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Costton Autry didn't know he had diabetes.
“Many of that developmental symptoms can easily be confused with those of a newly grown person. I lost a lot of weight. I was always craving sweets. I was increasing my thirst and increasing my urination.”
Then one night he began to vomit, causing concern. He went to the emergency room and found out he had diabetic ketosidosis.–Potentially life-threatening conditions that are the result of hyperglycemia, low blood pH, and high keto acid levels.
“I was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, and that changed my life a lot,” Dartmouth University tells a sophomore.
Autry is seeing an increasing number of people with diabetes. He is also the co-founder of Dartmouth Diabetes Link. This is one of those who advocate for greater awareness about diabetes to prevent serious complications.
“Starting early and paying attention early can prevent complications of diabetes. There are very good treatments that are very effective,” says Dartmouth health endocrinologist Richard J. Comi, chief advisor to the College Club.
How do you know if you have diabetes?
Diabetes is a condition in which the body does not produce enough insulin or the body's cells do not respond to the insulin produced, leading to hyperglycemic levels.
Common symptoms include:
Increased thirst urination Increased urination hanger weight loss vision impairment or fet slow healing wounds or infectious yeast infection problems
The most common symptom is excessive urination. “Why is it designed? Our kidneys prevent urine from entering the urine if the (blood) sugar is below 200. When the (blood) sugar is above 200, sugar spills water in the urine, it urinates especially frequently, and burns with multiple urine and thirst, especially overnight,” says Comi.
What are the main types of diabetes?
There are two main types of diabetes, type 1 and type 2.
Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease. Most often, like Autry, this disease can attack at almost any age.
“Their immune system, for some reason, was disgusting with insulin cells and destroyed them all. They don't have insulin.
“Type 2 diabetes is a much more complicated disease that tends to occur later in life.–30s or 40s–And it's raised by obesity, weight gain and age,” he explains.–They just don't make enough– They also don't respond well to insulin. ”
Type 1 diabetes itself is not genetic, but autoimmune diseases run in families. Therefore, genetics is still thought to play an important role in the development of type 1.
The role of genetics in type 2 diabetes is less clear.
“Type 2 diabetes doesn't have a single gene origin, but unlike obesity, which is often part of type 2 diabetes, it is very genetic. We can't find a single gene that causes it,” says COMI. “It is thought to be a type of small, unusual or bundle of changes in a particular gene, tailored to type 2 diabetes.”
What other form of diabetes do you have?
Mody-onset diabetes is a less common form of diabetes. “These people tend to develop diabetes in their teens. They don't have type 1 diabetes. They still make insulin. They are not usually obese. They often have a single genetic mutation that causes disease. Why is it important? Most people tend to have a lower risk of diabetes complications.
“And there is a potential autoimmune diabetes in adults (LADA). I would consider it type 1 and half,” says Lada people who tend to have normal weight and are not fully insulin deficiency. But they need to supplement their insulin.
Comi also points out that people can have a hybrid form and diabetes is often not independent.
People with type 2 diabetes may also suffer from hypertension, lipid disorders, cardiovascular-related symptoms, microvascular symptoms, and depression.
Eating disorders are common among individuals with type 1 diabetes, especially young women.
How many people have diabetes?
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that an estimated 38.4 million people suffer from the disease in 2021, accounting for 11.6% of the US total population. Of these, 352,000 were under the age of 20. Approximately 8.7 million adults over the age of 18 were unaware that they were not ill.
And the numbers are expected to continue to increase, which has sparked more concerns. The World Health Organization (WHO) reports that the number of adults living with diabetes worldwide has more than quadrupled since 1990, and now exceeds 800 million.
However, experts say that an increase in type 2 diabetes reflects a mix of factors such as increased obesity rates, availability of unhealthy foods, a more sedentary lifestyle, and even economic hardships, while an increase in type 1 diabetes does not seem to have a clear or single explanation.
What is treatment?
However, Comi emphasizes that diabetes can be treated, especially if caught early, and the risk of complications can be minimized.
However, treatment should be tailored to the type of diabetes and individual.
“Of course, Type 1 requires insulin. Often, Type 2 requires insulin all the time, and sometimes, but not always, insulin,” Comi says.
The medicines are also different. For example, Mody people can often be treated with oral medication, says Comi. “Radha tends to not respond very much to oral medication.”
“It's not a one-size-fits-all treatment for diabetes. Often, we try different treatments and see which forms affect the patient the most, which is especially true in type 2 diabetes, which is not a single genetic disorder,” he says.
The importance of education
Comi emphasizes that diabetes is a self-care disease. “Doctors don't take care of your diabetes. You do. It's not that you go to the doctor, get your pills and leave. It's really a diabetic education issue.”
Doctors can help them learn how to best deal with diabetes, like the American Diabetes Association and the groundbreaking T1D.
“But if you have diabetes, it's very important to make sure that not only your doctor, but your diabetic educators are actually very important,” says Comi. Your doctor can help you find an educator.
It is also important to note that a single medication, diet, or exercise form is not a treatment. To suffer from diabetes, daily care is required.
“I'm making more decisions about my health,” Autry says. “I'm more aware of what I put in my body, and more aware of the small changes in my body, like what it actually means to my health. I have a lot more to do with looking for those signs on a daily basis.”
