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

10 September 2022

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

Diabetes patients also have insulin in their blood, but it is either not enough, or it cannot cope with its functions due to the special pathology of the blood cells. The statistics are disappointing: many people skip the initial stage of the disease's development, begin its course, and turn to specialists only when the symptoms are severe enough to interfere with normal life and work.

Disease types

The disease is expressed by many symptoms. Different forms of this disease arise from different causes and have different pathogenesis. In itself, the concept of "diabetes" is quite broad. Experts distinguish 2 types of the disease.

type 1 diabetes

Type 1 diabetes is insulin dependent. It is most often diagnosed in young people under the age of 40. This is a disease in which the blood cells are filled with sugar. This is because of antibodies that destroy insulin. The disease caused by the presence of such antibodies is completely incurable.

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

People with type 1 diabetes tend to have a lean body type. From the moment the disease is detected until the end of their lives, they need regular insulin injections. The medical history of such patients is standard. The disease is hereditary.

Those with a family history of diabetes have a genetic predisposition to the disease. The chronic variant of this type of disease occurs in them under certain conditions. It can be provoked by various viruses and bacteria, as well as strong or long-term stress. Due to such negative factors, antibodies are formed that can destroy the cells responsible for the presence of insulin.

type 2 diabetes

Insulin-independent, type II disease is often diagnosed in older people. This is a variant of the disease characterized by the inability to cope with the main function of insulin. Sugar cannot be broken down by itself and accumulates in the blood. Gradually, body cells become "addicted" to insulin. The hormone itself is produced, there is no shortage of it, but glucose is not broken down in the cells.

The non-insulin-dependent variant of this disease has its own progressive development. As a rule, this disease is detected in people over forty years of age, but sometimes it occurs even in children. Patients suffering from this type of diabetes are overweight. The blood cells of such people stop perceiving the desired effects of insulin.

Characteristics of type 1 diabetes

Type 1 diabetes is the result of insufficient secretion (failure) of insulin by the pancreas. Experts show the characteristic symptoms that make it possible to suspect the presence of this disease in a person even in the early stages. Among them: constant thirst, excessive urination, fatigue, chronic weakness. It is necessary to determine the level of glucose and insulin in the blood. If the diagnosis is confirmed, treatment is prescribed immediately, otherwise the patient may develop ulcers and a wide range of other complications.

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

Let's not forget to discuss topics and very specific symptoms. Often, type 1 diabetes is accompanied by the formation of the smell of acetone in the oral cavity. These are the first calls of the body that should alert and encourage a person to contact a specialist. In this case, the sooner the patient consults a doctor, the higher the probability of detecting the disease at an early stage. But often people, especially men, neglect to visit a specialist and live for a year or several years, without even knowing anything about their diagnosis, until it becomes completely unbearable.

Indirect symptoms of type 1 diabetes mellitus include:

Complications in the treatment of infectious diseases;
Poor wound healing;
Heaviness in the legs;
Pain in calf muscles;

It should also be remembered that people suffering from this disease must constantly control their blood pressure and maintain their normal condition with modern drugs. Special drugs should be prescribed only by a specialist based on the diagnosis and individual characteristics of the patient.

How to detect 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 test for glucose;
Study of glucose tolerance;
Detection of glucose level 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 on an empty stomach for analysis. The results of the study are compared with the values of the glucose level in a special table. If this level:

does not reach 6. 1 mmol / l - there is no hyperglycemia, the disease is excluded;
It is in the range of 6. 1 to 7. 0 mmol / l - the level of glycemia is close to the maximum allowed;
More than 7. 0 mmol / l - the presence of a disease is very likely, but an accurate diagnosis requires additional confirmation.

A person's pre-diabetic condition is expressed by a violation of glucose tolerance - increased glycemia, but it has not yet exceeded the permissible limit. A patient with such findings needs additional monitoring and prevention.

How is type 1 diabetes treated?

This disease has the following treatment: special diet, exercise, drugs.

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 into the body as much as possible.

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

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

Short-acting insulin: its effect is noticeable almost immediately;
Intermediate insulin is given to the body through a special preparation containing substances that slow down the absorption of the hormone. This drug works for about 10 hours;
Long-acting insulin. It is given to the body through a number of special drugs. It takes about 14 hours to reach peak effectiveness. Hubbub is valid for at least a day and a half.

As a rule, patients learn to inject themselves under the guidance of a specialist and administer the drugs themselves.

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

increase;
Weight;
Age;
Insulin sensitivity.

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

We should look for ways to reduce the amount of high-calorie foods. There is a lack of energy and the body consumes fat tissue. But remember that you can't bring yourself to run out of energy.

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

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

How to store insulin preparations?

Open vials can be stored at room temperature for no more than six weeks. They should be stored in places where sunlight or artificial light does not penetrate. Do not store preparations containing insulin near heat sources.

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

type 2 diabetes mellitus

The pancreas of patients with type 2 diabetes produces enough insulin, but the body cannot receive 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. But the non-insulin-dependent form is typical for older people.

Type 2 diabetes is caused by certain factors, the main reasons of which are overweight and genetic predisposition to this disease. According to statistics, about 80% of patients with type 2 diabetes are obese. Can you fully recover by reducing your own body weight? Here the answer will be negative, but as a preventive measure, this measure can be very effective. According to the generally accepted scientific concept, an excess of fat cells prevents the body from using insulin.

Symptoms and complications of type 2 diabetes

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

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

Patients with type 2 diabetes have a significantly increased risk of myocardial infarction and stroke, all types of kidney disease, and visual impairment. Even small 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 for men is completed by impotence. Such a serious list of negative aspects forces experts to continue to find ways of the most effective therapy today.

What does it mean to do when you discover the symptoms of the disease?

If you have the first suspicions of diabetes in the second form, you need to undergo an urgent medical examination. People who are aware of their genetic predisposition to this disease should regularly monitor the amount of sugar in their blood and urine. This is especially true for people over 50, as well as all people who are overweight.

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

For people with type 2 diabetes, doctors prescribe the following:

Control glucose and cholesterol levels, as well as body weight;
Change your diet by adding low-calorie foods to the menu, which should contain as little sugar as possible. It is necessary to eat foods with more complex carbohydrates and vegetable fibers;
Exercise regularly.

Patients should learn how to independently determine the level of glucose in the blood. Today, there are special devices that make it easier at home. They are called glucometers.

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

A certain drug should be prescribed only by a doctor, based on all the information about the patient. The frequency of subsequent visits should be determined individually. It is necessary to conduct a lot of tests, determine what the general condition of the patient is, whether there is a risk of developing complications, the prevention of which requires additional treatment.

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

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

Measures for prevention

Reputable experts in the field of medicine have long proven that stress is an inciting factor in the development of many diseases. It can also contribute to the onset of diabetes, so you should avoid anxiety and try not to overreact to any problem in life.

As mentioned above, you should 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 life by getting rid of a significant part of the symptoms associated with this disease.

It is necessary to remove certain products from the menu. Often, experts prescribe the so-called diet 9. Its purpose is to minimize the consumption of foods that contain a lot of carbohydrates. Pancreatic function has been proven to improve significantly in patients using this diet.

What products are allowed to be consumed? Their list includes: low-fat types of meat and fish; cabbage, cucumber, eggplant, tomato and zucchini; buckwheat, barley, millet and oatmeal. Apples and strawberries are also allowed, but in moderation. Dairy products can be consumed only with low fat. After such a meal, the level of sugar in the blood 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:

55% animal proteins (80-90 grams).
30% vegetable oil (70-80 grams).
300-350 grams of carbohydrates.
12 grams of table salt
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, you "spread" the consumption of carbohydrates evenly over time. Sugar should be excluded. Sweet treats are made 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 foods should prevail in the diet. Fried and baked foods are acceptable for minimal consumption. There are recipes made especially for diabetics. Following them, you can prepare delicious dishes that will not harm your health.

You must follow a certain menu per day. Thus, diet number 9 can be represented by:

Morning: tea, buckwheat porridge, low-fat cottage cheese, milk;
Second course: wheat bran (boiled);
Lunch: cabbage soup with sunflower oil (vegetarian), fruit jelly, boiled meat with milk sauce;
Afternoon snack: a small amount of apples;
Dinner: boiled fish cooked 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 suitable selection of food for specialized sanatoriums. The ninth table significantly increases the effectiveness of complex therapy.

The menu of the week looks like this:

Monday

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

Wednesday

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

Thursday

First meal: buckwheat porridge, chicory, low-fat cottage cheese.
Second breakfast: kefir.
Lunch: lean borscht, dried fruit compote, boiled meat.
Afternoon snack: pear without sugar.
For dinner: cabbage schnitzel, low-fat boiled fish.
Before going to bed: a glass of low-fat yogurt.

friday

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

Saturday

First course: 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 course: chicken egg, chicory, buckwheat porridge.
Lunch: an apple or two.
Lunch: beef cutlet, light vegetable soup, pearl porridge.
Afternoon snack: skim milk.
Dinner: vegetable salad, boiled fish, mashed potatoes.
Before going to bed: low-fat kefir.

Folk remedies

Folk medicine has many recipes that help fight high blood sugar with varying degrees of effectiveness. Certified doctors are often skeptical of such treatment methods, but they 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 traditional medicine recipes:

For prevention, an egg with added lemon juice will help. Shake the contents of the 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 cooked onions in the morning for a month.
A good way to lower your glucose levels is to drink some mustard or flax seeds daily, plus blackcurrant leaf tea.
The use of freshly squeezed potato juice helps to lower the sugar level. Raspberries and white cabbage are also used.
White mulberry tincture (2 tablespoons) is prepared by pouring boiling water (2 glasses), 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 spoonful of oatmeal with water (one and a half cups), then boil for 15 minutes, 15-20 minutes before meals, the course is 3 r / d.
Cinnamon helps - half a teaspoon a day. Consume with tea.
Grind the acorns until powdery. Course - 1 hour / l in the morning on an empty stomach, 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 tender, drink 1 tablespoon / l half an hour before meals.
Pour hot water (half a liter) aspen bark (2 tablespoons), put everything on fire and cook for about 10 minutes. After repeating, drink half a glass before meals.
An effective infusion is prepared from a glass of boiling water, which is poured into cloves (20 pieces). Insist overnight, drink a full third of a glass three times a day. Do not remove the used cloves, add a pinch to them in the evening, pour boiling water again, etc. The course of treatment is six months.
Brew a mixture of two tablespoons of nettle with rowan berries in half a liter of boiling water: three to seven. Leave for about three to four hours. Take half a glass twice a day.
Pour burdock roots (20 g) with boiling water (a glass), boil in a water bath for about 10 minutes. The course is 3 times a day for a table / bed before meals.

All information provided to readers in the article is for informational purposes only. Before using the data obtained in the experiment, be sure to consult with a competent specialist about the possible results!