For Mentoring In Medicine

1. Diabetes Mellitus
What’s the Deal?

2. History Of
 Diabetes has been known for so long earning its name from
the Greeks. Because one of its characteristics; frequent
urinating, it was called Diabetes meaning “Siphon.” In the
seventeenth century the name mellitus was added
meaning, “sweet.”

3. Sources
 Medical and Health Encyclopedia Richard J. Wagman,
M.D., F.A.C.P.
 http://diabetes.webmd.com/types-of-diabetes-
mellitus?page=2 (©2005-2012 WebMD, LLC)
 http://www.livestrong.com/article/181972-characteristics-
of-diabetes/ (Jul 22, 2010)
 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11953758 (2002
Apr;23(4):373-8.) Faculty of Medicine, University of Bahr
Elghazal

4. Characteristics
 The Overall problem in Diabetes, is the body’s inability to
process Glucose otherwise known as a form of sugar. This is
needed because it is used to create body cell energy.
 All forms of diabetes increase the risk of long-term
complications. These typically develop after many years
(10–20), but may be the first symptom in those who have
otherwise not received a diagnosis before that time.
 The major long-term complications relate to damage to
blood vessels. Diabetes doubles the risk of cardiovascular
disease. The main "macrovascular" diseases are ischemic
heart disease which consists of angina and myocardial
infarction, stroke and peripheral vascular disease.

5. Types of Diabetes Mellitus
 Type I diabetes, sometimes called juvenile diabetes, begins
most commonly in childhood or adolescence. In this form
of diabetes, the body produces little or no insulin.
 Type II is considered a milder form of diabetes because of
its slow onset (sometimes developing over the course of
several years) and because it usually can be controlled
with diet and oral medication.

6. “Causes” and Symptoms Of
Diabetes Mellitus
People commonly state to others, “I
don’t think you should consume that
much sugar, wouldn’t want you to
catch diabetes.” This is an incorrect
statement. Eating sweets or the wrong
kind of food does not cause diabetes.
However, it may cause obesity and
this is associated with people
developing Type 2 diabetes. There
really is no clear cause of Diabetes.
However, studies showed that there
seems to be both hereditary which is
genetic factors passed on in families
and environmental factors involved

7. Treatment
 Treatment for type 1 diabetes involves taking insulin, which
needs to be injected through the skin into the fatty tissue
below. The methods of injecting insulin include:
 Syringes
 Insulin pens that use pre-filled cartridges and a fine needle
 Jet injectors that use high pressure air to send a spray of insulin
through the skin
 Insulin pumps that dispense insulin through flexible tubing to a
catheter under the skin of the abdomen
 Type 2 diabetes can be controlled with weight management,
nutrition, and exercise. Type 2 diabetes tends to progress, and
diabetes medications are often needed.

8. Conclusion
 Diabetes, with proper monitoring can be no problem at all. I
myself am familiar with it because of my Dad. Life really has
not changed for him other than the fact that he has a
routine before meals and he has to make sure he receives
proper attention with the smallest symptom. Once people
learn to care themselves, it will no longer be an issue in
their lives.