Diabetes Mellitus (Sugar Diabetes)

Q - What is diabetes mellitus?

A - Diabetes mellitus (also called sugar diabetes or diabetes) is a disorder that affects many organs in the human body as a result of an abnormal increase in the level of glucose (sugar) in the blood.

Q - What causes Diabetes?

A - It is not certain what causes diabetes but the reasons for the increase in blood sugar can be explained.

Cells in our bodies use glucose from our blood to perform very important functions like growth. But they cannot gain access to this glucose unless insulin helps them absorb it from our blood.

Diabetes develops whenever the body is not able to produce enough insulin or the cells of the body are not able to respond effectively to the action of insulin. So glucose cannot move into the cells with ease and this causes the increased blood glucose.

[Learn more about the role of insulin in causing diabetes]

Q - What are the types of diabetes mellitus?

A - The common types of diabetes are:

1. Type 1 Diabetes formerly called Insulin Dependent Diabetes Mellitus (IDDM) and occurs when the body cannot produce enough insulin for its daily use.
2. Type 2 Diabetes formerly called Non-Insulin Dependent Diabetes Mellitus (NIDDM) and occurs when the cells in the body can no longer repond effectively to the action of insulin.
3. Gestational Diabetes which occurs when a pregnant woman develops diabetes for the first time when she is pregnant.

For more on types of diabetes including, Type 1, Type 2, GDM etc, click here

Q - What are the symptoms of diabetes?

A - The common symptoms of diabetes include:

1. Frequent passing of large volumes of urine.
2. Excessive thirst and drinking of water.
3. Excessive hunger and eating a lot of food.

Other symptoms include fatigue, frequent infections and delay in wound healing etc. Click here to learn more about symptoms of diabetes mellitus.

Q - What makes a person more likely to get diabetes?

A - Diabetes can affect anybody. But some people are more likely to develop it than others. They include:

• Blood relatives of someone already diagnosed with diabetes
• Overweight and Obese people.
• Some ethnic groups have been shown to be more affected e.g. Hispanic, African American
• People over 45 years old.
• Women who have had gestational diabetes, or who have had very big babies at birth ( >4kg or >9 pounds).
• People who live sedentary lifestyles.

It is possible to have a risk factor and not have diabetes and it is also possible to have diabetes without having any of the risk factors mentioned. However, it is wise to check for these risk factors and take steps to prevent yourself from developing diabetes.

Q - How is Diabetes Treated?

A - Diabetes is treated by making sure that the glucose in the blood stays within normal limits. The commonly used methods of treating diabetes are:

1. Taking insulin daily as injections or inhalers.
2. Taking diabetes pills daily.
3. Learning and practicing healthy eating and exercise habits
4. Losing weight in order to achieve doctor recommended healthy weight.

Some other forms of treatment may be prescribed by your doctor or health care provider. If complications develop, the treatment may also be changed.

Click here for more explanations about the different diabetes treatments.

Created - May, 2006
Last edited - July, 2009