Diabetes is a common disorder of metabolism in which the amount of glucose or sugar in the blood is too high, suffocating the bodys cells, and damaging the sufferers health. Discuss this illness.

Though there is no cure for diabetes, proper insulin intakes and other cures together with a correct diet enable most diabetics to live virtually normal lives with few side effects, although their mortality rate is higher.

A common symptom of diabetes is weight reduction caused by the loss of fluids and fat in the body's cells due to high sugar levels suffocating the cells. Other symptoms are passing high amounts of urine, amplified thirst, vision problems, limb numbness, genital itching, ceased menstruation in women; and a frequent boils and skin infections.

Moderately raised blood glucose levels can eventually cause kidney failure; damage to vision from ruptured blood vessels in the eyes; and restricted blood flows to the limbs, which may lead to gangrene and amputated limbs. Diabetes is also associated with a risk of heart disease that is two to three times higher in men, and four to five times higher in women before the menopause. The risk of a stroke is increased greatly.

Untreated, the diabetes can lead to coma and death, which was the usual outcome before the discovery of insulin in 1921. Fifty years ago, about 30% of pregnancies among women with diabetes ended in stillbirth or death of the child within weeks of birth, as well as a high percentage of problems with the child. Today, the stillbirths figure is far lower and the parental death rate is 5.6%, compared with l.4% in the general population. Babies of mothers with diabetes tend to be larger and have an increased risk of complications, such as breathing problems such as asthma and hypoglycemia.

The aim of treatment in all types of diabetes is to keep the blood glucose level as normal as possible by giving the diabetic insulin or reducing their sugar levels. Diet involves ensuring that meals and snacks are so timed that the body's insulin levels don't become excessive. Hypoglycemia produces a low blood glucose level, leading to eventual collapse and possibly coma. It is vital for such patients to swallow some form of sugar quickly following symptoms of sweating, confusion or faintness. The opposite condition, hyperglycemia, occurs when there is an excess of glucose in the blood because of lack of insulin treatment. Unless quickly treated in hospital, hyperglycemia may lead to coma and death.

Generally, insulin is self-administered by patients by injection, or with automatic drug injectors attached to the body. Small pen-sized injectors containing a cartridge of insulin can be carried in the pocket for ease and speed of treatment.