In diabetes, the blood sugar rises, which many sufferers do not feel. In the long term, however, serious illnesses can follow. Often only blood tests reveal diabetes.
Diabetes mellitus is a disease of the sugar metabolism, the disorder causes the blood sugar level to rise. As a result, damage to organs can occur. There are several forms of diabetes that have different causes. In common parlance, they are all called diabetes, "sugar" or diabetes - with the exception of gestational diabetes.
By far the most common form is type 2 diabetes mellitus. It mainly affects those over 40, but the proportion of younger people is increasing. The most important factors for the development are obesity, lack of exercise - i.e. an unhealthy lifestyle - and family predisposition. Type 2 diabetes mellitus develops over years. High blood sugar can damage organs slowly and unnoticed. Typical symptoms are often absent, which is why many diabetes diseases come to light by chance. That is why preventive blood sugar measurements are useful and advisable: If type 2 diabetes mellitus causes noticeable symptoms, there is sometimes permanent organ damage. In addition, the disease can usually be improved in the early stages by changes in lifestyle. In later stages, medication (antidiabetics) is necessary for the long-term adjustment of the blood sugar level.
The second most common form, type 1 diabetes mellitus, affects less than one in ten diabetics. This type is an autoimmune disease in which your immune system destroys the cells that make insulin, a hormone that controls blood sugar levels. Type 1 diabetes mellitus usually triggers clear symptoms early on and appears in childhood or adolescence in the majority of those affected. You have to inject insulin or so-called insulin analogues for the rest of your life.
There are other types of diabetes. This includes gestational diabetes, also known as type 4 gestational diabetes or diabetes mellitus, and type 3 forms. They have unusual causes such as diseases of the pancreas, hyperthyroidism, adverse effects of medication, particular genetic defects and others.
«Honey flow»
In ancient times, the quality of the urine was an important diagnostic criterion for medical scholars. They tried to track down diseases based on discolouration, smell, clarity and taste. They recognized diabetes by the fact that the urine of those affected was sweet. People with diabetes excrete sugar in their urine. This is how the name diabetes mellitus came about, which translated means something like "honey-sweet flow".