Understanding "What is Diabetes Mellitus?" and Identifying the Types and Symptoms of Diabetes

What is Diabetes Mellitus?

Diabetes is basically a disease in which the body loses control of its ability to regulate an even blood sugar. Elevated levels of blood sugar cause problems in the normal metabolism, forcing the body to use new methods to try to maintain itself. The result is a disease process that causes deterioration of the small blood vessels throughout the body.

The effect is leaky, degenerating blood vessels that no longer function well. This aggravates the situation by causing insufficient blood flow to critical tissues and results in deterioration of the organ.

Most commonly affected are the retinas (diabetic retinopathy), the kidneys (nephropathy) and the nerves to the feet and legs (peripheral neuropathy).

Normal Retina	Diabetic retina with bleeding and scarring

Diabetes in the eye is a major cause of blindness or visual impairment. However, because it is primarily a vascular disease, any disease condition related to blood flow is made worse. Thus we see increased risk for heart attack, stroke and many other diseases.

Types of Diabetes

There are generally two major types of diabetes.

• Type 1 Diabetes, or Juvenile Onset Diabetes, was historically the type of diabetes that occurred in children and young adults. It is a genetic disease that resulted in the patient taking insulin for the rest of his or her life.
• Type 2 Diabetes, or adult onset diabetes, typically occurred later in life, was associated with obesity and was often controlled with oral medications. Today things have changed, as explained on the Causes of Diabetes page.

Symptoms of Diabetes

The first symptoms of diabetes are often polydipsia (abnormal thirst) and polyuria (very frequent urination).

• Patients suddenly find themselves thirsty all the time.
• They also find themselves getting up throughout the night to urinate.
• Occasionally patients find a sudden blurred vision resulting from a change in their prescription for glasses. A dramatic increase in blood sugar will cause the lens inside the eye to swell, producing a sudden nearsighted shift.

Any of these diabetes symptoms should prompt you to see a doctor right away.

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