Environmental emergencies (a short series)
The following discussion will be related to medical environmental emergencies. This is one of the most varied medical emergencies to discuss because of the ever-changing climate and external environments we place ourselves in. Because of the scope of medical environmental emergencies, these articles will be broken into a series of articles.
Symptoms of Diabetes
What are the Primary Symptoms of Diabetes?
The most consistent symptom of diabetes mellitus (Type I and II) is elevated blood sugar levels. In Type I (insulin dependent / early onset) diabetes, this is caused by the body not producing enough insulin to properly regulate blood sugar. In Type II (non insulin dependent/adult onset) diabetes, it is caused by the body developing resistance to insulin, so it cannot properly use what it produces. However, high blood sugar is not something you can see in the mirror at home, so it is useful to know the side-effects of high blood sugar, which are commonly recognized as the noticeable symptoms of diabetes. If you find yourself experiencing many of these diabetes symtoms on a consistent, long term basis, you should visit a doctor to be tested for diabetes. Ignoring (or not recognizing) the symptoms of diabetes can lead to long-term serious health risks and complications from untreated diabetes.
Some common "early warning signs" of diabetes are:
Excessive thirt, excessive hunger, frequent urination, fatigue, and sudden weight loss. If any of these signs or combination of them are present you should get tested, as often more serious signs and symptoms of the disease can often be prevented through diet, exercise and proper blood sugar management. A few lessor symptoms are:
Blurry vision
Numbness
Slow healing wounds
Recurrent yeast infections
Dry skin
Hypoglycemia is the medical term for low blood sugar. Some symptoms of this condition include an inadequate supply of glucose to the brain, resulting in fuction impairment (neuroglycopenia) causing seizures, unconsiousness, premanent brain damage or even death. Excessive insulin produced by the pancreas is the major contributor to this condition. This patient would appear white, or pale. The main sign signifying the difference between high blood suger (hyperglycemia) and low blood sugar is the color of the skin. (Diabetic Coma).
Hyperglycemia is simular in appearance in the patient in almost every way. Due to excessive sugar in the body, respirations are utilized to blow off excessive acetone created by the body trying to compensate. This is a fruity smell on the breath. Due to an elevated blood pressure in hypoglycemic patients the skin will be red (simular to Carbon monoxide poisoning) The treatment is the same for emergency treatment, give sugar. This condition is easier to treat by giving insulin, however, hypoglycemia is more difficult to treat in the long term, so if unknown whether it's low blood sugar or high blood sugar, glucose should be adminstered. This condition affects the muscles, including the cardiac muscle, over a long period of time. Very often long term diabetics have their exteemities amputated. It also affects their longivity. (Insulin Shock)
In conclusion, Diabetes is a serious condition that sometimes takes a trained eye to detect. Sometimes the patient is so confused, they don't realize their having an attack. Watch for the signs and symptoms.
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