Type 1 and 2 diabetes mellitus - 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 in the increased level of glucose in the blood cells. In a healthy person, the appropriate level is always normal, regardless of the amount of sweets consumed. It's all about the presence of insulin - a special hormone that is secreted by the pancreas. He is the one who breaks down glucose.

There is also insulin in the blood of diabetics, but it is either not enough or, due to the special pathology of the blood cells, it cannot cope with its functions. The statistics are disappointing: many people miss the early stages of the development of the disease, its course, and consult a specialist only when the symptoms become so severe that they interfere with normal life and work.

Disease types

The disease is expressed by several symptoms. Different forms of the disease occur for different reasons and have different pathogenesis. The concept of "diabetes" itself is quite extensive. Experts distinguish two types of the disease.

type diabetes

Type 1 diabetes is insulin dependent. It is most often diagnosed in young people, whose age does not exceed 40 years. It is a disease in which the blood cells are filled with sugar. This is caused by antibodies that destroy insulin. The disease, the occurrence of which is associated with the presence of such antibodies, is not completely cured.

Diagnosing the disease involves performing serious laboratory tests. Such a diagnosis is not based on a photograph, so you should not trust people who try to tell a person about his disease without seeing the test results. At the first suspicion of the disease, contact a medical institution immediately.

People with type 1 diabetes tend to be thin. They need regular insulin injections from the time the disease is diagnosed until the end of their lives. The medical history of such patients is standard. The disease is hereditary.

People with a family history of diabetes are genetically predisposed to this disease. The chronic version 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 prolonged stress. As a result of such negative factors, antibodies are formed that can destroy the cells responsible for the presence of insulin.

Type 2 diabetes

Non-insulin-dependent, the second type of the disease is often diagnosed in older people. This is a variant of the disease characterized by the inability of insulin to cope with its main function. Sugar cannot be broken down by itself and accumulates in the blood. Gradually, the body's cells develop a "dependency" on insulin. The hormone itself is produced, there is no shortage, but the glucose in the cells is not broken down.

The insulin-independent version of this disease has its own progressive development. Usually, this disease is seen in people over forty years of age, but sometimes it even occurs in children. Patients with this type of diabetes mellitus are overweight. The blood cells of such people are no longer able to sense the effects of insulin.

Characteristics of type 1 diabetes

Type 1 diabetes is the result of insufficient insulin secretion (release) from the pancreas. Specialists indicate characteristic symptoms that allow the presence of this disease in a person, even at an early stage. 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, immediate treatment is prescribed, otherwise the patient may develop ulcers and many other complications.

Why does type 1 diabetes develop? Classical medicine gives a clear answer to this question. The main cause of this disease is a disorder of the pancreas, in which the production of insulin stops or slows down significantly. It is also worth noting that pregnant women suffer from so-called gestational diabetes, which entails the risk of developing the insulin-dependent form of the disease.

Don't forget to discuss topics and very specific symptoms. Type 1 diabetes is often accompanied by the smell of acetone in the mouth. These are the first bells of the body, which warn and encourage a person to consult a specialist. The sooner the patient sees a doctor, the more likely it is that the disease can be detected at an early stage. However, people, and especially men, often neglect to visit a specialist and live for a year or more without even knowing about their diagnosis, until it becomes completely unbearable.

Indirect signs of type 1 diabetes mellitus are:

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

It is also important to note that people suffering from this disease must constantly monitor their own blood pressure and maintain their normal state with modern medicines. Specific medicines can only be prescribed by a specialist, based on the diagnosis and the individual characteristics of the patient.

How to recognize 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;
Glucose tolerance test;
Detection of glucose level in urine;
Calculation of the percentage of glycosylated hemoglobin;
Detection of insulin and C-peptide in the blood.

You should know that blood must be taken for analysis on an empty stomach. The results of the test are compared with the values of the glucose level in a special table. If this level:

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

A person's prediabetic state is indicated by a violation of glucose tolerance - increased glycemia - which, however, has not yet exceeded the permissible limits. A patient with these findings needs further monitoring and prophylaxis.

How is type 1 diabetes treated?

There are ways to treat this disease: special diet, exercise, medications.

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 do we treat the disease? In the case of type 1 disease, regular insulin injections are essential in most cases. 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 for different periods of time. You need to choose the right place for the injection. There are several types of this hormone:

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

Usually, patients self-administer the drugs after learning how to inject themselves under the guidance of a professional.

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

Growth;
The weight;
Circle;
Insulin sensitivity.

If a diabetic patient is overweight, reducing the percentage of high-calorie foods in the menu is a mandatory measure for treatment and prevention. The use of canned goods, fatty meats, smoked foods, sour cream, mayonnaise, nuts, and many fruits is harmful. We have to forget sweets. This is especially difficult if the disease is diagnosed in children or women who tend to indulge themselves.

We need to find ways to reduce the amount of high-calorie foods. There is a lack of energy, the body consumes adipose tissue. However, it must be remembered that you cannot force yourself to run out of energy.

Physical activity lowers blood sugar levels. A moderate workload is required. The exercises must be done regularly and in doses. You don't have to strain yourself with heavy weights. It's quite an aerobic exercise.

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

How should insulin products be stored?

Opened vials can be stored at room temperature for up to six weeks. It should be kept in a place where sunlight or artificial light does not penetrate. Do not store products containing insulin in close proximity to heat sources.

The inadmissibility of the use of the drug is indicated by the formation of a film or characteristic blood clots inside the vial, visually similar to flakes. This sign plays an important role. Using an expired medicine threatens to increase the problems associated with the disease and may even have fatal consequences.

Type 2 diabetes mellitus

The pancreas of type 2 diabetics produces enough insulin on its own, but the body is unable to absorb this hormone due to malfunctioning cell receptors. Glucose is not processed properly, resulting in damage to blood vessels and internal organs. This can be especially dangerous during pregnancy. However, the non-insulin-dependent form is typical for the elderly.

Diabetes of the second type develops due to certain reasons, the main of which is excess weight and genetic predisposition to the disease. According to statistics, about 80% of patients with type 2 diabetes are obese. Can you make a full recovery by losing your own weight? The answer here 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 utilizing insulin.

Symptoms and complications of type 2 diabetes

The symptoms of the first and second types of the disease are similar in many ways: strong thirst is accompanied by excessive urination, a person constantly feels bad - weakness and fatigue, irritability, 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 for patients. If the blood is full of glucose, pathological changes in almost all internal organs are inevitable. In advanced stages of the disease, patients even get disability.

Patients with type 2 diabetes have a significantly increased risk of heart attack and stroke, all kinds of kidney disease, and vision loss. Even minor wounds don't take long to heal. Sometimes the disease can lead to gangrene, which may necessitate amputation of the affected limb. List of complications for men end impotence. Such a serious list of negative aspects obliges specialists to continue to search for the most effective therapy method today.

What should you do if you notice signs of illness?

If there is a first suspicion of type 2 diabetes, a medical examination should be carried out urgently. Those who are aware of their genetic predisposition to this disease should regularly check the sugar content of their blood and urine. This is especially true for those over 50 and those who are overweight.

If the diagnosis has already been established, the patient must be under medical supervision and regularly visit a specialist.

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

Regulates glucose and cholesterol levels and body weight;
Change your own diet to include low-calorie foods with as little sugar as possible. You should eat foods containing more complex carbohydrates and plant fibers;
Regular exercise.

Patients should learn how to measure their blood glucose levels on their own. Today, there are special tools that make this easier at home. These are called glucometers.

Strict self-inspection must be observed continuously. Treatment is inextricably linked to diet therapy and exercise. These points effectively complement therapy based on the use of sugar-lowering drugs, which medical science refers to as incretin mimics. Most often, these are tablets, not injections, as in the case of drugs containing insulin.

A specific medicine should be prescribed only by a doctor, based on all the data on the patient. You must individually determine the frequency of subsequent visits. Many tests must be performed to determine the general condition of the patient and whether there is a risk of developing complications, the prevention of which requires further treatment.

With the help of the results of numerous scientific studies, the experts found that the disease takes on a weaker form along with weight loss. Because of this, the patients suffer less from their symptoms, 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 and ask you not to spare money and buy their products. However, experts working in traditional medicine are skeptical about this treatment option. If you read the reviews about this patch online, they are extremely mixed. Some write that they supposedly helped. Others are completely disappointed with this remedy.

Preventive measures

Reputable experts in medicine have long proven that stress is a provoking factor in the development of many diseases. It can also contribute to the development of diabetes, so it is worth avoiding worries and trying to react no less to any trouble in life.

As mentioned above, you need to exercise and watch your own diet. There are specially designed diets that have a beneficial effect on the health of such patients. If you strictly follow the doctor's recommendations, you can significantly improve the quality of your own life, getting rid of a significant part of the symptoms accompanying the disease.

Certain products must be excluded from the menu. Often, specialists prescribe the so-called diet 9. Its goal is to minimize the consumption of foods containing a large amount of carbohydrates. It has been proven that the work of the pancreas improves significantly in patients using such a diet.

What products are allowed to be consumed? Our list includes: low-fat varieties 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 only be consumed with low fat. After such a meal, the blood sugar level does 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 protein (80-90 grams).
30% vegetable fat (70-80 grams).
300-350 grams of carbohydrates.
12 grams of table salt
One and a half liters of liquid.

Do not eat more than 2200-2400 kcal per day. You should eat 5-6 times a day, evenly "spreading" the consumption of carbohydrates over time. Sugar should be removed. Sweet foods are prepared 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 fried foods should prevail in the diet. Fried and steamed foods can be consumed in minimal quantities. There are recipes made specifically for diabetics. By following them, you can prepare delicious meals that will not harm your health.

You must follow a certain menu that day. So, diet number 9 can be characterized by the following:

Morning: tea, buckwheat porridge, fat-free cottage cheese, milk;
Second meal: wheat bran (cooked);
Lunch: cabbage soup with sunflower oil (vegetarian), fruit jelly, boiled meat with milk sauce;
Afternoon snack: small amount of apple;
Dinner: boiled fish fried in milk sauce and cabbage dishes.

What do they eat during the week?

Table No. 9 is the fruit of the work of Soviet nutritionists. They have created a dining option suitable for special sanatoriums. The ninth table significantly increases the effectiveness of complex therapy.

The weekly menu looks like this:

Monday

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

Wednesday

First meal: fat-free cottage cheese and milk, chicory, porridge.
Lunch: a cup of jelly.
Lunch: borscht, boiled meat, buckwheat porridge, tea.
Afternoon snack: one or two pears.
Dinner: salad or vinaigrette, egg, 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: unsweetened pear.
Dinner: cabbage slices, boiled fish, low-fat types of tea.
Before going to bed: a glass of fat-free yogurt.

Friday

First meal: eggs, a little butter, vinaigrette without potatoes with sunflower oil, chicory.
Lunch: apple.
Lunch: sauerkraut, stewed or boiled meat, soup with peas.
Afternoon snack: some fresh fruit.
Dinner: pudding with vegetables, boiled poultry, tea.
Before going to bed: a glass of sleeping milk.

Saturday

First meal: millet porridge, chicory, a little 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 meal: chicken egg, chicory, buckwheat porridge.
Lunch: one or two apples.
Lunch: beef steak, light vegetable soup, pearl barley porridge.
Afternoon snack: skimmed milk.
Dinner: vegetable salad, boiled fish, mashed potatoes.
Before going to bed: low-fat kefir.

Folk treatment methods

In folk medicine, there are many recipes that help fight against high blood sugar levels with varying effectiveness. Certified doctors are often skeptical about such treatment methods, but they do not forbid patients to use them along with the main therapy. This "integrated approach" often gives positive results, allowing patients to reduce the manifestation of painful symptoms.

The most effective recipes of traditional medicine:

Adding lemon juice to an egg helps to prevent it. Shake the contents of the raw egg, add the juice of a lemon. Reception 50-60 minutes before meals, 3 days, in the morning. After ten days, the course can be taken again.
Eat fried onions in the morning for a month.
A good way to lower glucose levels is to consume a little mustard or flaxseed and blackcurrant leaf tea every day.
The use of freshly squeezed potato juice contributes to the reduction of sugar levels. Raspberries and white cabbage are also used.
White mulberry tincture (2 tablespoons) is prepared by pouring boiling water (2 cups), the infusion time is 2-3 hours, three times a day.
Let's not forget about such a folk remedy as oat decoction. Pour a tablespoon of oatmeal with water (a glass and a half), then boil for 15 minutes, the course 3 r / d 15-20 minutes before meals.
Cinnamon helps - half a teaspoon per day. Consume with tea.
The oak acorns are ground until a powder is obtained. Course - 1 hour / l on an empty stomach in the morning, as well as immediately before going to bed for seven days.
Pour walnut partitions (40 g) with boiling water (500 ml) and put on fire. Boil for ten minutes. Stick to it soft, drink 1 tablespoon / l half an hour before meals.
Pour boiling water (half a liter) poplar bark (2 tablespoons), put everything on fire and cook for about 10 minutes. After sticking to it, drink half a glass before meals.
An effective infusion is made from a glass of boiling water, which is poured over cloves (20 pieces). Insist overnight, drink exactly one third of a glass three times a day. Do not remove the used cloves, add another pinch in the evening, pour boiling water, etc. The duration of treatment is six months.
Boil half a liter of boiling water, two tablespoons of a mixture of nettles and rowan berries in a ratio of three to seven. Leave it 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 cure 3 times a day on a table / bed before meals.

All information provided to readers in this article is for informational purposes only. Before using the acquired information in practice, be sure to consult a competent specialist about the possible consequences!