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Understanding Diabetes: Causes, Types, and Symptoms

Discover the fundamentals of diabetes, including the causes, types, and symptoms. Learn about diabetic emergencies and how to provide treatment.

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Understanding Diabetes: Causes, Types, and Symptoms

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  1. Diabetes Larry Lambert, EMT-Paramedic Acadian Integrated Services MP 252

  2. What is Diabetes? • Disorder of metabolism – Insufficient production of insulin • Insulin is a hormone that is needed to convert sugars and starches to usable energy by the body • Cause of Diabetes is still a mystery ….there are some genetic and environmental facts appear to play a role.. Obesity and lack of exercise in particular

  3. Prevalence of Diabetes • About 21 million children and adults in the US have diabetes • It is estimated another 6.2 million have the disease and aren’t aware • The disease is diagnosed by either a Fasting Plasma Glucose Test (FPG) or Oral Glucose Tolerance Test (OGTT)

  4. Types of Diabetes • Type 1 – Failure of the body to produce sufficient insulin • Type 2 – Body fails to use the insulin effectively • Gestational Diabetes – about 4 % pregnant females develop GD during pregnancy; of those almost half develop type 1 in later life, particularly post menopausal

  5. Insulin is a hormone It is produced in the pancreas The pancreas is a digestive organ that sits behind the stomach and produces other enzymes of digestion Carbohydrates are absorbed into the intestines Most cells of the body have insulin receptors These receptors pick up insulin then together they absorb sugar for energy into the cells What is insulin?

  6. How do we make Insulin? • In the 1920’s Dr. Banting and Best discovered insulin in dogs. Even though the pancreas produces other hormones, they isolated the insulin and found how to harvest it. • Later the same technique was used to to “harvest” insulin from pigs and cows. • By the 1980’s DNA technology allowed us to make insulin from human cells.

  7. Excessive Urination Excessive Wt loss Increased Irritability Slow healing wounds Excessive Thirst Extreme Hunger Blurry Vision Increased fatigue Signs and symptoms of Diabetes

  8. Diabetic Emergencies

  9. Insulin shockHypoglycemia • Sudden Onset • Rapid Heart Rate • Dizziness • Change in behavior – erratic – intoxicated like state • Headache • Pale & Sweaty Skin • Unconsciousness

  10. Treatment of Diabetic Emergencies • Patient/Rescuer Safety • Support ABC’s • Call for EMS/Medic • If patient is conscious and showing signs of hypoglycemia give regular soft drink or fruit juice with high sugar content • Follow up with peanut butter, crackers

  11. Diabetic ComaHyperglycemia • Gradual Onset - hours to days • Thirst • Dehydration • Fever – red skin • Ketone breath • Change in mental status

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