Diabetes mellitus type 1 and 2 - treatment, symptoms, nutrition, prevention

Among the most common chronic diseases, diabetes mellitus is far from the last place in the modern world. This disease is expressed in an increased level of glucose in the blood cells. In a healthy person, the corresponding level is always normal, regardless of the amount of sweets consumed. It all has to do with the presence of insulin in the body - a special hormone secreted by the pancreas. It is he who breaks down glucose.

Patients with diabetes also have insulin in the blood, but it is either not enough or cannot cope with its functions due to a special pathology of the blood cells. The statistics are disappointing: many people skip the early stage of the disease, starting its course, and turn to specialists only when the symptoms become so severe that they interfere with normal life and work.

Types of diseases

The disease manifests itself with many symptoms. Different forms of this disease occur for different reasons and have different pathogenesis. In itself, the term "diabetes" is quite broad. Experts distinguish 2 types of disease.

type 1 diabetes

Type 1 diabetes is insulin dependent. It is most often diagnosed in young people, whose age does not exceed 40 years. This is a disease where the blood cells are full of sugar. The reason for this is the antibodies that destroy the insulin. The disease, the appearance of which is associated with the presence of such antibodies, is not completely cured.

The diagnosis of this disease involves conducting serious laboratory tests. Such a diagnosis is not made from the photo, so you should not trust people who try to tell a person about his illness without even seeing the test results. At the first suspicion of illness, you should immediately contact a medical institution.

People suffering from type 1 diabetes usually have a weak physique. They need regular insulin injections from the time the disease is diagnosed until the end of their lives. The medical history of such patients is standard. The disease is hereditary.

Those who have had diabetes in their family have a genetic predisposition to this disease. In them, under certain circumstances, a chronic variant of this type of disease occurs. It can be provoked by various viruses and bacteria, as well as by strong or prolonged stress. Due to such negative factors, antibodies are formed that can destroy the cells responsible for the presence of insulin.

type 2 diabetes

Non-insulin-dependent type 2 disease is often diagnosed in the elderly. This is a variant of the disease, characterized by the inability of insulin to cope with its main function. Sugar cannot be broken down by itself and accumulates in the blood. Gradually, the cells of the body develop an "addiction" to insulin. The hormone itself is produced, there is no shortage, but the glucose in the cells is not broken down.

The non-insulin-dependent variant of this disease has its own progressive development. As a rule, this disease is found in people over forty years old, but sometimes it is found even in children. Patients suffering from this type of diabetes mellitus are overweight. The blood cells of such people cease to perceive any effect of insulin.

Characteristics of type 1 diabetes

Type 1 diabetes results from insufficient secretion (release) of insulin from the pancreas. Specialists indicate characteristic symptoms that allow one to suspect the presence of this disease in a person even in the early stages. Among them: constant feeling of thirst, excessive urination, fatigue, chronic feeling of weakness. It is necessary to determine the level of glucose and insulin in the blood. If the diagnosis is confirmed, treatment is immediately prescribed, otherwise the patient may develop ulcers and a wide range of other complications.

Why does type 1 diabetes develop? The classical medical school gives an unequivocal answer to this question. The main cause of this disease is a disorder of the pancreas, in which the production of insulin stops or is significantly slowed down. It is also worth noting that pregnant women have the so-called gestational diabetes, associated with the risk of developing an insulin-dependent form of the disease.

Let's not forget to discuss topics and very specific symptoms. Type 1 diabetes is often accompanied by the formation of an acetone odor in the oral cavity. These are the first bells of the body, which should warn and encourage a person to contact a specialist. The earlier in this case the patient reaches the doctor, the more likely the disease will be detected at an early stage. However, often people, and especially men, neglect a visit to a specialist and live for one or several years, not even knowing about their diagnosis, until it becomes completely unbearable.

Indirect signs of diabetes mellitus form 1 include:

1. Complications in the treatment of infectious diseases;
2. Poor wound healing;
3. Heaviness in the legs;
4. Pain in the calf muscles;

It is also important to remember that people suffering from this disease must constantly monitor their own blood pressure and maintain its normal state with modern drugs. Specific drugs should be prescribed exclusively by a specialist based on the diagnosis and individual characteristics of the patient.

How to recognize type 1 diabetes?

The World Health Organization (WHO) has defined the procedures that people should go through if they suspect the presence of this disease. Their list includes:

• Blood glucose test;
• Glucose tolerance test;
• Detection of glucose levels in urine;
• Calculation of the percentage of glycosylated hemoglobin;
• Detection of insulin and C-peptide in blood.

You should know that blood must be taken for analysis on an empty stomach. The results of the study are compared with the values of the glucose level in a special table. If this level:

1. It does not reach 6. 1 mmol / l - there is no hyperglycemia, the disease is excluded;
2. It is in the range from 6. 1 to 7. 0 mmol / l - the level of glycemia is close to the maximum permissible;
3. Exceeds 7. 0 mmol / l - the presence of a disease is very likely, but the exact diagnosis requires additional confirmation.

The prediabetic state of a person is characterized by impaired glucose tolerance - increased glycemia, which, however, has not yet exceeded the permissible limits. A patient with such findings needs additional monitoring and prophylaxis.

How is type 1 diabetes treated?

There are the following treatments for this disease: special diet, exercise, medication.

A properly selected nutritional system helps alleviate the main symptoms of diabetes. The main task of the diet is to limit the intake of sugar in the body as much as possible.

How to treat the disease? In situations of type 1 disease, in most cases, regular insulin injections are indispensable. Experts determine the optimal daily dose of this hormone for each patient individually.

Preparations containing insulin are absorbed into the blood at different rates and act for different times. It is necessary to choose the correct injection sites. There are several varieties of this hormone:

• Short-acting insulin: its effect is noticeable almost instantly;
• Intermediate insulin is delivered to the body through a special preparation containing substances that slow down the absorption of the hormone. This medicine works for about 10 hours;
• Long-acting insulin. It is delivered to the body through a number of special drugs. It should take about 14 hours to reach peak effectiveness. The noise is valid for at least a day and a half.

As a rule, patients do the introduction of drugs themselves, after learning how to give injections under the guidance of a specialist.

The doctor builds a treatment regimen in a special way based on the patient's presentation, reflecting factors such as:

1. Growth;
2. The weight;
3. age;
4. Insulin sensitivity.

If the patient with diabetes is overweight, then a mandatory measure for treatment and prevention is to reduce the percentage of high-calorie foods in the menu. It is harmful to use canned goods, fatty meats, smoked foods, sour cream, mayonnaise, nuts and many fruits. We will have to forget about sweets. This is especially difficult if the disease is diagnosed in children or women who tend to pamper themselves.

We need to look for ways to reduce the amount of high-calorie foods. There is an energy deficit and the body uses up fat tissue. However, it must be remembered that you cannot bring yourself to energy exhaustion.

Physical activity helps lower blood sugar levels. A moderate load is required. Exercises should be done regularly, dosed. No need to exhaust yourself with heavy weights. Sufficient aerobic exercise.

So-called insulin pumps can significantly improve patients' quality of life. These are devices from the world of electronics that accurately determine the level of sugar in the blood and, based on the readings obtained, they independently perform dosed injections of insulin. They make treatment more effective and minimize the risk of complications.

How to store insulin preparations?

Opened vials may be stored at room temperature for up to six weeks. They should be kept in places where sunlight or artificial light does not penetrate. Do not store preparations containing insulin in close proximity to heat sources.

The inadmissibility of the use of the drug is indicated by the formation of a film or characteristic clots in the vial, visually similar to scales. This signal plays an important role. Using an expired medicine threatens to increase the problems of the disease and can even lead to fatal consequences.

type 2 diabetes mellitus

The pancreas of those with type 2 diabetes produces enough insulin on its own, but the body is unable to absorb this hormone due to malfunctioning cell receptors. Glucose is not processed properly, resulting in damage to blood vessels as well as internal organs. This can be especially dangerous during pregnancy. However, the non-insulin-dependent form is typical for the elderly.

Diabetes of the second type is formed for certain reasons, the main of which are overweight and genetic predisposition to this disease. According to statistics, about 80% of patients with type 2 diabetes suffer from obesity. Can you recover completely by reducing your own body weight? The answer here will be negative, but as a preventive measure this measure can be very effective. According to the generally accepted scientific concept, excess fat cells prevent the body from using insulin.

Symptoms and complications of type 2 diabetes

The symptoms of the first and second type of disease are similar in many ways: strong thirst is accompanied by copious urination, a person constantly feels bad - weakness and fatigue, bouts of irritability, sometimes nausea and vomiting.

Particular attention should be paid to possible complications. According to the latest International Classification of Diseases (MBC 10), their list is quite extensive and causes serious concern to patients. If the blood is full of glucose, then pathological changes in almost all internal organs are inevitable. In the advanced stages of the disease, patients even become disabled.

In patients with type 2 diabetes, the risk of myocardial infarction and stroke, all types of kidney disease and visual impairment is significantly increased. Even minor wounds do not heal for a long time. Sometimes the disease can lead to gangrene, which may require amputation of the affected limb. The list of complications in men is completed by impotence. Such a serious list of negative aspects obliges specialists to continue looking for ways of the most effective therapy today.

What does it make sense to do when you find signs of illness?

If there are first suspicions of diabetes of the second form, it is necessary to urgently undergo a medical examination. People who are aware of their genetic predisposition to this disease should regularly monitor the sugar content in their blood and urine. This is especially true for people 50 and older, as well as anyone who is overweight.

If the diagnosis has already been established, the patient must be under medical supervision and periodically visit a specialist.

For people with type 2 diabetes, doctors prescribe:

• Control glucose and cholesterol levels, as well as body weight;
• Change your own diet by adding to the menu low-calorie foods that should contain as little sugar as possible. You should eat more complex carbohydrates and fiber foods;
• Exercise regularly.

Patients should learn how to self-determine their blood glucose level. Today, there are specialized devices that allow you to easily do this at home. These are called glucometers.

It is necessary to constantly adhere to strict self-control. Treatment is inextricably linked with diet therapy and exercise. These points effectively complement therapy based on the use of sugar-lowering drugs, medically called incretin mimetics. Most often, these are tablets, not injections, as is the case with insulin-containing drugs.

A specific drug should be prescribed exclusively by a doctor based on all the data he has about the patient. He must individually determine the frequency of subsequent visits. It is necessary to conduct a lot of research, to find out what the general condition of the patient is, whether there is a risk of developing complications, for the prevention of which additional treatment will be required.

With the help of the results of numerous scientific studies, experts were able to establish that along with weight loss, the disease takes on a weaker form. As a result, its symptoms are less distressing for patients and their quality of life improves significantly.

Recently, a new drug - the Chinese diabetes patch - has been widely advertised in the media. Its manufacturers promise an almost miraculous effect, urging you not to spare money and buy their products. However, practitioners of conventional medicine are skeptical about this treatment option. If you read reviews on the internet about this patch, they are extremely conflicting. Some write that they allegedly helped. Others are completely disappointed with this drug.

Prevention measures

Authoritative specialists in the field of medicine have long proven that stress is a provoking factor for the development of many diseases. It can also contribute to the onset of diabetes, so you should avoid worrying and try to be less reactive to life's troubles.

As mentioned above, you need to exercise and watch your diet. There are specially designed diets that are beneficial for the health of such patients. If you strictly follow the doctor's recommendations, you can significantly improve the quality of your own life by getting rid of a significant part of the symptoms that accompany this disease.

It is necessary to exclude certain products from the menu. Often, specialists prescribe the so-called diet 9. Its purpose is to minimize the consumption of foods that contain a large amount of carbohydrates. It has been proven that in patients applying this diet, the work of the pancreas improves significantly.

What products are allowed for consumption? Their list includes: low-fat varieties of meat and fish; cabbage, cucumbers, eggplants, tomatoes and zucchini; buckwheat, barley, millet and oats. Apples and strawberries are also allowed, but in moderation. Dairy products can only be consumed with a low fat content. After such a meal, the blood sugar level will not rise to an unacceptable level.

In the medical selection of the menu, the structural composition of the food must be taken into account. The diet should include:

1. 55% animal proteins (80-90 grams).
2. 30% vegetable fat (70-80 grams).
3. 300-350 grams of carbohydrates.
4. 12 grams of table salt
5. One and a half liters of liquid.

Do not consume more than 2200-2400 kcal per day. You need to eat 5-6 times a day, evenly "distributing" the consumption of carbohydrates over time. Sugar will have to be eliminated. Sweet dishes are prepared in small quantities and only with sugar substitutes such as stevia, sorbitol or xylitol.

Salt intake should also be limited. The cooking method is important. Boiled and baked dishes should prevail in the diet. Fried and stewed foods are acceptable for consumption in a minimal amount. There are recipes specially designed for diabetics. Following them, you can cook delicious dishes that will not harm your health.

During the day you have to stick to a certain menu. So, diet number 9 can be represented by:

• Morning: tea, buckwheat porridge, fat-free cottage cheese, milk;
• Second meal: wheat bran (cooked);
• Lunch: cabbage soup with sunflower oil (vegetarian), fruit jelly, boiled meat with milk sauce;
• Afternoon snack: a small amount of apples;
• Dinner: boiled fish baked in milk sauce, as well as cabbage dishes.

What do they eat during the week?

Table number 9 is the result of the work of Soviet nutritionists. They created a meal option suitable for specialized sanatoriums. The ninth table significantly increases the effectiveness of complex therapy.

The menu for the week looks like this:

Monday

• Breakfast: chicory, skimmed cottage cheese with milk, porridge (buckwheat).
• Lunch: 200 ml of milk.
• Lunch: vegetarian cabbage soup, white bird breast, fruit jelly.
• Afternoon: apple.
• Dinner: boiled fish, tea, cabbage dishes.
• Before going to bed: a glass of low-fat yogurt.

Tuesday

• First meal: barley, chicken egg, chicory, stewed cabbage.
• Lunch: a glass of milk (only low-fat is suitable).
• Lunch: mashed potatoes, boiled beef liver, pickle soup, dried fruit compote.
• Afternoon snack: fruit jelly.
• Dinner: boiled chicken, stewed cabbage.
• Before going to bed: low-fat kefir.

Wednesday

• The first meal: skimmed cottage cheese and milk, chicory, oatmeal.
• Lunch: a cup of jelly.
• Lunch: borscht, boiled meat, buckwheat porridge, tea.
• Afternoon snack: one or two pears.
• Dinner: salad or vinaigrette, egg, tea.
• Before going to bed: a glass of low-fat yogurt.

Thursday

• The first meal: buckwheat porridge, chicory, low-fat cottage cheese.
• Second breakfast: kefir.
• Lunch: lean borscht, dried fruit compote, boiled meat.
• Afternoon snack: unsweetened pear.
• For dinner: cabbage schnitzel, boiled fish from low-fat varieties of tea.
• Before going to bed: a glass of fat-free yogurt.

Friday

• First meal: egg, a little butter, potato-free vinaigrette with sunflower oil, chicory.
• Lunch: apple.
• Lunch: sauerkraut, stew or boiled meat, soup with peas.
• Afternoon snack: some fresh fruit.
• Dinner: pudding with vegetables, boiled poultry, tea.
• Before going to bed: a glass of boiled milk.

Saturday

• First meal: millet porridge, chicory, some doctor's sausage.
• Lunch: wheat bran.
• Lunch: boiled meat, mashed potatoes, seafood soup.
• Afternoon snack: a glass of low-fat kefir.
• Dinner: low-fat cottage cheese, tea, oatmeal.

Sunday

• First meal: chicken egg, chicory, buckwheat porridge.
• Lunch: one or two apples.
• Lunch: beef cutlet, light vegetable soup, pearl barley porridge.
• Afternoon snack: skimmed milk.
• Dinner: vegetable salad, boiled fish, mashed potatoes.
• Before going to bed: low-fat kefir.

Folk methods of treatment

In folk medicine, there are many recipes that, with varying degrees of effectiveness, help in the fight against high blood sugar. Certified doctors are often skeptical about such methods of treatment, but do not forbid patients to use them together with the main therapy. This "integrated approach" often gives positive results, allowing patients to reduce the manifestation of painful symptoms.

The most effective recipes of traditional medicine:

• For prevention, an egg with the addition of lemon juice will help. Shake the contents of one raw egg, add the juice of one lemon. Reception 50-60 minutes before meals, 3 days, in the morning. After ten days, the course can be repeated.
• Eat roasted onions in the morning for a month.
• A good way to lower your glucose levels is to take some mustard or flaxseed every day, plus blackcurrant leaf tea.
• The use of freshly squeezed potato juice contributes to lowering the sugar level. Raspberries and white cabbage are also used.
• The tincture of white mulberry (2 tablespoons) is prepared by pouring boiling water (2 cups), the infusion time is 2-3 hours, it is taken 3 times a day.
• Do not forget about such a folk remedy as a decoction of oats. Pour a tablespoon of oatmeal with water (one and a half cups), then boil for 15 minutes, the course is 3 r / d 15-20 minutes before meals.
• Cinnamon helps - half a teaspoon a day. Consume with tea.
• Grind the acorns to a powder. Course - 1 tsp on an empty stomach in the morning, as well as immediately before going to bed for seven days.
• Pour the walnut partitions (40 g) with boiling water (500 ml) and put on fire. Boil for ten minutes. Insist until softened, drink 1 tablespoon / l half an hour before meals.
• Pour boiling water (half a liter) aspen bark (2 tablespoons), put everything on fire and cook for about 10 minutes. After insisting, drink half a glass before meals.
• An effective infusion is prepared from a glass of boiling water, which is poured with cloves (20 pieces). Insist overnight, drink exactly one third of a glass three times a day. Do not remove the used cloves, add another pinch to them in the evening, pour boiling water again, etc. The course of treatment is six months.
• Boil half a liter of boiling water with two tablespoons of a mixture of nettles with rowan berries in a ratio of three to seven. Leave for about three to four hours. Take half a cup twice a day.
• Pour burdock roots (20 g) with boiling water (a glass), let it boil in a water bath for about 10 minutes. The course is 3 times a day for table / bed before meals.

All information provided to readers in the article is for informational purposes only. Before using the received information in practice, do not forget to consult a competent specialist about the possible consequences!