The symptoms of diabetes
Diabetes before pregnancy
Diabetes during pregnancy
Treatments for diabetes in pregnancy
Natural therapies
Diabetes Australia support
Diabetes mellitus is a condition where sugar (or glucose) accumulates in the blood (known as 'hyperglycaemia'). When we eat foods containing sugar, the body's stomach and bowel break down the foods and release glucose into the blood stream. If the pancreas organ is producing enough insulin, the glucose is then carried into the cells of the muscles and body organs by the insulin, to be used for energy. If there is not enough insulin, the sugar remains in the blood stream and accumulates to high levels, with some of the glucose escaping into the urine.
If the body is unable to get all the glucose from the blood stream into the body's cells, it is often referred to as 'impaired glucose metabolism'. The reason for this is the pancreas organ does not produce sufficient insulin, to keep up with the glucose supply coming from foods being eaten. Insulin is an essential substance needed to transport glucose from the blood into the cells. Because the muscles have little, or no, glucose for energy to function, they start to break down the body fat for energy. This produces ketones in the person's blood (shown in urine tests). Ketones are potentially poisonous substances that make the person feel unwell, and can damage body organs if exposed to them for prolonged periods of time. Ketosis can also happen when a woman becomes dehydrated in labour, but this is a short term situation that only slows or stops the labour, and doesn't affect the woman's long term health. You may wish to read more about this in
Ketosis.
The symptoms of diabetes
Blood sugar levels (or BSL's) are normally within the range of 3.5 - 8.0 mmol/L. If the person has diabetes the levels can move above this periodically (usually after eating). However, It is not until the glucose level becomes extremely high (about 15.