Diabetes Mellitus: "Honey Sweet Passer Through"

Diabetes is a very prevalent illness affecting some 290 million people in the world. In the United States alone 26 million people (8% of the population) have diabetes.  The disease cost the United States $245 billion in 2012. (source: diabetes.org)

What exactly is diabetes? What are some symptoms? Why is diabetes so serious and costly?

Diabetes mellitus is a term loosely translated from Latin and Greek meaning "honey sweet urine". Ancient Greeks, Chinese, Egyptians, Persians and Indians had noticed the sweet taste of urine (called glycosuria) in people with what we now call diabetes.

There are 2 basic types of diabetes: insulin dependent and non insulin dependent. Another way to classify it is called Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes. Type 1 diabetics don't make insulin and need to take insulin to use the sugar (glucose) in their blood as energy for cells. I like the analogy of the lock and key. Insulin is the key to get sugar into our cells for energy. Without insulin one becomes very sick and cannot metabolize sugar to make the energy necessary to sustain life. Type 2 diabetics make insulin, however their cells become RESISTANT to insulin. Think of the key 'not working well' to get the sugar into our muscle cells to produce energy. If Type 2 diabetics become severely resistant to insulin they need supplemental insulin (given as an injection) to convert the sugar in the blood to useful energy in cells. Many Type 2 diabetics can take a pill to help with this problem and avoid the need for insulin in the early stages of diabetes.


Photo from: asweetlife.org (labeled on original website as a courtesy of Eli Lily)




 Dr. Elliott Joslin considered the father of diabetes care.


Symptoms of diabetes include excessive thirst, urination and fatigue. If your blood sugar is very high it can cause blurred vision and tingling in your hands and feet. There are many things that can cause the above symptoms so just because you are thirsty doesn't necessarily mean you have diabetes.  Often times diabetes can be silent without symptoms in the early stages. 

Complications of untreated diabetes include heart disease, stroke, foot ulcers and amputations, blindness and nerve pain and damage. Fortunately, today, people with diabetes can avoid these complications by good care and close followup with their primary care provider or endocrinologist (diabetes specialist).

If you have a family history of diabetes, talk to your doctor and ask how you can be tested for diabetes and what things you can do to reduce your risk of developing diabetes and the complications of diabetes.