Learn about the causes of Diabetes & find a practitioner in Auckland, Hamilton, Bay of Plenty, Wellington, Christchurch, Dunedin to help you overcome Diabetes within New Zealand.
Diabetes Mellitus comes from the Greek word 'diabetes' & means 'siphon' or pass through & 'mellitus means 'honeyed'. This harks back to ancient times where it was first recognised as an ailment associated with 'sweet urine' & excessive muscle loss.
Diabetes is the name for a number of metabolic diseases which are characterised by high blood sugar levels caused by a deficiency of the insulin secretion, creation - or both of these.
Increased blood levels of sugar levels (or glucose) lead to it being secreted in the patient's urine. Glucose is the main source of energy for the body's cells & insulin stimulates these cells to absorb the glucose they need from the blood.
Usually blood sugar levels are maintained in balance by the body's insulin which is a hormone created by the pancreas. When sugar levels rise due to eating for example, insulin is released from the pancreas to return the balance to normal levels. However a patient who suffers from diabetes is unable to naturally produce sufficient levels of insulin thus leading to increased blood sugar levels or hypoglycaemia.
There are two types of diabetes:
Whilst there is no cure for Diabetes 1 the symptoms can be removed by sticking to a balanced & healthy diet with a strict control on the amount of sugar contained within it. In addition the patient must take regular injections of insulin to replace the amount, which the body is not producing.
Insulin cannot be taken orally as the stomach's acids & enzymes destroy it before the body is able to absorb it into its blood stream hence the reason for injection. However new medical developments should see sufferers able to have a small device inserted under the skin, which will deliver insulin as & when, required.
*Source: GoToSee.co.uk
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