Diabetes is a disease of too much sugar in the blood. There are two reasons for this: either a lack of insulin or a lack of response to insulin. The first type of diabetes is believed to be an autoimmune disease in which the body destroys the cells in the pancreas that produce insulin. The second type of diabetes is a disease in which the pancreas produces insulin, but the cells of the body do not respond to the insulin that is produced. These are called type 1 and type 2 diabetes, respectively.

When a normal non-diabetic eats, the carbohydrates in the food are converted to glucose (blood sugar) and transported in the blood to be used by the cells of the body for fuel. The presence of glucose stimulates the pancreas to secrete insulin. Insulin is necessary for glucose to be admitted into the cells. There are receptors on the cell wall through which glucose enters. Insulin is the key that unlocks these receptors and allows glucose to enter.

In people with type 1 diabetes, there are no keys to open the receptors, and glucose cannot enter the cells. In type 2 diabetes, the pancreas still manufactures insulin keys, but the keys don’t work in the locks, either b ecause there is something wrong with the keys or something wrong with the locks or both. This is called insulin resistance or insulin insensitivity. In both types of diabetes, glucose is blocked from entering the cells and remains in the blood causing high blood sugar or diabetes.



The symptoms of diabetes

In type 1 diabetes, the symptoms occur suddenly and severely; in type 2, their appearance is slow and the increase in severity is gradual. This is the main difference in the symptoms of the two types of diabetes, their onset. But once the symptoms occur, they are basically the same in both types of diabetes:

u Excessive thirst.

u Frequent urination.

u Increased hunger.

u Weight loss (despite the increased intake of food).

u Fatigue and weakness.

u Blurred vision.

u Increased susceptibility to infection.

What Is Happening in the Body to Cause These Symptoms?

When a diabetic eats, the carbohydrates in the food are converted to glucose and transported in the blood to be used by the cells of the body for fuel. But glucose is blocked from entering the cells, either because of a lack of insulin or resistance to insulin. It therefore accumulates in the blood, causing the blood to become thick with sugar. The blood, which is outside the cell, is denser than the fluid inside the cell. Water flows out of the cells to dilute the blood and equalize the density of the fluid inside the cell with the density of the fluid outside the cell. The excess water is then excreted in the urine along with glucose. The cells become dehydrated, and this results in thirst. At the same time the cells are deprived of the fuel they need to function. This leads to increased hunger. But no matter how much the diabetic eats, glucose can not be absorbed by the cells, either because of a lack of insulin or an insensitivity to insulin. This results in weight loss even with the increased intake of food. It also results in fatigue since the cells do not have fuel to produce energy. Thus we have the classic symptoms of diabetes: insatiable thirst, frequent urination, increased hunger, weight loss, and fatigue.

The blurred vision occurs because excess sugar in the blood draws water into the fluid of the eyes causing swelling in the lens of the eyes. This causes the outer lens of the eyes to change shape, resulting in blurred vision. Increased infection occurs because sugar saturated blood is a perfect breeding ground for bacteria and fungi. Also, the immune system is weakened because the cells of the immune system are starved like the rest of the cells of the body and cannot function optimally.

Now the good news. These symptoms are reversible if blood sugar is maintained in the normal range. Not only are the symptoms ofdiabetes reversible if blood sugar20is maintained in the normal range, but the complications of diabetes can be averted or reversed as well if blood sugar is maintained in the normal range. I tell you this now because the subject of next week’s article is the complications ofdiabetes. These complications are horrendous, but when you read them, keep in mind that they are not inevitable. The complications, like the symptoms of diabetes, can be averted or reversed if blood sugar is maintained in the normal range.



Mary Lou Williams, M. Ed., is a lecturer and writer in the field of nutrition. She welcomes inquiries. She can be reached at 267-6480.