First what is diabetes mellitus? Diabetes is a disorder in which blood levels of glucose or simple sugar are abnormally high because the body does not release or use insulin properly. People with type one diabetes produces little or no insulin, although most people in the U.S. don’t have this disease they have type two. In type two diabetes the pancreas continues to produce insulin, sometimes even at higher levels than normal. The body eventually grows resistance to its effects, resulting in an insulin deficiency. Type two diabetes usually occurs in adults over the age thirty but it has been known to affect children and adolescents. Certain races and ethnic groups are at larger risk as well as obese people. Body shape is also a factor in contracting diabetes, people with larger waist sizes are reported to have a greater risk for ty

The diagnosis of diabetes is made when one has an abnormally high blood sugar level. Blood sugar should be tested annually in physicals or if a doctor suspects the person might have diabetes, especially if a patient is suffering from any of the symptoms for diabetes. It is also important to check if a patient has a family history of diabetes or overweight. Measuring the blood sugar level is easy all the doctor does is take a blood sample after the patient has fasted for eight hours. The blood sugar level should not be very high at all and if it is the doctor usually suspects a problem such as diabetes. People who are at high risk should have their blood sugar tested regularly for diabetes.

The main type of treatment for diabetes is trying to keep the levels of blood sugar low. Although completely normal levels are hard to maintain but the more closely they are kept the less long complications will occur. The treatment of diabetes is centered on diet, exercise, and weight loss. The fact is most overweight people with diabetes would not require medication if they would just lose weight and exercise. For some diet and exercise is too difficult to do with diabetes so insulin replacement therapy or an oral hypoglycemic medication is needed. Insulin replacement therapy is when the patient affected with diabetes has to take insulin shots daily to lower blood sugar levels. Oral hypoglycemic drugs such as glyburide, tolbutamide, and chlorpromide can often lower blood sugar levels in type two diabetes but these are usually not effective in type one diabetes. Insulin injections and the drugs can be used in a combination if exercise is impossible for the patient to do. Exercise still reduces blood sugar levels, often reducing the amount of insulin needed. Diet management is so important in treating diabetes. Patients with diabetes should try to avoid sweet foods and should eat their meals on a regular schedule. Since people with diabetes have a tendency to have high cholesterol nutritionist suggests that diabetic

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