The pancreas is a gland which lies near the liver, duodenum and stomach . It has a number of secretions, some of which go directly into the intestine. One secretion goes instead into the blood and is intimately concerned with the way in which the body uses sugars. This substance is called insulin. A deficiency of insulin in the body results in a chronic disease called diabetes mellitus. The fact that the urine contained sugar was first noted in the seventeenth century. Not until 1889 was it proved that diabetes results from failure of the pancreas. In 1921 Banting prepared an extract of the pancreas which is now called insulin. More than half the people with diabetes develop the condition before they are fifty years old. Women are affected more frequently than men.
Studies of diabetes show that heredity plays an important part. Once diabetes in childhood was considered invariably fatal. Now these children grow up, marry, and have families. We now know that if both parents are diabetic, the children will most certainly inherit the disease. Overweight is also important in relationship to diabetes. Not everyone who is overweight develops the disease. However, nine out of ten people who develop diabetes are overweight. Among those who are overweight and who develop diabetes, dieting and restoration to normal weight lessens the severity of the symptoms and sometimes controls the condition. The person who is overweight, however, can produce more and more insulin and this may be a factor in exhausting the function of the, pancreas. As I have mentioned in previous articles, both the pituitary gland and the adrenal glands are also related in their functions to the use of sugar by the body.
Symptoms Of Diabetes
Chief among the symptoms of diabetes are general weakness, loss of weight, excessive appetite, thirst, and excessive flow of urine. Itching is a much noticed symptom. The first sign of severe diabetes may be loss of consciousness, which is called diabetic coma.
Children have the disease more severely than do adults, and doctors believe that the greater the age when diabetes begins the less severe is the disease.
Nowadays diabetes is usually discovered by an examination of the urine, and sugar is likely to be found most often if the test is made immediately after a meal. When sugar is found in the urine, studies must also be made of the amount of sugar in the blood, particularly after the person has been fasting. A normal person has a blood sugar level when fasting of approximately 70 milligrams per 100 milliliters of whole blood, whereas if the person has diabetes, the figure is nearer 150.
Simple tests have now been developed which people use themselves to get an indication as to whether or not there is sugar in the urine. When this is found, the physician should be asked to make all of the
necessary studies to determine the severity of the condition and to prescribe treatment promptly in order to control the disease.
Diet and the use of insulin are the basic steps in controlling diabetes. Since infections are exceedingly serious for persons who are diabetic, a complete study of the body should be made to eliminate any infections in the teeth, the sinuses, the chest, the gall bladder or elsewhere.
The diet is designed to bring the person to his ideal weight and to lessen the total amount of sugar taken into the body. Many persons do not require insulin immediately or when they are on the reduction diet. When insulin is required, the amount is given in relationship to the diet and the maintenance of normal weight. Patients must co-operate with the doctor in regulating the control of sugar in relation to insulin intake. Emotional stresses are serious. Infection may be severe, if not fatal. The diabetic patient must be kept clean. Immediate attention is given to all bruises and cuts of the skin. In caring for the nails the diabetic should avoid cutting or pushing of the cuticle. Most important is proper attention to the feet. These should be washed with warm water and a bland soap every day. They should be dried thoroughly but gently. Injuries to the feet must be avoided, and particularly injuries from the cutting of toenails or corns. Stockings should be clean, and loose-fitting but without wrinkles.
Excessive Insulin
Since deficiency of insulin, resulting in diabetes mellitus, cases do occur in which there is too much insulin, with a resulting low blood sugar. The sugar level of the blood is maintained by the body's use of glucose in the liver, brain, muscle, and other organs, and by the way in which the glucose is brought back into the blood from the liver and the muscles, and the secretion of insulin, which makes possible the use of sugars by the body.
Following meals or periods of excitement there may be excess sugar in the blood, so that the body puts out extra insulin tending then to lower the sugar below normal. In other instances there may be low blood sugar because of a deficiency of the liver in storing sugar. When the person takes carbohydrates or sugar the symptoms are relieved. In general, people who have low blood sugar do well on diets that are low in sugar low in sugar and high in protein and fats. When a high sugar diet is taken, the body reacts by putting out excessive insulin, which tends to lower the sugar below normal. Over secretion of insulin can be controlled by the taking of certain drugs such as derivatives of belladonna and atropine, but control of the emotional and dietary factors is considered a more satisfactory method of treating the condition.
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About The Author
David Crawford is the CEO and owner of a Male Enhancement Reviews company known as Male Enhancement Group which is dedicated to researching and comparing male enhancement products in order to determine which male enhancement product is safer and more effective than other products on the market. Copyright 2010 David Crawford of http://www.maleenhancementgroup.com This article may be freely distributed if this resource box stays attached.
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