The belly and the lifeline around the waist, acne and impotence, asthma and insomnia - what's the connection?

1. Why do you need to inject insulin for type 2 diabetes?
   Factors contributing to pancreatic depletion:
2. Acute pancreatitis
3. Latent autoimmune diabetes of adults (LADA)

Many people associate the word “insulin” when spoken by a doctor with hopelessness. “This is the end,” flashes through your brain. “Now you won’t get off the needle.” And a bleak picture of painful and terrible injections appears before my eyes.

I understand you. But!

If a person suffers from type 2 diabetes, sooner or later he will be prescribed insulin.

All people with diabetes will eventually receive insulin. This is fine. You need to be prepared for this. And this is GOOD, as it allows you to prolong life and improve its quality.

But how do you determine who needs insulin, when, and why?

What pathologies are caused by elevated insulin?

High insulin levels indicate the development of insulin resistance. During this pathology, the body's cells become resistant to the effects of insulin. The cell response decreases and blood sugar levels increase.

As a result, even higher levels of insulin are needed, so the pancreas begins to produce excess amounts of the hormone. Resistance occurs in response to your own insulin or its injection.

With insulin resistance, the pancreas produces an excess of the hormone to meet the body's needs. This can subsequently lead to type 2 diabetes, in which the cells do not perceive insulin. Or to type 1 diabetes, when the pancreas cannot produce the hormone, either partially or completely.

In addition, high insulin levels increase the risk of developing cardiovascular diseases, such as coronary heart disease, arterial hypertension, stroke and heart attack.

Causes of excess insulin

Scientists have discovered the causes of such a condition as insulin resistance. Genetic predisposition plays an important aspect in this. Certain medications may contribute to the development of this condition. The main causes of insulin resistance include:

• obesity,
• pregnancy,
• infectious and oncological diseases,
• stress,
• lack of physical activity,
• use of steroids.

In addition, the cause may be metabolic syndrome, which is a collection of conditions that include excess weight (especially in the abdominal area), high blood pressure, elevated cholesterol and triglycerides in the blood.

Other causes and risk factors that impair cellular sensitivity to insulin include:

• taking certain medications,
• elderly age,
• apnea, sleep disorder,
• smoking.

Insulin resistance can appear both due to a genetic predisposition, and due to the occurrence of serious diseases or poor lifestyle choices.

Main symptoms

Insulin disease is determined by a number of characteristic signs that differ depending on the type of pathology. There are the following types of hormone excess:

Insulin administered to a healthy person has a toxic effect on the body, leads to hypoglycemia and threatens death.

Chronic overdose

The main signs of this condition:

• headaches and dizziness that disappear after taking carbohydrates;
• severe hunger;
• sleep disturbance, nightmares, increased sweating during sleep;
• weakness after sleep, constant drowsiness;
• in children - mood swings, tearfulness;
• quickly disappearing visual disturbances, such as a veil before the eyes, flickering of flies, doubling of objects;
• increase in body weight.

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Hypoglycemia

An increase in the level of the hormone insulin causes a hypoglycemic attack. The increase in symptoms depends on which drug was used - fast or long-acting. A one-time overdose has the following manifestations:

• An overdose of insulin causes heart palpitations.

sudden severe hunger;

If the attack is ignored, the following may occur:

Diabetic coma

The first signs of an impending coma are symptoms of hypoglycemia. Subsequently, the following symptoms appear:

• cessation of sweating;
• frequent, deep breathing;
• smell of rotten apples from the mouth;
• bloating and abdominal pain;
• yellowness of the skin of the palms and feet;
• smell of acetone when urinating;
• nausea, decreased blood pressure;
• constriction of the pupils, lack of reaction to light;
• low muscle tone, trembling throughout the body;
• convulsions, delirium, hallucinations;
• fainting.

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Treatment

Treatment of cell resistance to insulin is prescribed by a therapist, pediatrician (if the patient is a child) or an endocrinologist. First of all, therapy should be prescribed in the direction of controlling insulin levels. To do this, the doctor prescribes:

• medications that improve the perception of hormones by cells,
• low carbohydrate diet,
• regular physical activity,
• elimination of various risk factors (smoking, control of blood pressure and cholesterol levels).

Reducing insulin levels is usually achieved through diet and exercise, although the use of Metformin is possible. It helps not only to reduce the concentration of insulin in the body, but to improve the cells’ perception of it.

Prevention

An excess of insulin is influenced by a number of factors, but only some of them can be influenced by a person independently. To prevent excess insulin, it is recommended:

• undergo regular medical examinations;
• treat identified diseases;
• avoid stress;
• observe the work and rest schedule;
• eat right, don’t overuse carbohydrates.

For people with type 1 diabetes, it is important to carry out insulin therapy only as prescribed by a doctor. The medicine should be administered at the indicated dose. Any changes in the injection schedule or dosage of the drug will negatively affect the condition of the body. The insulin preparation should be kept out of the reach of children and it should be ensured that the medicine was not used by a person without diabetes by mistake.

Medicines

Metformin or Glucophage are the most common drugs for treating insulin resistance. They are also used in the treatment of type 2 diabetes. Perform 2 functions in the body that help control blood glucose levels.

Metformin prevents the liver from releasing sugar into the blood and increases the sensitivity of muscle and fat cells to the hormone, helping them process glucose in the blood. Thanks to these actions, Metformin reduces the level of insulin in the blood, which in turn normalizes the concentration of sugar in the body.

Metformin belongs to the category of safe drugs with minimal side effects. Among the most common are gastrointestinal disorders: nausea, abdominal pain, metallic taste in the mouth, flatulence and diarrhea.

Despite this, Metformin does a good job of lowering insulin levels and improving cell sensitivity to it, thereby preventing the development of type 2 diabetes.

A little about insulin therapy

The selection of insulin therapy for each patient is carried out individually. The patient, together with the doctor, should achieve maximum compensation for carbohydrate metabolism.

Discuss this with your doctor

In general, insulin therapy should mimic physiological insulin secretion:

1. Basal, which provides normoglycemia during the interdigestive period and during night rest. Its average rate is 0.5-1 units/hour, or 12-24 units per day,
2. Stimulated (food), corresponding to the level of proprandial glycemia. When calculating the required dosage, it is necessary to take into account that 1-1.5 units of insulin are produced per 1 XE (bread unit).

The main principles of insulin therapy include:

• administration of the hormone in maximum accordance with physiological secretion,
• correct distribution of insulin throughout the day (2/3 in the evening, 1/3 in the late evening and at night),
• a combination of long-acting and ultra-short-acting insulin injections.

The advantages of intensified therapy are:

• imitation of physiological processes in the body,
• higher quality of life for the patient and minimization of complications,
• ease of understanding of the general principles of treatment by the patient and his relatives.

But there are also disadvantages:

• the need for frequent self-monitoring of glycemia up to 5-6 times a day,
• the need to educate the patient and his relatives,
• possible tendency to hypoglycemia.

Diabetes school operates at clinics

Diet

Insulin requirements can be reduced in several ways. First of all, it is a low carbohydrate diet. When absorbed into the body, they greatly increase sugar levels, causing the pancreas to produce more insulin.

Some carbohydrates are absorbed by the body faster, they are called fast carbohydrates (having a high glycemic index).

Carbohydrates that sharply increase blood sugar include:

• fruit juice, sugar, fruit,
• White bread,
• products containing starch (cookies, potatoes, donuts, chips),
• fast food.

If you have insulin resistance, your diet should include foods with a low glycemic index. Among them:

• high fiber foods (whole grain bread, brown rice),
• non-starchy vegetables (broccoli, green beans, carrots and greens).

These foods are typically low in calories but rich in fiber, vitamins and minerals.

In order to avoid the onset of such a serious disease as type 2 diabetes, it is necessary to eat rationally, taking into account the balance between proteins, fats and carbohydrates.

The insulin resistance treatment menu should include:

• fruits and vegetables containing a lot of coarse fiber, vitamins and minerals,
• low-fat dairy products that will provide the body with calcium,
• whole grain products that have a low glycemic index,
• nuts, which contain healthy fats, protein and fiber,
• fatty fish (salmon, herring, salmon) are sources of “good” fats,
• soy meat and beans.

Numerous studies have shown that losing weight improved the sensitivity of cells to insulin, which means it helped increase the rate at which glucose is eliminated from the body.

Prevention and recommendations

To prevent the development of insulin resistance, it is necessary to eliminate all risk factors. While some are inevitable (such as genetics), most can be avoided and reduce the likelihood of developing type 2 diabetes.

Recommendations from doctors that will help prevent the development of cell resistance to insulin:

• Weight loss. With excess body weight, the body begins to function incorrectly, disrupting the hormonal balance.
• Proper nutrition with low glycemic index foods. Exclusion from the diet of fast food, sweets and sugars.
• Regular exercise. Studies have shown that during exercise, the body's cells become more sensitive.
• Elimination of bad habits - smoking, etc.
• Avoiding stress.
• Control cholesterol and blood pressure levels.
• Use medications only as prescribed by a doctor.

Excess insulin in the blood is a serious condition that must be treated to avoid developing type 2 diabetes. It is caused by the absorption of large amounts of fast carbohydrates, uncontrolled cholesterol levels and hypertension, stress and bad habits.

Treatment is usually aimed at maintaining a healthy diet with a low glycemic index, regular exercise, and the use of drugs that improve cell sensitivity to insulin.

Lack of therapy leads to deterioration of the condition and the development of an incurable disease - type 2 diabetes. To prevent this, you must follow your doctor's recommendations and maintain a healthy lifestyle.

Diabetes always leads to fatal complications. High blood sugar is extremely dangerous.

Lyudmila Antonova gave explanations about the treatment of diabetes.

The human body is a well-coordinated mechanism, where each cog plays its important role. For the entire system to function properly, it is necessary that the organs work smoothly, diligently performing their functions. The main confirmation that a person is healthy is test results. They must meet certain standards, and any significant deviation from them is regarded as a sign of a problem in the body. An increased level of insulin in the blood should alert you and be a reason to consult a doctor. Why this happens, what are the signs of hyperinsulinemia and the dangers of this condition - you will learn from this article.

Consequences of high insulin

Constantly elevated levels of insulin in the body can subsequently develop type 2 diabetes. High levels of the hormone are associated with obesity, high cholesterol and high blood pressure. Cellular resistance increases as resistance goes untreated.

The pancreas continues to produce large amounts of insulin until it no longer functions normally. Ultimately, type 2 diabetes occurs, which is incurable and requires constant monitoring of blood sugar concentrations.