Diabetes |
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Million and million diabetics in the United States face the prospect of disability from their disease. Their number is increasing rapidly because of the general aging of the population. These patients, their families, and friends should attempt to understand the nature of diabetes. Particularly important are the problems of adjustment of its victims and the principles of therapy involved. With proper education and care, the diabetic can live a nearly normal life. Diabetes mellitus is a disorder in which the body fails to make proper use of sugar. An excessive amount accumulates in the blood and often passes in the urine. Normally, insulin helps to burn sugar and provide energy. This is a hormone secreted by the pancreas which is a gland situated in the upper abdomen. When the pancreas fails to produce enough insulin, the person cannot utilize sugar, and his body chemistry is upset. He is, in short, a diabetic. Insulin must then be injected in most instances to make up for the patient's deficiency. Oral or tablet treatment is limited to milder cases in older people. The cause of diabetes is unknown, but it is usually due to an inherited tendency. It is more common over the age of 40, in women, and in obese individuals. In some cases the adrenal, pituitary, or thyroid glands are also involved. Diabetes is one of the oldest diseases known to man. Records in ancient Egypt describing the condition date back to 3,000 B.C. The word "diabetes" was provided by the Roman physician Aretaeus in A.D. 50. It means "to pass through" and refers to the common symptom of frequent urination. The sweet taste of the urine was noticed by Willis of Oxford in his studies of diabetes conducted during the seventeenth century.In 1889 Von Mering and Minkowski removed the pancreas from a dog and subsequently noted sugar in the urine. In 1922 Banting and Best discovered insulin in extracts of dog pancreas. This knowledge formed the basis for the modern treatment of diabetics. Exercise
Diet |
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