E11.40: Type 2 diabetes mellitus With neurological complications Controlled

You have diabetes. This is also known as diabetes mellitus.

The sugar from food or from sweet drinks is absorbed via the intestine. The sugar gets into the blood there. As a result, the sugar level in the blood rises after eating. The pancreas produces the messenger substance insulin. The pancreas is located in the upper abdomen. Insulin ensures that the sugar from the blood is absorbed into the cells. After eating, especially, the pancreas releases insulin into the blood. As a result, the sugar level in the blood then drops back.

You have type 2 diabetes. With this illness, insulin stops working properly. This can have different causes, for example too little movement, overweight and a diet rich in fats and sugar. There are also hereditary causes. When insulin no longer works correctly, the sugar level in the blood can rise too high. The pancreas then produces more and more insulin. That overloads the pancreas. After many years, the pancreas may sometimes then be unable to produce sufficient insulin any longer. If you have too little insulin in your blood, the sugar level in the blood can become permanently too high.

If the diabetes persists over a long period of time, it can damage the blood vessels in different parts of the body. When blood vessels are damaged, circulatory problems can occur. A high blood sugar level can also damage the kidneys and the eyes.

Your diabetes has damaged some nerves. Nerves are a sort of wiring in the body. Nerves conduct information. The nerves use electrical impulses to do this. Nerves are important, for instance, in enabling you to sense contacts and temperatures, and to move your muscles.

If nerves get damaged, the skin can feel numb, or tingle, or burn. Certain parts of your body may also feel painful or weaker. Nerves also control the organs in the body. This can cause problems with the digestion or when urinating, for example. The heart may beat quickly or irregularly.