Diabetes is a serious disease that can affect both adults and children. It causes a violation of the functions of the pancreas, as a result of which there is an increased content of sugar in the blood. This leads to serious complications, many of which are not compatible with life.
Diabetes: Definition
First, let's look at some terms. What is diabetes? This is a disease that is accompanied by a violation of water-salt and mineral metabolism, the metabolism of carbohydrates, proteins and fats in the body. A similar imbalance occurs due to malfunctioning of the pancreas, which for some reason ceases to fully produce the hormone insulin. It is this hormone that is responsible for the level of glucose in human blood. Diabetes is a hereditary or acquired disease. It is chronic in nature. It is impossible to cure it to the end, doctors try to stop the disease as much as possible and minimize possible complications.
What is the danger of diabetes?
In a person with diabetes, blood glucose is increased and insulin is low. In advanced cases, sugar is also detected in urine. As a result of this, purulent wounds, atherosclerosis, hypertension may occur, the kidneys, the central nervous system are affected, and vision is reduced. As you can see, diabetes is a dangerous disease. Therefore, you should not let it drift.
The causes of the disease
Doctors highlight the following risk factors for diabetes:
- Passive lifestyle.
- Stress.
- Depression.
- Overweight.
- Lack of sleep.
- Improper nutrition.
- The abuse of sugary drinks.
- Hypertension.
- Heredity.
- Racial affiliation.
All these risk factors for diabetes can lead to a worsening of the patient's condition. Therefore, it is important to observe the regimen of the day, eat right, avoid stress, engage in physiotherapy exercises. It is important to remember that diabetes is not a sentence. Timely treatment can help.
What do doctors advise
Patients are naturally interested in: "What to do with diabetes?" To answer this question, you need to delve a little into the topic.
There are diabetes mellitus type 1 and 2. In the first type, the person becomes completely insulin-dependent, and in the second - no. Treatment for type 2 diabetes consists of a low-carb diet, exercise therapy, and pills that increase insulin sensitivity. In some cases, direct injections of insulin itself.
What to fear
Doctors warn that it is necessary to try to prevent complications of type 2 diabetes. This disease can cause the development of such ailments as hyperglycemia, hypoglycemia, polyneuropathy, ophthalmopathy, arthropathy, among which diabetic angiopathy should be separately noted. That's the danger of diabetes! It is the many concomitant pathologies that can lead to an aggravation of the patient's condition. Complications of type 2 diabetes mellitus are not a sentence in case of timely diagnosis and treatment.
Diabetic angiopathy is a dangerous disease that occurs as a complication in people with type 1 or type 2 diabetes. If a person has been sick for more than 5 years, then, most likely, diabetic angiopathy has already begun to develop. Therefore, you need to think about treatment, and not about its prevention.
This complication is manifested in a gradual violation of patency of arterial vessels. Based on the location of the affected vessel, we can talk about malfunctions in the following organs:
Causes of Diabetic Angiopathy
The main cause of this disease is the destructive effect of high sugar, which destroys the walls of capillaries, veins, arteries. The walls can deform, thin out or thicken, which interferes with normal metabolism and blood flow in general. Such destruction leads to hypoxia (lack of oxygen in the body) of tissues and damage to the internal organs of the patient.
Types and symptoms of diabetic angiopathy
In medicine, there are 2 types of this disease:
- macroangiopathy - a disease in which arteries and veins are affected;
- microangiopathy is a disease in which capillaries are affected.
It is believed that the use of insulin protects against the occurrence of angiopathies, which in 80% of cases lead to death or disability of the patient. But this is not so.
Symptoms of vascular damage by macro- and microangiopathy are different and have several stages of development.
Stages of development of macroangiopathy:
- Stage 1 - the patient begins to quickly get tired, feel stiff in movements, toes can go numb, and nails thicken. Feet sweat and constantly freeze. Perhaps the development of intermittent claudication (intervals can reach up to 1 km).
- 2a stage - the patient complains of numbness of the feet, and the legs begin to freeze even in the summer. The skin of the limbs is pale, and intermittent claudication begins to occur at shorter intervals - 200-500 m.
- 2b stage - the symptoms remain the same, but intermittent claudication begins to occur at shorter intervals - 50-200 m.
- 3a stage - the symptoms begin to worsen, pain in the legs is added, which is very disturbing at night. The skin becomes pale, and the toes begin to acquire a bluish color if you stand or sit for a very long time. The skin begins to peel and dry, intermittent claudication begins to occur at a distance of 50 m.
- 3b stage - the pain syndrome begins to be permanent, and the lower extremities are greatly swollen. There is a great likelihood of ulcers that can turn into tissue necrosis.
- Stage 4 - necrosis of the fingers or feet, which is accompanied by weakness, high temperature (there is an infectious focus in the body).
The development of microangiopathy is characterized by 6 degrees:
- 0 degree - no complaints from the patient. Only a doctor can detect the disease.
- 1 degree - the patient complains of pallor of the skin of the legs and a feeling of cold. Small ulcers may occur that are not accompanied by pain or fever.
- 2 degree - ulcers begin to affect bones, muscles; severe pain syndrome.
- Grade 3 - the edges and the bottom of the ulcers are black, which indicates necrosis. Plots affected by an ulcer begin to swell and redden. There is a high probability of developing inflammation of the bone marrow and tissue (osteomyelitis), abscesses and purulent skin diseases (phlegmon).
- Grade 4 - necrosis of the fingers or other parts of the foot.
- Grade 5 - necrosis spreads to the entire foot, which leads to immediate amputation of the limb.
Diagnosis and treatment of diabetic angiopathy
Symptoms and complaints of the patient are not sufficient grounds for a preliminary diagnosis. Therefore, the doctor writes out an appointment for the following diagnostic measures:
- Tests to determine blood sugar and urine.
- Angiography is an X-ray method for examining the state of blood vessels using contrast agents.
- Doppler scanning - ultrasound of blood vessels using a Doppler sensor, which shows the blood flow through the vessels.
- Determination of pulsation in the vessels.
- Video capillaroscopy.
Timely diagnosis and subsequent treatment can prevent the development of gangrene and amputation of the limbs. Diabetic angiopathy develops over several years. In case of failure to comply with all the instructions of the attending physician, there is a huge likelihood of disability and even death.
Now there are several developed methods for the treatment of this disease. Standard treatments include statins and antioxidants. For example, "Simvastatin" or "Atorvastatin" and vitamin E. It is important to restore proper metabolism in the tissues. For this, the doctor may prescribe Mildronate, Thiotriazolin, or Trimetazidine. Important is the appointment of biogenic stimulants (PhiBS, aloe) and angioprotectors (Parmidin, Dicinon or Anginin). Your doctor may prescribe Heparin, Clopidogrel, or Cardiomagnyl, which thin the blood and prevent blood clots and plaques.
If the diagnosis was carried out on time, and the disease was detected in the early stages, then physical therapy classes (Burger exercises and short walking) are prescribed for patients.