Diabetes
Glucose that
accumulates in the blood due to not being absorbed by body cells properly can
cause various organ disorders. If diabetes is not controlled correctly, there
can be multiple complications that endanger the sufferer's life.
Sugar levels in
the blood are controlled by the hormone insulin produced by the pancreas, the
organ located behind the stomach. In people with diabetes, the pancreas is not
able to produce insulin as needed by the body. Without insulin, the body's
cells cannot absorb and process glucose into energy.
Types of Diabetes
Type 1 and type 2
diabetes are the two forms of diabetes, respectively. When a patient's immune
system assaults and kills the pancreatic cells that make insulin, type 1
diabetes develops. This causes a rise in blood glucose levels, which damages
the organs of the body. Autoimmune diabetes is another name for type 1
diabetes. The exact cause of this autoimmune disorder is unknown at this time.
The patient's hereditary factors, also modified by environmental variables, are
the source of the most suspicion.
The most frequent kind of diabetes is type 2 diabetes. This
kind of diabetes is caused by the body's cells becoming less responsive to
insulin, preventing the insulin generated from being adequately used (body cell
insulin resistance). This kind of diabetes affects around 90-95 percent of the
world's diabetics.
In addition to these two kinds of diabetes, gestational
diabetes is a type of diabetes that affects pregnant women. Hormonal changes
induce diabetes during pregnancy, and blood sugar levels will remain normal
when the baby is born.
Symptoms of Diabetes
Type 1 diabetes
can develop quickly in a few weeks, even in a few days. While in type 2
diabetes, many sufferers do not realize that they have had diabetes for years
because the symptoms tend to be nonspecific. Some of the characteristics of
type 1 and type 2 diabetes include:
- Often feel thirsty.
- Urinate frequently, especially at
night.
- I often feel starving.
- Losing weight for no apparent reason.
- Reduced muscle mass.
- There's a ketone in the urine.
Ketones are a residual product of muscle and fat breakdown due to the body
not using sugar as a source of energy.
- Slogans.
- Blurred vision.
- Wounds that are difficult to heal.
- Frequent infections, for example, in
the gums, skin, vagina, or urinary tract.
Some other symptoms can also be characteristics that a person has diabetes, among others:
- Dry mouth.
- Burning, stiffness, and pain in the
legs.
- Itching.
- Erectile dysfunction or impotence.
- Easily offended.
- Experiencing reactive hypoglycemia,
which is
hypoglycemia that occurs a few hours after eating due to
excessive insulin production.
- The appearance of black patches
around the neck, armpits, and groin (acanthosis
nigricans) is a sign of insulin resistance.
Some people can
develop prediabetes when glucose in the blood is above average but not high
enough to be diagnosed as diabetes. A person suffering from prediabetes can
develop type 2 diabetes if not treated properly.
Diabetes risk factors
A person will be
more likely to develop type 1 diabetes if they have risk factors, such as:
- Have a family with a history of type
1 diabetes.
- Suffering from a viral infection.
- White people are thought to be more
likely to develop type 1 diabetes than other races.
- Type 1 diabetes occurs mainly at the
age of 4-7 years and 10-14 years, although type 1 diabetes can appear at
any age.
While in the case
of type 2 diabetes, a person will more easily experience this condition if they
have risk factors, such as:
- Overweight.
- Have a family with a history of type
2 diabetes.
- Have a black or Asian race.
- Less active. Physical activity helps
control weight, burns glucose as energy, and makes the body's cells more
sensitive to insulin. Lack of physical activity causes a person to be more
susceptible to type 2 diabetes.
- Age. The risk of developing type 2
diabetes increases with age.
- Suffering from high blood pressure(hypertension).
- Have abnormal cholesterol and
triglyceride levels. A person with low levels of good cholesterol or HDL(high-density
lipoprotein)and high triglyceride levels are more at risk of
developing type 2 diabetes.
Especially in women, pregnant women who have gestational diabetes can
more easily develop type 2 diabetes. In addition, women who have a history of the polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) are also
more likely to develop type 2 diabetes.
Diagnosis Diabetes
Symptoms of
diabetes usually develop gradually, except for type 1 diabetes, whose symptoms
can appear suddenly. Because diabetes is often undiagnosed at the beginning of
its appearance, people at risk of developing this disease are recommended to undergo
regular checkups. Among them are:
- People over the age of 45.
- Women who have had gestational
diabetes while pregnant.
- People who have a body mass index
(BMI) above 25.
- People who have been diagnosed with
prediabetes.
A blood sugar
test is a thorough examination used to determine type 1 or type 2 diabetes. The
results of blood sugar tests will reveal whether or not a person has diabetes.
Your doctor will advise you to do blood sugar checks at specified times and use
specific procedures. Patients may be exposed to the following blood sugar test
methods:
Blood sugar tests during
This test aims to
measure blood glucose levels at certain hours at random. This test does not
require the patient to fast first. If the blood sugar test results show sugar
levels of 200 mg / dL or more, the patient can be diagnosed with diabetes.
Fasting blood sugar test
This test aims to
measure blood glucose levels when the patient fasts. Patients will be asked to
fast first for 8 hours, then undergo a blood sample to measure their blood
sugar levels. Fasting blood sugar test results that show blood sugar levels
less than 100 mg / dL show normal blood sugar levels. Fasting blood sugar test
results between 100-125 mg/dL indicated the patient had prediabetes. While the
results of fasting blood sugar tests of 126 mg / dL or more showed, the patient
had diabetes.
Glucose tolerance test
This test is done
by asking the patient to fast for a night first. The patient will then undergo
a fasting blood sugar test measurement. After the test is done, the patient
will be asked to drink a unique sugar solution. Then the blood sugar sample
will be taken back after 2 hours of drinking the sugar solution. Glucose
tolerance test results below 140 mg/dL showed normal blood sugar levels. The
results of glucose tolerance tests with sugar levels between 140-199 mg / dL
show prediabetes. The glucose tolerance tests with sugar levels of 200 mg / dL
or more indicate the patient has diabetes.
Tes HbA1C (glycated hemoglobin test)
This test aims to
measure the average glucose level of patients over the past 2-3 months. This
test will measure the blood sugar level bound to hemoglobin, a protein that
serves to carry oxygen in the blood. In the HbA1C test, patients do not need to
undergo fasting first. HbA1C test results below 5.7% are typical. HbA1C test
results among 5.7-6.4% indicated patients had prediabetes. HbA1C test results
above 6.5% showed the patient had diabetes. In addition to the HbA1C test, an average glucose estimation examination (eAG) can also be done to
determine blood sugar levels more accurately.
The results of
the blood sugar test will be checked by a doctor and informed to the patient.
If the patient is diagnosed with diabetes, the doctor will plan the treatment
steps undertaken, especially for patients suspected of having type 1 diabetes,
to ascertain whether the patient has antibodies that damage body tissues,
including the pancreas.
