Could it be diabetes?

Everyone thinks that diabetes is a disease where the patient excretes a lot of sugar, is very thin and is inordinately thirsty. Diabetes mellitus, often simply referred to as diabetes, is a group of metabolic diseases in which a person has high blood sugar, either because the body does not produce enough insulin, or because cells do not respond to the insulin that is produced. This high blood sugar produces the classical symptoms of polyuria (frequent urination), polydipsia (increased thirst) and polyphagia (increased hunger). The three main types of diabetes mellitus (DM) are:

Type 1 DM results from the body's failure to produce insulin, and presently requires the person to inject insulin. (Also referred to as insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) or "juvenile" diabetes) Type 2 DM results from insulin resistance, a condition in which cells fail to use insulin properly, sometimes combined with an absolute insulin deficiency. (Formerly referred to as noninsulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) or "adult-onset" diabetes) Gestational diabetes is when pregnant women, who have never had diabetes before, have a high blood glucose level during pregnancy. It may precede development of type 2 DM.

But there are many people who probably have diabetes and wont know they have it until a severe symptom arises. However, there are some minor warning symptoms to look out for. Diabetes tends to be hereditary. If you have a diabetic parent, brother, sister or even aunt, there is an increased risk of the disease. But people often dont realise that although it often causes youngsters to lose weight, later on in life there may be a filling out of the waistline. And on the subject of weight, overeating can also trigger off diabetes. If a woman who unexpectedly has one or two failed pregnancies, it will need to be investigated in several ways, but the possibility of her being a diabetic must be reckoned with. Similarly, a mother who produces a really large child for example, over four and a half kilos needs to consider this possibility. Another way the diagnosis can arise is when a patient goes for a life assurance medical examination and is rejected when they believed they were fit and healthy. If this happens, the patient needs to go and see their own doctor and take a specimen of urine with them. One of the early signs of diabetes is when the patient becomes plagued with boils for no apparent reason. Another skin condition associated with diabetes is when there is infuriating itching generally at night after a visit to the loo. A few final points also need remembering. Diabetes is not really a definite entity of a disease, but it is said that about 13 people in every 1,000 n Western Europe has a sugar defect in the urine and about half of them are unaware of the fact. The outlook is vastly better for diabetics than it used to be. Before insulin, a diabetic 10-year-old only had a life expectancy of less that two years life expectancy Older patients will generally get less serious effects. Lastly, if it turns out that you do have diabetes, dont jump to the conclusion that injections will be essential. It may well be possible to treat you either by diet alone or by insulin taken by mouth.

So, if you have any suspicions at all that you may have diabetes, dont be afraid to consult your doctor. 1. Answer the following questions: a) What is diabetes? Is a group of metabolic diseases in which a person has high blood sugar, either because the body does not produce enough insulin, or because cells do not respond to the insulin that is produced. b) What are the classical symptoms of diabetes? Polyuria, polydipsia and poliphagia. c) What is the life expectancy for diabetics? The life expectancy is about 45 years. 2. True or false: Diabetes is a disease where the patient produces a lot of sugar. (False) If you have diabetes, the injections are not essential. ( True) If you have a diabetic parent, brother, sister you wount have it. ( False) It is said that about 13 people in every 1,000 n Western Europe has a sugar defect in the urine. (True) 3. Make a short comparison between type 1 and type 2 of diabetes. Type 1 DM results from the body's failure to produce insulin, and presently requires the person to inject insulin while type 2 results from insulin resistance, a condition in which cells fail to use insulin properly, sometimes combined with an absolute insulin deficiency. 4. Define the following terms: Polyphagia-increased hunger polyuria-frecquent urination polydipsia- increased thirst 5. What can trigger diabetes? Genetic predisposition for the disease Obesity Hypertension Sedentary Lifestyle

6. Match the beginning of the sentence in column A with its correspondent ending in column B: A 1. Women who smoke... 2. Smoking increases the risk.... 3. Until now, breast cancer... 4. Workers in the dye industry... 5. A large proportion of worlds women.... B a) ...could be quadrupling their chances of developing breast cancer b) ....are genetically susceptible to breast cancer. c) ....has not been blamed on smoking d) ...of breast cancer in some women e) ...suffer high rates of blood cancer

1-d 2-b 3-f 4-a 5-c 7. Rephrase the followinng sentences to mean exactly the same: a) You shouldnt smoke so much. I advise ............................ I advise you not to smoke so much. b) Its highly probable that the victim didnt make it to the hospital. The victim........................... The victim couldnt have make it to the hospital. c) Ill talk to my doctor first, then Ill give you an answer. Ill give you an answer .......................... Ill give you an answer as soon as Ill talk to my doctor. d) It is possible that the patient has already found out about his diagnosis. The patient .............. The patient might have found out about his diagnosis. e) With a lot of luck, you may have a positive result at the mammography test. If you................................. If you are very lucky, you may have a positive result at the mammography test. 8. Choose the correct answer to complete the sentences. The patient was allowed to.... a few hours after the operation. a) lift up b) lie down c) stand up d) sit up After the shock he has suffered, it will take him a lot of time to get ....it. a) through b) above c) over d) past I missed the party last night because of a .... cold. a) surprising b) fast c) sudden d) hurried John is rather difficult to understand at first as he has a mere.... in his speech. a) impediment b) difficulty c) complication d) contraction If the skin is.... it will cause the bleeding. a) plunged b) pierced c) thrust d) pricked 9. Use the words in italics at the end of each of the following sentences to form a word that fits in the black space: Do you believe in ...... comunication? (telepathic) Her son suffered from ...... attacks of fever. PERIOD (periodical) Today we have studied the ..... of blood. CIRCULATE ( circulation) Your sister has made a remarcable ..... after her illness. RECOVER (recovery) This woman has had two .... in three years. PREGNANT TELEPATHY.

(pregnancies) The baby had .... eyes when he had measles. WATER (watery)

10. Give some advices about how we can prevent diabetes. - Get moving. Physical activity lowers blood sugar and boosts your sensitivity to insulin. - Go for whole grains. White bread, white rice and potatoes have a high glycemic index, which can cause spikes in blood sugar and insulin levels. - Drink more coffee. The Harvard School of Public Health showed that women who drank six or more cups of coffee per day reduced the risk of type 2 diabetes by nearly 30%. - Eat your veggies -Trade meat for soy - Skip the sweet drinks. Drinking large quantities of sugar in a few quick gulps creates a blast your body may not be able to handle. - And the most imoprtant: Reduce stress