Diabetes - Symptoms, Causes, and Types.

Diabetes is associated with obesity and overweight. Know more about other causes of diabetes, its symptoms, types and ways to deal with it.
Obesity is prevailing disorder all over the world. The mortality rates are increasing because of its effects on health. One such effect of obesity can be diabetes. According to World Health Organisation it causes 5 percent of deaths each year. However obesity is not the only factor responsible for diabetes

Diabetes is a disorder where it is difficult for body to produce the hormone insulin or make use of it. Insulin hormone is necessary for producing energy from the starches, food and sugar in body. When insulin cannot be produced by body the glucose level increases in blood. This increase in glucose level is caused as it cannot be transferred from blood to other parts of body to produce energy.

This increase in glucose level can cause harm to cells and other organs of body. Such high sugar in blood can also cause complications during pregnancy. It is therefore necessary to take preventive steps at right time once diagnosed with diabetes.


Symptoms of diabetes

Have a quick look at the common symptoms of diabetes. These symptoms seem to be normal and are ignored most of the times. However these symptoms are not worth ignoring as they can be alarming signs of diabetes.

• Feeling thirsty frequently
• Weight loss
• Weakness
• Need of urinating from time to time
• Blurred vision
• Excessive hunger
• Poor healing of cuts and wounds
• Lack of sensation in feet or feet ache

Causes of diabetes

Though obesity is regarded as the main cause of diabetes it is not an only cause. Here are some more causes of diabetes.

• Heredity factors
• Excessive smoking
• Infection caused to pancreas
• Malfunction of pancreas due to increasing age
• Over stress and anxiety
• Overeating

Types of diabetes


Diabetes is classified in three types as follows. The kind of signs and symptoms of diabetes can prove to be helpful in differentiating between the types diabetes.

Type 1 diabetes

This type of diabetes can occur in any age but is observed in childhood or teens most of the times. It is caused when the insulin producing cells in pancreas are harmed. The harm to the cells occurs due to poor immune system. Due to such harm it is difficult for pancreas to produceinsulin . If this type of diabetes is untreated for longer time it can cause serious disorder like ketoacidosis. It is necessary for person suffering from type 1 diabetes to takeinsulin daily.

Type 2 diabetes

Type 2 diabetes is observed in almost 90 to 95 percent of people suffering from diabetes. This type of diabetes is caused when body is unable to use theinsulin produced by pancreas. Most of the people having type 2 diabetes are obese or over weight. Some heredity factors and increasing age are also responsible for its development.

Gestational diabetes

Gestational diabetes is type of diabetes which develops during pregnancy. Family history of diabetes can be a common cause in women suffering form gestational diabetes. Women suffering from gestational diabetes may also develop type 2 diabetes during later stage after some years.


Dealing with diabetes

There is no permanent cure for diabetes but proper care can prove to be helpful to control it. Here are some of the ways to deal with diabetes.

Regular glucose check up is very vital to keep track on its increase or decrease. You can also take experts help during each visit for glucose check-up. You can make adjustments in your lifestyle to maintain a particular level of glucose.

Glucose level can be balanced with regular exercise also. You should consult expert to suggest proper exercises which can help you to cope with diabetes. You should practice these exercises daily and with discipline to have better effects on your body.

Diet plays and important role in controlling diabetes. You should consult doctor to know about the food stuffs which should be avoided. You should strictly follow the diet suggested by doctor to get better results.

Diabetes is a disorder which affects mental status of a human being. However there are many people who are living a happier life even after having diabetes. It is possible for them as they can control diabetes properly. Be open and frank about your disorder with your family and friends. This behaviour will make your more strong and comfortable to deal with it. Controlling diabetes is all about self control.

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Symptoms of Diabetes in Children

Juvenile diabetes or diabetes in children is on the rise. Detecting diabetes in children is not easy by simple observation. Any symptom in children resembling symptoms of diabetes should be taken seriously.


Diabetes is said to be a killer disease as from the outside, it might seem that your kid is fine and yet, he might be affected with diabetes. But there are certain obvious symptoms that can be detected through careful observation. Children are usually affected by the Type 1 diabetes.

Correct detection of the signs and symptoms not only makes an early treatment possible but also allows the kid to avert situations like blindness, acute kidney ailments that result in total kidney failures, several heart ailments and even neural damage and amputations. These are all possible fateful conditions that are actually a follow through of extremely high glucose levels in the blood stream.



Symptoms of Diabetes in Children

Discussed below are few symptoms that characterise diabetes in children.



The Kid is Persistently Thirsty and Urinates Frequently

These are two collaborating symptoms that generally appear together in children who have high blood sugar levels. Even if they appear to be highly energetic, parents end up feeling that since they are constantly involved in sports and activities, they are thirsty, drinking huge amounts of water and thereby they are frequently visiting the washroom.

Then there are also some kids who want to drink something and sit with a juice bottle in their hands just because they are feeling bored. These are factors that parents often feel are behavioral issues and tend to overlook the possibility that their kid might be suffering from Type 1 diabetes. It is thus advisable not to relate high fluid intake with urination and get the blood glucose levels checked.



The Kid Gets Infected Easily and Responds Very Slowly to Medications

If your child is suffering from diabetes, you will find that the minute cuts and bruises that he contracts during his outdoor games, etc. are not getting healed easily. Some parents tend to think that this is a part of growing up where the kid is perhaps constantly pricking at his wounds and thereby they are not healing quickly. But this is a symptom of juvenile diabetes that needs to be taken seriously. A wound should not appear the same as it was say, a week ago.



The Kid is Constantly Hungry and Yet is Losing Weight Very Fast

More often than not parents tend to overlook when their kids start eating a lot. They consider this as an improvement of their appetite and rather end up encouraging the child’s eating habits. They believe that this is a growth spurt and it is only a normal part of their growing up years and is a mark of good developing health. But this is actually a symptom of possible juvenile diabetes.

But they realise that all is not normal with their kids when they begin to lose weight despite of eating a lot. Keeping aside the overeating part, parents can feel that something is very wrong with their health when there is a sudden weight loss in their children. The condition can get acute for a naturally overweight child, as parents will feel that is a balancing out of health of sorts and end up attributing this as a fitness sign.



The Kid Complains of Blurred Vision and “Funny” Sensations
When children are affected with diabetes, they often complain that they cannot see properly. Being kids, the children do not realise when they are feeling a tingling or “funny” sensation in their hands and feet and when they have a blurred vision. This is because these conditions are not persistent, they come and go. Thus it is always advisable for parents to look for these signs and once they observe them, they should immediately get the kid’s blood glucose levels checked.

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What is Diabetes?

Diabetes (diabetes mellitus) is classed as a metabolism disorder. Metabolism refers to the way our bodies use digested food for energy and growth. Most of what we eat is broken down into glucose. Glucose is a form of sugar in the blood - it is the principal source of fuel for our bodies.

When our food is digested the glucose makes its way into our bloodstream. Our cells use the glucose for energy and growth. However, glucose cannot enter our cells without insulin being present - insulin makes it possible for our cells to take in the glucose.

Insulin is a hormone that is produced by the pancreas. After eating, the pancreas automatically releases an adequate quantity of insulin to move the glucose present in our blood into the cells, and lowers the blood sugar level.

A person with diabetes has a condition in which the quantity of glucose in the blood is too elevated (hyperglycemia). This is because the body either does not produce enough insulin, produces no insulin, or has cells that do not respond properly to the insulin the pancreas produces. This results in too much glucose building up in the blood. This excess blood glucose eventually passes out of the body in urine. So, even though the blood has plenty of glucose, the cells are not getting it for their essential energy and growth requirements.


Why is it called Diabetes Mellitus?

Diabetes comes from Greek, and it means a siphon. Aretus the Cappadocian, a Greek physician during the second century A.D., named the condition diabainein. He described patients who were passing too much water (polyuria) - like a siphon. The word became "diabetes" from the English adoption of the Medieval Latin diabetes.

In 1675 Thomas Willis added mellitus to the term, although it is commonly referred to simply as diabetes. Mel in Latin means honey; the urine and blood of people with diabetes has excess glucose, and glucose is sweet like honey. Diabetes mellitus could literally mean "siphoning off sweet water".

In ancient China people observed that ants would be attracted to some people's urine, because it was sweet. The term "Sweet Urine Disease" was coined.


There are three main types of diabetes:


Diabetes Type 1 - You produce no insulin at all.
Diabetes Type 2 - You don't produce enough insulin, or your insulin is not working properly.
Gestational Diabetes - You develop diabetes just during your pregnancy.


Types of Diabetes.                                                         Symptoms of Diabetes.

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How to Prevent Diabetes in Children

Prevention of diabetes is much better than the treatment for diabetes. With simple ways you can prevent the development of diabetes in your children. A dietary change such as a healthy and nutritious diet is the most important step in preventing diabetes.

Prevention of diabetes in children comprises of taking care of three primary factors:

• Controlling obesity that is if the child is overweight.
• See that the child is involved in an adequate amount of physical activity.
• Ensuring that the child is having a healthy diet.

These are the simple ways in which you can ensure your kid stays away from the clutch of this disease.


Given below are a few ways in which you can plan your routine in order to prevent diabetes in your child:

Maintain a Healthy Body Mass of the Child

The ideal weight of a child depends on factors like his height and age. There are cases where an overweight child may not be able to lose weight even if he consumes a healthy and nutritious diet and goes for intensive workouts.

In such cases it is mostly found that there is a history of diabetes running in the family and thereby the child is naturally susceptible to develop this disease. These are actually character traits that the parents need to be extremely careful and monitor the kid's diet and activity under medical supervision.

The advice of a pediatrician and a dietician must be sought in order to chart out the child’s regular food intake. Through adequate & correct guidance and discipline the maintenance of the suitable body mass becomes easier, the child will be prevented from falling prey to diabetes. The kid needs to be encouraged to indulge in activities that they enjoy doing and be allowed to relish healthy food.

Chart up a Perfect Diet Regimen

Whether your child is affected by diabetes or you just you want to be careful that he doesn’t contract the disease in the coming years. It is important that you ensure after due research and consultation with the pediatrician and dietician on the type of food that will sustain their fitness levels. Ensure that they are nurtured with foods that put off diabetes effectively.

The main foods in this category are like tofu, fish and poultry. Pork and beef should be best avoided due to their extremely high fat and energy content. Fruits, veggies and especially green leafy ones should be encouraged instead of sweets and chocolates.

Sugar consumption needs to be strictly controlled. Whole grains and lentils should be a staple part of their regular diet. Kids who are hereditarily susceptible to diabetes are found to be well benefitted through these restrictions that also ensure that the fitness levels are maintained without compromising the nutritional intake.

Encourage the Kids to Lead an Active Life

Regular workouts and exercise should be a part of your regimen. Make it a disciplinary act and lead by example so that your kids feel encouraged by simply observing you. You will thereby not only take care of your health but also ensure that your kids understands the importance of leading an active life that will only help them reap benefits in their years to come.

Here too, it is advisable to take the opinion of an expert on what sort of exercises will suit your kid considering his body, overall health and age. This way the energy that they consume through food will be properly utilised and they will develop good strong muscles, a healthy body and mind.

Give Them a Wholesome Life and Help Them Realise

Children are more intelligent than we presume them to be. So if you find that your kid has a natural inclination towards foods that will risk him the development of diabetes, explain to them that how they might develop the disease if they do not lead a disciplined life. Help them understand the harmful conditions of the disease and also make them realise how they can avert the condition with a little bit of conscious effort.

In the same manner it is also important that you do not deprive your kid of the natural pleasures of life by cutting him completely away from chocolates and pastries. Maintain moderation and ensure as a parent that the diet balance is maintained at all costs. The point is to make the child feel comfortable in the way of life that you have designed for him.

What is Diabetes?                                                        Symptoms of Diabetes.

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