Diabetes
Diabetes is one of the most common diseases worldwide, and it is estimated that about 346 million people suffer from this disease. (WHO, 2011).
Diabetes is a metabolic disorder during which the body has a reduced ability (or none at all) to produce the hormone insulin or the insulin is inactivated (insulin resistance).
The body insulin is needed for the blood sugar (glucose) to enter cells and provide them with nourishment. Due to the lack of insulin or insulin resistance, protein and fat metabolism is also affected.
Diabetes is not a single disease, but represents several different diseases with completely different variety of reasons, but the common feature is that blood sugar level is too high.
The combination of high blood sugar level, obesity, high cholesterol level and high blood pressure (hypertension) is called the metabolic syndrome.
Type II and type I diabetes mellitus
The two best known and most common forms of diabetes are type 1 and type 2.
Type 1 is also known as children's and juvenile's diabetes because it usually breaks out in childhood or adolescence. The main cause of this disease is the lack or absence of insulin in the body, and it always requires lifelong insulin treatment. Some adults can have type 1 diabetes as well.
Type 2 is a form of adult-onset diabetes which is almost always present after 40 years of age. Type 2 diabetes mellitus is treated with oral medications, insulin and drugs that affect the production of so-called GLP-1, an endogenous hormone that affects, among other things, the release of insulin. Even younger people, especially those with obesity, may have type 2 diabetes.
Both diabetes types have several common features, but have also many differences. Among other things, the causes of diseases and treatment methods differ. Treatment goal for both types is to try to achieve the insulin and glucose turnover to the levels the healthy people have.
Type 2 diabetes mellitus, unlike type 1, has a relatively slow onset and the symptoms are not so pronounced.
Those patients who have type 2 diabetes can sometimes start to take insulin injections for a short time since it may take many years before you need to take insulin again. The reason is that the body still produces insulin, and the pancreatic beta cells are not destroyed as in type 1 diabetes.
Patients with type 2 diabetes have an insufficient insulin production and, above all, increased insulin resistance, which means a reduced ability of cells to utilize the produced insulin.
Symptoms of diabetes
Some important symptoms of diabetes are as following: you start to urinate often, your thirst increases, you become tired and listless, you can develop numbness and some infections (bacteria and fungi) in the urinary tract, genitals and the skin.
The symptoms of type 2 diabetes can be quite diffuse and develop for a long time. Therefore, it is not unusual to have diabetes for some time without knowing it, and to first discover the elevated blood sugar levels when doing a health check.
Treatment of diabetes
In type 2 diabetes, the treatment typically starts with improved diet, physical activity and attempts at weight loss, since high levels of blood fats and blood pressure must be actively addressed.
However, diet and exercise therapy are not always very successful. It is difficult to change exercise habits, and it is even more difficult to make people eat differently from what they were used to eat for decades. Therefore, the pharmacological treatment of the disease becomes inevitable fairly soon.
Besides insulin, there are other pharmacological treatment options. Most of them are in tablet form: metformin, glyburide, glipizide, repaglinide, glimepiride, acarbose, pioglitazone, rosiglitazone, sitagliptin, vildagliptin and exenatide (injections).
The tablets do not contain insulin but stimulate the beta cells of the pancreas to produce more insulin and increase cells' sensitivity to insulin.
Sometimes, it is not enough to take oral pills to keep a steady blood sugar, and then you have to start making insulin injections. You can also combine insulin and tablets. Obviously, everything should be done under doctor's supervision.
Complications
The risk of complications increases the longer you have had the disease and the worse the blood sugar is controlled.
Over time, high blood sugar damages the vessels and nerves. The damage primarily affects the eyes, heart, kidneys, joints and feet (numbness). By having as normal blood sugar as possible you can avoid or delay the dangerous consequences.
Diabetes is one of the most powerful risk factors for diseases of the heart and blood vessels, such as: heart attack, angina, cerebral infarction (stroke) and kidney damage.
Therefore, it is important for the patient to minimize such risk factors of cardiovascular disease as, smoking, high blood cholesterol, high blood pressure, obesity.
Diabetes and your sexual health
Among other problems, diabetes can cause sexual problems for men and women.
How men are affected
Diabetes can damage nerves and arteries, which interfere with the blood supply needed for an efficient erection. For men who have diabetes, the probability that they experience the problem, known as Erectile Dysfunction (ED) or impotence, is three times higher compared to healthy men.
Do not panic. Erectile dysfunction is a common disorder and can be effectively treated.
Some factors that increase the risk of experiencing impotence (ED):
- Poor control of your blood sugar levels
- High Cholesterol
- High blood pressure
- Smoking
- Excessive alcohol intake
There are also some medicines, such as high blood pressure medicines, antidepressants and anti-ulcer medications, which can have side effects that contribute to sexual dysfunction. Stress can also affect.
Prevention and Treatment
There are several options available for the treatment of erectile dysfunction, such as oral medications (Viagra, Cialis, Levitra), injections (Caverject), suppositories and vacuum devices. If you notice any problem with your erection that persists for more than 6 months, talk to your health care professional right away.
How women are affected
Sexual dysfunction due to diabetes can affect women too. High blood pressure, nerve damage, depression and fungal infections are quite common in women with diabetes and may contribute to sexual problems.
If you have any of the following symptoms, there is a risk that you are suffering from some form of diabetes-related sexual dysfunction:
- Decreased interest in sex
- Vaginal dryness
- Discomfort during intercourse
- Difficulty getting an orgasm
The prevention and treatment
Start by talking to your health care professional who can help you determine the best path to choose. An easy solution, such as the use of lubricants during intercourse, can also work. If you have problems with your sex life, seek help from your health care professional.
Additional information
Useful links
- American Diabetes Association
- Diabetes information at webmd.com
- Drugs for diabetes treatment
- Diabetes and ED at diabetes.co.uk
- Sexual and Urologic Problems of Diabetes (National Diabetes Information Clearinghouse)
the Press on diabetes
January 2nd, 2012 at 8:30 pm
I have diabetes 2 since 1997. I was born in 1951. All my brothers and sisters, we are 6 in the family, are diabetics. My dad died at 80 years old. I do not know if he was diabetic because I come from East Africa. My mother died when she was 53 years but not from diabetes.
What are the chances that my two children can get diabetes?
February 6th, 2012 at 5:44 pm
Hi, I'm 17 years old, 182 cm and weigh approximately 77-78 kg. I have read a lot about diabetes on the internet and found that the most symtoms are in compliance with mine. They say - weight loss (just a few weeks ago, I weighed 81kg), excessive thirst, nausea, fatigue, increased urinary levels (as they so nicely described on the internet and that I can not think of reaching a better word) and so on.
Diabetes is not in my family, but it all about increased thirst, because I typically never feel thirsty, but drink because I know I have to. So I always have with me a bottle of water and ice water.
I have always had low blood pressure, do not know if this is relevant in this matter but I was going to take it just in case. You can never say too little. And so, I can describe the nausea as well, as in my case, it is important. Because it is so that I more or less always felt bad when I'm tired. But since I more or less constantly tired now, I have also started to feel sick and still feel that I'm going to vomit. Which causes problems now when I work.
The reason I want to know this is that I cannot take time off. So want to know if it's worth to take a day off to check myself. Thanks in advance.
February 7th, 2012 at 8:31 pm
The risk is, unfortunately, quite high. I cannot give an exact number but maybe around 20%. The risk can be reduced through healthy diet and exercise. It is a very strong family history of type 2 diabetes. The exact inheritance is not known.
February 7th, 2012 at 8:35 pm
With no doubts, It's preferable that you see a doctor and make you blood sugar tests as soon as possible.