Diabetic mellitus is most commonly referred to as diabetes mellitus. It describes a group of metabolic diseases in which a person has high blood sugar. The term “diabetic” is derived from the Greek word for “siphon” to describe the excess discharge of urine caused by the disease. The term “mellitus” is derived from Latin; it means honey sweet. This term was first used in combination with the term “diabetes” in a medical text in 1675. A diabetic is someone who lives with the disease.
Life can be hard for a diabetic. In the midst of learning about having the disease, one must learn to change their whole lifestyle in order to keep their blood sugar levels under control. If they don’t, tragic complications such as kidney disease, nerve damage, eye conditions, and cardiovascular problems are sure to come about. Often depression and anxiety can affect someone with diabetic mellitus as well. Staying active and eating correctly are central practices for a diabetic, no matter what type do diabetes they have.
Preventing Diabetic Mellitus
There are several different factors that put you at risk for diabetic mellitus. The most common risk factors are having a sibling or parent with diabetes and being overweight. If you are a member of a certain ethnic group, you may be at a higher risk as well. These include: African American, Alaskan Native, American Indian, Asian American, Pacific Islander, and Hispanic or Latino.
If you do not have diabetic mellitus yet, but know that you are at risk, there is still time to create a healthy lifestyle for yourself and possibly avoid the disease. Keeping a healthy diet and exercising regularly are the two most important things that you can do to accomplish this. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the American Diabetes Association (ADA) both recommend that you begin exercising a minimum of 30 minutes a day, 5 days a week. Of course, if you are not used to exercising, you should begin a little slower. You can ask your doctor to recommend some beginning exercises for you. Next, you will want to cut out most of your sugar and carbohydrate intake and center your diet on fruits, vegetables, whole grain breads, and lean meats.
If you are at a high risk of diabetes, no one can say for sure that you will never have the disease. In fact, your likelihood of getting the disease will increase as you get older. However, studies have shown that people who take on healthy lifestyle changes have reduced their risk of getting diabetes by 58% and that these changes were even more effective in those age 60 or older.
