What is diabetes?
Diabetes mellitus (diabetes) is a condition where the body is unable to maintain the levels of blood sugar in the body. There are 3 main types:
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Type 1 diabetes occurs when the pancreas (an organ near the stomach) is unable to produce enough of the hormone insulin, which controls the level of sugar in the body. Type 1 diabetes usually occurs in younger people, as is often known as insulin dependent diabetes, or juvenile diabetes. This type of diabetes is treated with insulin replacements, via multiple injections per day
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Type 2 diabetes occurs when the cells in the body that require sugar (and insulin to help move the sugar into the cell) are resistant to insulin. This means the sugar cannot be taken into the cells, and causes a high level of sugar in the blood. This type of diabetes is more common in older people, overweight people and physically inactive people. Type 2 diabetes commonly occurs in persons over 40 years of age, but is becoming increasingly common in younger populations.
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Gestational diabetes occurs in pregnancy and usually disappears when the baby is born. However, this type of diabetes increases the women’s likelihood of Type 2 diabetes later in life. This condition may be managed with lifestyle modifications and diet, but medications may be required to control sugar levels.
How does diabetes affect your body?
When someone has diabetes, they have unhealthy levels of sugar (glucose) in their blood. Our bodies require glucose for energy, and when someone has diabetes, they do not have insulin, the hormone that is required to turn glucose from foods into energy. This means that if someone with diabetes (a diabetic) eats glucose, which is in foods such as breads, cereals, fruit and starchy vegetables, legumes, milk, yoghurt and sweets, it cannot be converted to energy and remains in the blood.
Blood glucose (sugar) levels can be monitored to avoid levels which are too high, or too low, and can be managed through self care and treatment. It is important to remember that diabetes does not discriminate, and anyone can be affected.
What are the risk factors for diabetes?
The cause for type 1 diabetes is unknown, although it is thought to be an autoimmune condition. We do know that people do not develop type 1 diabetes as a result of their weight, diet or exercise regimes.
The risk of developing type 2 diabetes is increased if you:
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Are overweight or obese
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Have a family history of diabetes
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Have an inactive lifestyle
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Are Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander, Melanesian, Polynesian, Chinese, South-East Asian, Middle Eastern or from the Indian sub-continent
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Have had gestational diabetes
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Have had polycystic ovarian syndrome
Is diabetes serious?
Diabetes is a serious condition if it is not managed properly on a daily basis. Both type 1 and type 2 diabetes can cause:
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Heart attacks
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Stroke
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Kidney disease
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Limb amputation
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Blindness
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Depression and anxiety
We know that diabetes:
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Is the leading cause of blindness in the working age population
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Is a leading cause of kidney failure and dialysis
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Increases the risk of heart attack and stroke by up to 4 times
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Is a major cause of limb amputation
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Affects mental as well as physical health. Depression and anxiety occur in up to 30% of people with diabetes
Statistics taken from Diabetes Australia.
How is diabetes diagnosed?
Type 1 diabetes is usually diagnosed at a young age, and presents quickly. Type 2 diabetes usually occurs at an older age and the symptoms are more gradual.
The symptoms of type 2 diabetes may include:
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Being more thirsty than normal
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Passing more urine
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Feeling tired and lethargic
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Always feeling hungry
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Having cuts that heal slowly
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Itching
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Skin infections
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Blurred vision
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Rapid weight loss (Type 1)
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Gradually putting on weight (Type 2)
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Mood swings
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Headaches
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Feeling dizzy
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Leg cramps
Diabetes is diagnosed when:
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Symptoms are present, and a fasting glucose level is high (at, or greater than 7mmol/L)
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A random (non-fasting) blood glucose is greater than 11.1mmol/L
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A HbA1c measurement (glycated haemolglobin) is at, or greater than 6.5% (HbA1c measures the level of sugar in the blood over the past 3 months)
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There have no symptoms, and 2 separate blood glucose tests are abnormal on different days
How can I reduce my risk of diabetes?
The risk of Type 2 diabetes can be reduced by:
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Reducing the amount of fat and sugar in your diet
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Eating healthy foods, such as fruit and vegetables
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Losing weight (if you are overweight)
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Exercising for 30 minutes per day and
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Reducing alcohol intake
How is diabetes managed?
Type 1 diabetes is treated with insulin replacement, which can be delivered via injections into the skin.
Initially, Type 2 diabetes will be managed with diet and lifestyle changes, as well as monitoring blood sugar levels. Eating well can help to lower the amount of sugar ingested, and exercising increases the effectiveness of insulin, reduces your blood pressure and reduces the risk of heart disease.
If Type 2 diabetes cannot be controlled with these changes alone, or progresses to become more insulin resistant, medications (tablets) may be required to help the pancreas release insulin and convert glucose into energy. If these fail, or are losing effectiveness, insulin may be required.
The tablets and insulin are used in conjunction with a healthy diet and exercise, not as a substitute.
If you have any concerns about diabetes, have a family history, are experiencing symptoms or simply want to know more, please book an appointment to discuss this with one of our GPs.
References:
Department of Health 2016, Diabetes, Australian Government Department of Health, retrieved online 27/12/17, < http://www.health.gov.au/internet/main/publishing.nsf/content/chronic-diabetes >
Diabetes Australia 2015, Managing Type 2, Diabetes Australia, retrieved online 27/12/17, < https://www.diabetesaustralia.com.au/managing-type-2 >
Diabetes Australia 2015, What is diabetes?, Diabetes Australia, retrieved online 27/12/17, < https://www.diabetesaustralia.com.au/what-is-diabetes >
Diabetes Queensland 2017, Risk Factors, Diabetes Queensland, retrieved online 27/12/17, < https://www.diabetesqld.org.au/about-diabetes/what-is-diabetes/risk-factors.aspx >
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Credit:This document was created using a template from SEQ Legal (http://www.seqlegal.com).
Medical information disclaimer:
No advice: Our website contains general medical information. The medical information is not advice and should not be treated as such.
No warranties: The medical information on our website is provided without any representations or warranties, express or implied. Without limiting the scope above, we do not warrant or represent that the medical information on this website: will be constantly available, or available at all; or is true, accurate, complete, current or non-misleading.
Medical assistance: You must not rely on the information on our website as an alternative to medical advice from your doctor or other professional healthcare provider. If you have any specific questions about any medical matter, you should consult your doctor or other professional healthcare provider. If you think you may be suffering from any medical condition, you should seek immediate medical attention. You should never delay seeking medical advice, disregard medical advice or discontinue medical treatment because of information on our website.
Interactive features: Our website includes interactive features that allow users to communicate with us. You acknowledge that, because of the limited nature of communication through our website’s interactive features, any assistance you may receive using any such features is likely to be incomplete and may even be misleading. Any assistance you may receive using any our website’s interactive features does not constitute specific advice and accordingly should not be relied upon without further independent confirmation.
Limits upon exclusions of liability: Nothing in this disclaimer will: limit or exclude any liability for death or personal injury resulting from negligence; limit or exclude any liability for fraud or fraudulent misrepresentation; limit any liabilities in any way that is not permitted under applicable law; or exclude any liabilities that may not be excluded under applicable law.
Credit:This document was created using a template from SEQ Legal (http://www.seqlegal.com).
