What is Diabetes?
Diabetes mellitus or simply diabetes is a group of metabolic disorders characterized by high blood sugar levels persisting over elongated time periods. When left untreated, diabetes can lead to several severe complications. Therefore, it’s important to treat diabetes at the earliest possible.
Complications
Untreated diabetes can lead to a number of long-term and severe complications, including:
Cardiovascular disease
Chronic kidney disease
Diabetic ketoacidosis
Eye damage
Foot ulcers
Hyperosmolar hyperglycemic state
Stroke
Typical Symptoms
Increased thirst
Increased hunger
Frequent urination
There are three types of diabetes:
Type 1 DM – Results when the pancreas fails to produce sufficient amount of insulin.
The condition is sometimes also referred to as IDDM (Insulin-Dependent Diabetes
Mellitus) or juvenile diabetes.
Type 2 DM – Results due to a condition in which the cells fail to respond to insulin. The
condition is known as insulin resistance. Lack of insulin might also develop over time.
Excessive body weight and inadequate exercise are common causes.
Gestational Diabetes – Occurs in pregnant women without a prior history of diabetes
developing elevated blood sugar levels.
