Diabeties

Diabetes mellitus is a group of metabolic diseases characterized by high blood sugar (glucose) levels that result from defects in insulin secretion, or its action, or both. Diabetes mellitus, commonly referred to as diabetes (as it will be in this article) was first identified as a disease associated with "sweet urine," and excessive muscle loss in the ancient world. Elevated levels of blood glucose (hyperglycemia) lead to spillage of glucose into the urine, hence the term sweet urine.

Normally, blood glucose levels are tightly controlled by insulin, a hormone produced by the pancreas. Insulin lowers the blood glucose level. When the blood glucose elevates (for example, after eating food), insulin is released from the pancreas to normalize the glucose level. In patients with diabetes, the absence or insufficient production of insulin causes hyperglycemia. Diabetes is a chronic medical condition, meaning that although it can be controlled, it lasts a lifetime.

Treating your diabetes

Your diabetes treatment and management strategyshould be agreed between you and your health care team.

The aim of diabetes treatment is to keep, within reason, blood glucose levels as near to normal as possible. Training in self management of diabetes forms an essential part of diabetes management. Treatment should be agreed on an individual basis and address medical, psychosocial and lifestyle issues.

Balanced diabetes treatments

A variety of different factors have a role to play in treating diabetes, but the importance of balanced, co-ordinated diabetes treatment for all diabetics cannot be underestimated.

Regular and successful treatment decreases the risk of each patient developing diabetes complications.

The basics of diabetes treatment are broken down into each diabetic type below.