Diabetes And Hypertension Make A Combination That Can Be Fatal

By Author: Ramesh Vittal
Total Articles: 26
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Diabetes is a chronic condition that needs to be monitored continuously in order to avoid complications. The hormone Insulin is produced by the pancreas in the human body to control the blood sugar levels. When too little insulin is secreted or when there is resistance building up to it the result is a condition that is called diabetes.

To get a proper idea about what exactly diabetes is, we first need to understand how food that we consume is broken down and absorbed by the body to use up as energy. Many things happen simultaneously during the process of digestion. Glucose which is actually a kind of sugar enters the bloodstream. Glucose is essential as it is a source of energy for the body. The organ pancreas plays a vital role by secreting insulin which moves the glucose from the bloodstream into muscle, fat and liver cells where it is ultimately used up as fuel. People afflicted with diabetes will have high levels of sugar in their blood because the body is incapable of moving the sugar into fat, liver and muscle cells to be stored to burn up later. The reasons for this could be that the pancreas simply does not ...
... produce enough insulin or the cells in the body do not respond to the insulin normally or a combination of both.

Diabetes can be classified into three major types. Type 1 diabetes could occur at any age, however it is more frequently diagnosed in children, teens and young adults. In this type the body is incapable of producing insulin or the quantity produced is grossly insufficient. Daily injections are a must to maintain the proper levels. The cause to this day is unknown. Type 2 is common in most cases. It normally occurs in grownups, however due to unhealthy lifestyles and incorrect diet; it has started occurring in obese kids. Most people are blissfully unaware that they have this condition as the symptoms are not that marked in the initial stages. The third type is called Gestational diabetes which is characterized by high blood sugar levels in expecting mothers who never had it prior to pregnancy.

Estimates show that over 20 million Americans are diabetic and another 40 million are prone to early type 2 diabetes. The most common symptoms are blurry vision, excessive sense of thirst, frequent urination, hunger, and fatigue and weight loss. The problem with type 2 is that it develops very slowly and some people with high blood sugar never even realize it, type 1 can progress rapidly and people could be very sick by the time the disease is diagnosed.

The best course would be to go in for periodic tests. The primary test would be a urine analysis which could detect high levels of sugar, however the test cannot be conclusive in most cases. More detailed tests like Fasting Blood Glucose Level test should be undergone to rule out any chances of having the disease. If presence of high levels of sugar is detected suitable medication prescribed by a specialist needs to be taken. It is important for diabetics to keep their blood pressure at normal levels at all times. Frequent checks should detect presence of high blood pressure and suitable medication needs to be taken as blood pressure also is seldom detected as it has little or no symptoms.

It is important to realize that there is no cure for diabetes. Unless proper medication under the guidance of a doctor is taken without any breaks or deviation, the disease could manifest itself severely and lead to complications. Untreated diabetes can lead to renal failure or failure of the kidneys. Dialysis would then be the only option. Most cases reaching this stage are at a point of no return. It is better to control the disease with medication, exercise and a well planned diet.Relaated programs are aired by popular service providers likeFiOS Bundles