Diabetes

Diabetes mellitus, or diabetes for short, is a metabolic disorder in which the body is unable to properly regulate blood sugar (glucose) levels due to poor insulin sensitivity, or due to inadequate insulin production by the pancreas.

Insulin is a hormone secreted by the pancreas that stimulates cells to absorb glucose and transform it into the energy they need to function. If the cells do not absorb enough glucose, it accumulates in the blood (hyperglycemia). This leads to complications in the cardiovascular, nervous and other systems.

Diabetes is divided into three main categories:

  • Type 1 diabetes (insulin-dependent)- 5-10% of cases. It is characterized by the destruction of insulin-producing beta cells in the pancreas, leading to complete insulin deficiency. It is most common in children and adolescents.
  • Type 2 diabetes (insulin-independent) - about 90% of cases. In this type there is resistance to insulin, which makes it ineffective and is compensated by the production of more insulin, but after a while insulin production decreases. It is most commonly seen in older adults, but is increasingly common in children and young individuals due to high rates of obesity , reduced physical activity and high calorie foods.
  • Gestational diabetes (established during pregnancy)- children of pregnant women with diabetes have a high risk of developing type 2 diabetes in the future.
Diabetes 1

Symptoms can be:

  • increased thirst
  • increased urination
  • severe fatigue
  • frequent bacterial infections
  • difficult wound healing
  • loss of sensitivity and numbness
  • hyperglycaemia

In both Type 1 and Type 2, diet and exercise are most important.

A diet low in saturated fat, refined carbohydrates, fructose corn syrup and high in fiber should be encouraged.

Diabetes 2

Aerobic exercise lasting 90 to 150 minutes per week matters a lot.

The main goal for type 2 obese patients is weight reduction.

The combination of diet with  physiotherapy  is considered the perfect combination.

For type 1 (insulin-dependent) diabetes, intramuscular injection of insulin is necessary.

Diabetes 3
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