Diabetes mellitus is very prevalent in America today. A staggering 7.8% of the population has some form of Diabetes mellitus, and many more walk around unaware that they too have the condition. Unless your doctor finds clues during a visit, or you present with some of the symptoms, it is virtually impossible to know that you have diabetes mellitus. However, if you do present with symptoms, then your doctor will most commonly conduct a Fasting Plasma Glucose Test (FPG), or an Oral Glucose Tolerance Test (OGTT).
Most often the FPG test will be done to diagnose Diabetes mellitus. If your levels are between 100 and 125, you will be diagnosed with pre-diabetes mellitus. If your levels are over 125, then your diagnosis will be Diabetes mellitus. However, with the OGTT, your signal levels will be higher to determine whether or not you have Diabetes mellitus due to the high glucose drink you consume prior to the test.
But what exactly is Diabetes mellitus, and what does it have to do with your glucose levels?
Diabetes mellitus is a disease where your body either does not produce enough insulin, or it rejects the insulin produced. Insulin is the gas that powers the cells in your body to keep you up and about and living your life. It does this by converting the sugars and starches we eat into energy.
In people that do not have Diabetes mellitus, after their sugar is converted into glucose it travels through the blood while it waits to be used. The insulin is supposed to help it enter the cells to be used as energy, however, with Diabetes mellitus, the insulin no longer works properly, and the cells do not get it.
In cases of Diabetes mellitus, the process no longer works properly, and a buildup of glucose happens in the blood. Depending on which type of Diabetes mellitus you have, either your body no longer processes the insulin correctly, or it does not make enough insulin to regulate the amount of glucose in your blood. What happens next with Diabetes mellitus is that your glucose will pass straight through your body into your urine, and the end result is that your cells do not get the energy needed to operate your body’s needs.
Luckily, although there is no cure, people with Diabetes mellitus can lead healthy and productive lives. In order to do this, a person with Diabetes mellitus must learn the ways to manage their health and daily lives. The first step in doing this is knowledge. The more you know about Diabetes mellitus the better. For example, do you have type 1 or type 2 Diabetes mellitus, or do you have pre-diabetes mellitus? Each one of these presents with different symptoms and come with somewhat different treatments.
If you or someone you know has Diabetes mellitus, or symptoms of Diabetes mellitus, please urge them to get informed.