What is diabetes mellitus?How can you tell if you have diabetes?
How common is this disease?
How is diabetes treated?
How serious is diabetes?
What is a proper diabetic
diet?
Where is more information available?
What is diabetes
mellitus?
Behind your stomach is the pancreas, a long thin organ that
plays an important role in your body's ability to break down the food you eat. It
regulates your body's use of glucose, a simple form of sugar that is an energy source for
much of the daily activities of all your cells. When your pancreas is working properly, it
produces a hormone called insulin in response to a variety of events, including meals,
stressful situations and infections. After a meal, the concentration of glucose in the
blood increases. When insulin is produced in response to a meal, it helps to lower the
blood glucose by allowing various cells of the body to absorb the glucose. Sometimes, the
pancreas fails to work properly, as in diabetes. The amount of glucose in the bloodstream
increases after a meal and the cells of the body are unable to absorb it because of lack
of proper insulin activity.
How can you tell if you
have diabetes?
Some of the signs and symptoms of diabetes mellitus are
increased thirst, increased urination, fatigue, vaginal infections in women, skin
infections, blurred vision and frequent bladder infections. Often mild diabetes causes no
symptoms for years.
How common is this
disease?
More than 10 million Americans have been diagnosed as having
diabetes mellitus. It is estimated that at least another 5 million are unaware that they
have diabetes. About 10% of all diabetics have type 1 diabetes or juvenile onset diabetes,
and the rest have type 2 diabetes or adult onset diabetes.
How is diabetes treated?
A carefully controlled lifestyle, including proper dietary
and weight controls and regular exercise, will enable most people with diabetes to live a
normal, productive life. Most persons with adult onset diabetes are overweight or obese.
Excess weight worsens the state of the diabetes, and weight reduction has a favorable
effect. Medicines taken by mouth, called oral hypoglycemic agents, are often helpful in
adult onset diabetes. In some instances insulin injections will be required to keep blood
glucose concentrations within satisfactory limits.
How serious is
diabetes?
Diabetes has some long-term effects that develop slowly over
many years. Damage to the small and large blood vessels can put a person with diabetes at
greater risk of stroke, heart attack and gangrene of the feet. If you have co-existing
high blood pressure and high cholesterol, your risk is even greater. It can also cause
damage in your eyes, kidneys and nerves. Diabetic eye disease is called diabetic
retinopathy, which is one of the most common cause of blindness in the United States.
Because diabetic retinopathy is without symptoms until it is in the advanced stages, it is
important to schedule annual eye exams, especially if you have had diabetes for over ten
years. Cataracts and glaucoma occur frequently in patients with diabetes also.
Kidney disease eventually affects most people who have had
diabetes for 20 years. It impairs the kidneys' ability to filter wastes from your body. To
prevent or lessen the effects of kidney disease, keep your blood pressure under control.
Get prompt treatment for urinary tract infections and avoid long term use of pain
medicines, known as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), that can damage your
kidneys.
High blood sugar levels can damage the nerves, affecting
their ability to send nerve signals. Your feet or hands might tingle, burn, or feel numb
because of peripheral neuropathy. This can also affect bladder control, the intestinal
tract activity, and it can cause impotence and dizziness.
What is a proper diabetic
diet?
The basic approach of dietary therapy involves weight
reduction for the overweight person and the establishment of regular eating patterns for
all. Obesity increases your body's need for insulin, so it is important to maintain a
desirable weight. Alcoholic beverages tend to aggravate diabetes; therefore limit your
alcohol consumption. The goal of a proper diet is to help control your blood sugar levels
and help control or reduce your weight.
You must carefully regulate your consumption of carbohydrates
(sugars and starches), fats and proteins. Avoid simple sugars, such as those in candy,
cookies and other sugary food and drinks. Include in your diet fiber-rich foods such as
whole-grain breads, fruits, and vegetables.
Diet alone may not be enough. Along with dietary therapy,
regular exercise can help to keep your diabetes under good control. It also helps to
maintain overall health.
These explanations attempt to help you understand the
problems of diabetes. Not all items covered may apply to you and we encourage you to ask
questions about items which are not clear to you. Understanding diabetes mellitus will
help you in caring for yourself.
Where Is More
Information Available?
For more information about IDDM, NIDDM, and gestational diabetes, as well as diabetes
research, statistics, and education, contact:
National Diabetes Information Clearinghouse
1 Information Way
Bethesda, MD 20892-3560
(301) 654-3327.
The following organizations also distribute materials and support programs for people with
diabetes and their families and friends:
American Association of Diabetes Educators
444 North Michigan Avenue, Suite 1240
Chicago, IL 60611
(800) 832-6874
(312) 644-2233
American Diabetes Association
ADA National Service Center
1660 Duke Street
Alexandria, VA 22314
(800) 232-3472
(703) 549-1500
Juvenile Diabetes Foundation International
120 Wall Street
19th Floor
New York, NY 10005
(800) 223-1138
(212) 785-9500.
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