The course is 3 times a day for the table/bed before meals.
All information provided to readers in the article is for informational purposes only. Before using the obtained information in practice, be sure to consult a competent expert about the possible consequences!