What causes diabetes

 Diabetes is the general name for a group of chronic endocrine diseases. All ailments of this group have a common symptom - polyuria (increased urine production). But only diabetes is associated with an increase in the concentration of glucose in the blood.

 

Types of diabetes

 

The most common is diabetes mellitus - an endocrine disease caused by a violation of metabolic processes in the body. Its main symptom is hyperglycemia (high blood sugar) due to insulin deficiency. But there are other types:

 

Central non-sugar. It is caused by a lack or resistance of the body to vasopressin, a peptide hormone of the hypothalamus responsible for maintaining fluid in the body.

Nephrogenic non-sugar. It is characterized by a loss of the ability to concentrate urine. Hereditary is caused by genetic mutations, acquired - by kidney diseases or pathologies in the brain.

All these diseases are accompanied by a large loss of fluid and, as a result, a violation of mineral metabolism. Non-sugar species do not pose a threat to life, provided that the patient quenches thirst in a timely manner and in sufficient quantity.

 

What is diabetes

 

Diabetes is one of the most pressing global health problems. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), about 500 million people worldwide suffer from it.

 

This disease is characterized by multiple metabolic disorders:

 

glucose regulation ;

protein metabolism;

carbohydrate metabolism;

lipid metabolism;

water-salt balance;

mineral metabolism.

The main role in the development of pathology is played by insulin - a protein-peptide hormone of the pancreas. It is responsible for maintaining a normal level of glucose in the blood, ensuring its entry into tissue cells for their nutrition.

 

With diabetes, metabolic processes fail. Depending on the type of disease, either the pancreas does not produce enough insulin, or the body becomes unresponsive to it. As a result, glucose does not reach the cells, but accumulates in the blood. Tissues experience energy starvation.

 

Symptoms of Diabetes

Both types of the disease are characterized by frequent bouts of hunger, a constant feeling of thirst and frequent urination. These are all signs of hyperglycemia. This means that there is a lot of sugar in the patient's blood. It should not be restricted in liquids to avoid dehydration.

 

Also, diabetes is accompanied by such symptoms:

 

blurred vision;

numbness of the limbs;

increased sweating;

increased fatigue;

muscle weakness;

long wound healing;

skin itching.

In type 1 diabetes, bedwetting is possible. The second type is often manifested by black acanthosis - dark skin seals on the neck, in the armpits, in the groin, on the elbows.

 

Insulin inhibits the breakdown of adipose tissue. Therefore, patients with type 2 diabetes suffer from excess weight against the background of insulin resistance. The first type, on the contrary, can provoke rapid weight loss against the background of cellular starvation.

 

Types of Diabetes

 

Depending on the reason for which glucose transport is disturbed, the following types of diabetes are distinguished:

 

SD of the first type. It is caused by a deficiency of insulin. The pancreas can not cope, so the patient must take drugs containing this hormone.

SD of the second type. Its cause is insulin resistance. The hormone itself is sufficient in the body, but the cells are insensitive to it, so the transportation of glucose does not occur.

Gestational diabetes. It develops during pregnancy in the absence of diabetes and threatens the health of the mother and child.

Separately, consider the pre-diabetic state, characterized by reduced glucose tolerance. On an empty stomach, sugar remains within the normal range, but after a load of glucose, a deviation is detected.

 

The mechanism of development of diabetes mellitus type

 

It is characterized by an absolute deficiency of insulin, that is, it is not enough to perform its function. This disease is diagnosed in children and adolescents, but not necessarily from birth. The main causes of such pancreatic dysfunction are the destruction of beta cells by the immune system. It happens gradually - before the first signs of the disease appear, it can take from several months to several years. In rare cases, type 1 diabetes develops by the age of 30. Because of this, it can be confused with the second type.

 

The reason for the destruction of beta cells lies in the genetic predisposition and the presence of autoantigens in the body. In rare cases, the destruction process is triggered by viruses (Coxsackie enterovirus, rubella or HIV).