The Secrets About Insulin Only A Handful Of People Know.

Today we are going to discuss about the hormone whose shortage causes diabetes.

 Yes, you are right it is Insulin, it is a hormone made by the pancreas that allows your body to use sugar (glucose) from carbohydrates in the food that you eat for energy or to store glucose for future use. Insulin is a hormone made by an organ located behind the stomach called the pancreas. There are specialised areas within the pancreas called islets of Langerhans (the term insulin comes from the Latin insula that means island). The islets of Langerhans are made up of different type of cells that make hormones, the commonest ones are the beta cells, which produce insulin.

                               

Insulin is then released from the pancreas into the bloodstream so that it can reach different parts of the body. Insulin has many effects but mainly it controls how the body uses carbohydrates found in certain types of food. Carbohydrates  are broken down by the human body to produce a type of sugar called glucose. Glucose is the main energy source used by cells. Insulin allows cells in the muscles, liver and fat (adipose tissue) to take up this glucose and use it as a source of energy so they can function properly. Without insulin, cells are unable to use glucose as fuel and they will start malfunctioning. Extra glucose that is not used by the cells will be converted and stored as fat so it can be used to provide energy when glucose levels are too low. In addition, insulin has several other metabolic effects (such as stopping the breakdown of protein and fat).

So basically what insulin do for a normal person???

                                                  

 Insulin helps keeps your blood sugar level from getting too high (hyperglycemia) or too low (hypoglycemia).

The cells in your body need sugar for energy. However, sugar cannot go into most of your cells directly. After you eat food and your blood sugar level rises, cells in your pancreas (known as beta cells) are signaled to release insulin into your bloodstream. Insulin then attaches to and signals cells to absorb sugar from the bloodstream. Insulin is often described as a “key,” which unlocks the cell to allow sugar to enter the cell and be used for energy. If you have more sugar in your body than it needs, insulin helps store the sugar in your liver and releases it when your blood sugar level is low or if you need more sugar, such as in between meals or during physical activity. Therefore, insulin helps balance out blood sugar levels and keeps them in a normal range. As blood sugar levels rise, the pancreas secretes more insulin.

How is insulin controlled?  

The main actions that insulin has are to allow glucose to enter cells to be used as energy and to maintain the amount of glucose found in the bloodstream within normal levels. The release of insulin is tightly regulated in healthy people in order to balance food intake and the metabolic needs of the body. This is a complex process and other hormones found in the gut and pancreas also contribute to this blood glucose regulation. When we eat food, glucose is absorbed from our gut into the bloodstream, raising blood glucose levels. This rise in blood glucose causes insulin to be released from the pancreas so glucose can move inside the cells and be used. As glucose moves inside the cells, the amount of glucose in the bloodstream returns to normal and insulin release slows down. Proteins in food and other hormones produced by the gut in response to food also stimulate insulin release. Hormones released in times of acute stress, such as adrenaline, stop the release of insulin, leading to higher blood glucose levels to help cope with the stressful event.

Insulin works in tandem with glucagon, another hormone produced by the pancreas. While insulin's role is to lower blood sugar levels if needed, glucagon's role is to raise blood sugar levels if they fall too low. Using this system, the body ensures that the blood glucose levels remain within set limits, which allows the body to function properly.

Now what is the mechanism of insulin for a diabetic person???

A person with diabetes being injected with insulin to regulate their blood sugar levels.

If your body does not produce enough insulin or your cells are resistant to the effects of insulin, you may develop hyperglycemia (high blood sugar), which can cause long-term complications if the blood sugar levels stay elevated for long periods of time.

 Insulin Treatment for Diabetes

People with type 1 diabetes cannot make insulin because the beta cells in their pancreas are damaged or destroyed. Therefore, these people will need insulin injections to allow their body to process glucose and avoid complications from hyperglycemia.

                       

People with type 2 diabetes do not respond well or are resistant to insulin. They may need insulin shots to help them better process sugar and to prevent long-term complications from this disease. Persons with type 2 diabetes may first be treated with oral medications, along with diet and exercise. Since type 2 diabetes is a progressive condition, the longer someone has it, the more likely they will require insulin to maintain blood sugar levels.

What are the various types of insulin available in market??

Various types of insulin are used to treat diabetes and include:

·        Rapid-acting insulin: It starts working approximately 15 minutes after injection and peaks at approximately 1 hour but continues to work for two to four hours. This is usually taken before a meal and in addition to a long-acting insulin.

·        Short-acting insulin: It starts working approximately 30 minutes after injection and peaks at approximately 2 to 3 hours but will continue to work for three to six hours. It is usually given before a meal and in addition to a long-acting insulin.

·        Intermediate-acting insulin: It starts working approximately 2 to 4 hours after injection and peaks approximately 4 to 12 hours later and continues to work for 12-18 hours. It is usually taken twice a day and in addition to a rapid- or short-acting insulin. 

·        Long-acting insulin: It starts working after several hours after injection and works for approximately 24 hours. If necessary, it is often used in combination with rapid- or short-acting insulin.

Insulin can be given by a syringe, injection pen, or an insulin pump that delivers a continuous flow of insulin.

Your doctor will work with you to figure out which type of insulin is best for you depending on whether you have type 1 or type 2 diabetes, your blood sugar levels,and your lifestyle.

We will be discussing about the different types of insulins in detail in a another article make sure you follow us for more such informative blogs.

What happens if I have too much insulin?

If a person accidentally injects more insulin than required, e.g. because they expend more energy or eat less food than they anticipated, cells will take in too much glucose from the blood. This leads to abnormally low blood glucose levels (called hypoglycaemia). The body reacts to hypoglycaemia by releasing stored glucose from the liver in an attempt to bring the levels back to normal. Low glucose levels in the blood can make a person feel ill.

                           

The body mounts an initial 'fight back' response to hypoglycaemia through a specialised set of of nerves called the sympathetic nervous system. This causes palpitations, sweating, hunger, anxiety, tremor and pale complexion that usually warn the person about the low blood glucose level so this can be treated. However, if the initial blood glucose level is too low or if it is not treated promptly and continues to drop, the brain will be affected too because it depends almost entirely on glucose as a source of energy to function properly. This can cause dizziness, confusion, fits and even coma in severe cases.  

Furthermore, there is a rare tumour called an insulinoma that occurs with an incidence of 1-4 per million population. It is a tumour of the beta cells in the pancreas. Patients with this type of tumour present with symptoms of hypoglycaemia.

What happens if I have too little insulin?

People with diabetes have problems either making insulin, how that insulin works or both. The main two types of diabetes are type 1 and type 2 diabetes, although there are other more uncommon types.

People with type 1 diabetes produce very little or no insulin at all. This condition is caused when the beta cells that make insulin have been destroyed by antibodies (these are usually substances released by the body to fight against infections), hence they are unable to produce insulin. With too little insulin, the body can no longer move glucose from the blood into the cells, causing high blood glucose levels. If the glucose level is high enough, excess glucose spills into the urine. This drags extra water into the urine causing more frequent urination and thirst. This leads to dehydration, which can cause confusion. In addition, with too little insulin, the cells cannot take in glucose for energy and other sources of energy (such as fat and muscle) are needed to provide this energy. This makes the body tired and can cause weight loss. If this continues, patients can become very ill. This is because the body attempts to make new energy from fat and causes acids to be produced as waste products. Ultimately, this can lead to coma and death if medical attention is not sought. People with type 1 diabetes will need to inject insulin in order to survive.

                             

Type 2 diabetes can be caused by two main factors and its severity will depend on how advanced it is. Firstly, the patient’s beta cells may have problems manufacturing insulin, so although some insulin is produced, it is not enough for the body’s needs. Secondly, the available insulin doesn’t work properly because the areas in the cell where insulin acts, called insulin receptors, become insensitive and stop responding to the insulin in the bloodstream. These receptors appear to malfunction more in people who carry excessive amount of  weight. Some people with type 2 diabetes might initially experience very few symptoms and the raised blood glucose is only picked up when a routine blood test is arranged for another reason; other people might experience symptoms similar to those seen in patients with type 1 diabetes (thirst, frequent urination, dehydration, hunger, fatigue and weight loss). Some patients with type 2 diabetes can control their symptoms by improving their diet and/or losing weight, some will need tablets, and others will need to inject insulin to improve blood glucose levels.

So at last I would like end up by saying that diabetes is not a disease but it is only a disorder which can be easily managed by bringing a minimal change in life. Some of the changes who have to make in your lifestyles are ……… https://diabetesexperienceindia.blogspot.com/2020/05/15-common-mistakes-everyone-makes-in.html .

If you have any query feel free to comment section below or can mail at diabetesexperienceindia@gmail.com .