Diabetes
Diabetes or diabetes mellitus occurs when blood sugar levels remain above normal. There are two main types of diabetes. Type 1 diabetes typically develops during childhood and cannot be prevented. Type 1 diabetes occurs when the body is unable to produce enough insulin, a hormone that regulates blood sugar levels and helps the body use sugar for energy. Type 2 diabetes is the most common form of the disease and develops most often in adults. Type 2 diabetes occurs when the body does not respond to the insulin produced in the body or does not produce enough insulin.
There is no cure for type 2 diabetes but it can be managed and even prevented by following a healthy diet, exercising regularly, lowering blood pressure and maintaining a healthy weight for your body. Some people who develop type 2 diabetes will need medication or insulin therapy to stabilize their blood sugar if preventative actions like those listed above do not work.
If left undiagnosed or untreated, diabetes can increase the risk for heart disease, stroke or other medical complications.
Common symptoms for diabetes include fatigue, excessive thirst, frequent urination, and abnormal weight loss or gain. These are not the only symptoms of diabetes. If you experience these or any other distressing symptoms always contact your physician for consultation.
Diabetes and Anesthesia
f you have been diagnosed with diabetes it is important to visit your physician regularly and that you work with your physician to stabilize your blood sugar levels. If your blood sugar levels are not stabilized, you will not only be at greater risk for further medical problems, it may not be safe for you to undergo surgery. Notify your anesthesiologist if you have diabetes and any medications you may take to manage the disease in your presurgical consultation.
Anesthesiologists will closely monitor diabetes patients throughout their surgical and anesthesia experience. Managing the patients’ diabetes lowers the risks for complications and infection during surgery and in recovery.
As with any diagnosis, it is important that patients with diabetes work to maintain a healthy lifestyle, helping to reduce the risks that are associated with having any type of the disease.
Source: WebMD – Diabetes Health Center
Source: Mayo Clinic – Diabetes