Diabetes

  

  Diabetes mellitus is a clinical syndrome characterized by hyperglycemia (persistently higher blood glucose values than the normal range) due to deficiency or diminished effectiveness of insulin.
Diabetes is a long term condition caused by too much glucose(sugar) in blood.

There are three main types of diabetes:
1 Type 1 diabetes (T1DM): Diabetes occur when the body does not produce enough insulin to function properly or body cells do not react to insulin and requires the person to inject insulin [insulin-dependentdiabetes mellitus (IDDM)]. 

 2  Type 2 diabetes (T2DM): Diabetes occur when the body does not produce any insulin results from insulin resistance, a condition in which cells fail to use insulin properly, sometimes combined with an absolute insulin deficiency. [(Formerly referred to as non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM)].

3 Gestational diabetes: is when a pregnant woman, who has never had diabetes, has a high blood glucose level during pregnancy. It may precede development of T2DM.

Sign and symptoms

 Main clinical features of diabetes are thirsty , urination , tiredness, loss of weight, blurring of vision, white marks on clothing, pruritus vulvae, pain in the limbs and recurrent bacterial infection .

• Fasting plasma glucose level ≥ 7.0 mmol/L (126 mg/dL)Plasma glucose ≥ 11.1 mmol/L (200 mg/dL) two hours after a 75 g oral glucose load as in a glucose tolerance test

 Symptoms of hyperglycemia and casual plasma glucose ≥ 11.1 mmol/L (200 mg/dL)Glycosyated hemoglobin (Hb A1C) ≥ 6.5%.

Precautions and cures

Healthy lifestyles

• Encourage weight loss if the patient is obese or has body mass index (BMI) of more than 25
• Reduce intake of fatty foods
• Avoid the intake of refined sugar
• Increase in fibers intake > 15g/100kcal (traditional African dieties are rich in fibers)
• Increase physical activeness levels e.g. brisk walking 30 minutes at least three times a week
• Encourage reduction and stoppage of alcohol intake
• Encourage to stop smoking

Note: Regular ongoing blood glucose level monitoring is recommended

.