NN+Diabetes+Notes

What is Diabetes?

 * diabetes occurs when the pancreas, a part of the endocrine system, does not produce insulin, or when cells become insulin resistant.
 * pancreas
 * produces enzymes that the small intestine uses to break down food
 * also produces insulin in the pancreatic islets
 * insulin
 * the body breaks down food into sugar
 * sugar is a source of energy for the body
 * the sugar flows through the blood to get to the cells
 * when the glucose levels get high in the blood, the pancreas creates insulin
 * insulin takes the sugar from the blood to the cells
 * sugar comes from carbohydrates
 * processed foods, bread, coke, pasta, candy all have a lot of carbohydrates/sugar. (fruits also have carbs, but they are complex carbs that also have other nutrients)
 * insulin is a hormone
 * insulin attaches to a cell and the protein channels that let in glucose open and allow glucose to pass through the membrane into the cell
 * insulin matches to a specific protein on the membrane of a cell called a receptor (receptor=lock, hormone=key)
 * cells need glucose for energy
 * if glucose does not get into the cells, a high glucose level in the blood greatly elevates
 * type 1 diabetes
 * 5-10% of all diabetes
 * last FOREVER
 * have to balance blood sugar with meal plan, exercise, and insulin
 * do not produce insulin
 * type 2 diabetes
 * 90-95% of all diabetes
 * manage it by meal plans, exercise, and if necessary, medicine
 * receptors become insulin resistant, or don't have receptors anymore, or no more proteins that let in the glucose
 * body makes too much insulin so that the insulin, so much that the receptors ignore like its background noise
 * body becomes tired and starts making less insulin, so there is not enough, and the body won't use what little insulin there is

Symptoms

 * high glucose levels in the blood
 * high glucose level in urine
 * frequent urination/sweet urine (first way to diagnosis)
 * lots of glucose released into urine, and to dilute it, more water is put into the urine
 * dehydration (result of frequent urination)
 * health problems from diabetes
 * blindness
 * harms large blood vessels such as the heart
 * sugar damages the kidneys
 * damages the nerves in the feet (tingling sensation and possibly need for amputation)
 * can't feel sores
 * kills nerves
 * toes "die"
 * can lead to amputation
 * heart disease (including heart attack)
 * 2/3 of people with diabetes die an early death because of heart disease or stroke because of the diabetes
 * stroke
 * metabolic syndrome
 * other problems because of diabetes (high blood pressure, high cholesterol... ect.)

Medication

 * diabetes pills
 * aspirin
 * high blood pressure pills
 * cholesterol pills