What is Diabetes Mellitus?

Diabetes Mellitus is a disease that is affecting an increasingly large percent of the United States Population every year. Of those effected by diabetes, women and those over the age of forty are at an increased risk.

Diabetes, if left unchecked, can cause a number of health complications, with diabetes playing a part in approximately half of all cases of heart disease and three quarters of all severe kidney failures. Diabetes also is the number one cause of new blindness, because it can cause small blood vessels in the eyes to become constricted. About six percent of the population of the United States has diabetes, but half of these individuals are undiagnosed.

There are several types of diabetes, but they all have an effect on the way the body uses and processes sugars. The sugar, which is called glucose, is broken down by a hormone called insulin and turned into energy. Insulin is produced by an organ called the pancreas, which is located behind the stomach and produces a number of enzymes that help digest food.

The two main types of diabetes are Type I diabetes and Type II diabetes, however each has several subsets as well.

In Type I diabetes, the body stops producing enough insulin and sometimes doesn't produce any at all. Type I diabetes had previously been called juvenile diabetes, because it usually manifests itself during childhood or adolescence. However, Type I diabetes can be found in people up until the age of thirty, so the term juvenile diabetes is no longer used by medical professionals.

In Type II diabetes, the cells in the body build up a resistance to insulin. Obesity and age are the two biggest factors related to Type II diabetes, which typically affects people over the age of forty.

In someone with diabetes, the glucose is not properly broken down, which can result in an elevated blood sugar level. It also means that the body is not getting enough energy, so it turns to other methods of obtaining energy. Often, this means breaking down fat in the body and converting it to energy, which is why sudden weight loss is often the first noticeable sign of diabetes.

Not only can using fat to produce energy cause weight loss, but it also results in dangerous chemicals being released in the body. One of the most common chemicals to build up is acetone. Acetone build up causes the individuals breath to smell like juicy fruit gum or nail polish emover.

Those with diabetes are also at increased risk for kidney, heart, and eye problems.

Since Type I diabetes is caused by insufficient levels of insulin, it is almost always treated by insulin shots, although diet and exercises is also very important.

In Type II diabetes, insulin shots are used in some cases, but typically diet and exercise are the first line of defense. It is very important to limit sugar and fat intake, instead eating foods high in carbohydrates, like rice and pasta, instead. This way, the body can draw its energy from the carbohydrates, rather than using the bodies fat. There are also medicines available that can make the body less resistant to insulin.

With careful monitoring of blood sugar levels and following the prescribed treatment, those with diabetes can usually lead a full and healthy life. There are a number of complications that can occur because of diabetes though, so it is essential to understand these complications and take measures to prevent them.