Diabetes Mellitus

Byline: Gary S Sy, MD

A LACK as well as an excess of blood sugar (glucose) can be devastating. For this reason, the body strives to maintain blood sugar levels within a narrow range through the coordinated effort of several glands and their hormones. If these control mechanisms are disrupted, diabetes (high blood sugar) or hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) may result.

Normally, the body responds to the rise in blood glucose after meals by secreting insulin, a hormone produced by the beta cells of the pancreas.

Diabetes mellitus is a common disorder that occurs when your pancreas either totally stops producing insulin or does not produce enough of the hormone for your body's need. This lack of insulin results in a low absorption of glucose, both by the body's cells, which need it for energy, and by the liver, which stores it and this results in an abnormally high level of glucose in your blood, along with a spillover of some of the excess glucose into the urine.

There are two main forms of Diabetes Mellitus:

1.) Type I (also called juvenile onset or insulin dependent) diabetes - associated with destruction of the beta cells of the pancreas, which manufacture insulin. This type of diabetes occurs mostly in children and young adults. Recent evidence implicates a viral cause in some cases. Symptoms of type I diabetes include irritability, frequent urination, abnormal thirst, nausea or vomiting, weakness, fatigue, weight loss despite a normal (or even increased) intake of food, and unusual hunger. In children, frequent bedwetting - especially by a child who did not previously wet the bed - is another common sign.

2.) Type II …

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Publication information: Article title: Diabetes Mellitus. Contributors: Not available. Newspaper title: Manila Bulletin. Publication date: April 26, 2006. Page number: Not available. © 2009 Manila Bulletin Publishing Corp. COPYRIGHT 2006 Gale Group.

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