Consult Top Diabetologist Online

• Basic information of Diabetologist

Diabetes is a metabolic disease where either the hormone insulin is not produced in concentrations normally required to metabolize carbohydrates and ultimately resulting in increase in glucose concentrations in blood. It can also occur if the level of insulin produced is near normal but the receptors to which glucose bind have impaired ability to respond to insulin. Often, diabetes present as a metabolic disease that includes abnormalities in metabolism of fats and proteins along with carbohydrates. Diabetes as a disease can be defined as a group of metabolic diseases characterized by hyperglycemia (elevated blood glucose) resulting from defects in insulin secretion, insulin action, or both. Persistent elevation of blood glucose associated with chronic diabetes is associated with end organ damage including especially the eyes, nerves, kidneys, blood vessels and the heart. To understand the symptoms of Diabetes, you can opt for online consultation with diabetologist. 

Diabetes is one of the most common metabolic diseases with a complex, multifactorial etiology (causes) and has varied clinical and biochemical manifestations. With modern sedentary lifestyles which includes lack of exercise and consumption of a very high calorie food, diabetes has become a commonplace which is further complicated by coexisting conditions such as obesity and hypertension. As discussed, the main cause of the disease is inadequate secretion and/or impaired action of insulin on target tissues. Depending on the etiology, diabetes can be classified mainly under two categories:

1. Insulin-dependent Diabetes Mellitus (IDDM)
2. Non-insulin dependent Diabetes Mellitus (NIDDM)

Other specific types of diabetes that occur are due to genetic defects of the beta cells of the pancreas that secrete insulin such as mature onset diabetes of the young (MODY), genetic defects in insulin action such as Leprechaunism, diseases that affect the exocrine pancreas such as pancreatic cancer and cystic fibrosis which is a genetic disorder affecting the lungs and the pancreas, diseases of the endocrine system such as Cushing syndrome (very high levels of the hormone cortisol which is responsible for the mobilization of glucose in the body), acromegaly (caused by excessive production of growth hormone) and tumors of the adrenal glands (pheochromocytoma), drug induces such as those caused by the overuse of steroids and thiazides and finally caused by infections such as rubella and cytomegalovirus.

Some of these defects are remediable and types of glycemia can also be cured.

Severity of the resultant hyperglycemia and the symptoms and signs vary widely. The vascular damage resulting in microvascular and macrovascular complications depends largely on the degree and duration of hyperglycemia.

Diabetes is characterized by disturbances in carbohydrates, fat and protein metabolism. The clinical symptoms include 

• Polyuria (excessive urination), 
• Polydipsia (excessive thirst), 
• Polyphagia (excessive eating), 
• Weight loss and 
• Blurring of vision which usually occur when severe hyperglycemia remains for a long time.

Long-term complications of diabetes are mainly of two types:

1. Microvascular complications which include retinopathy (disease of the retina in the eye) with potential loss of vision, nephropathy (disease of nephrons, the functional unit of the kidney) leading to renal failure, peripheral neuropathy (diseases of the nerves) with risk of foot ulcers, amputations and charcot joints; and 
2. Autonomic neuropathy which causes cardiovascular, genitourinary, gastrointestinal and symptoms of sexual dysfunction. 

The macrovascular complications include the diseases of the heart where it causes atherosclerosis and the resultant narrowing of the coronary arteries causing ischemic heart disease and even heart failure. The other indications include peripheral arterial diseases and diseases of the blood vessels of the brain. 

The other common form of diabetes is gestational diabetes that is the diabetes that occur during pregnancy. Sometimes diabetes gets resolved after childbirth but at other times, it can remain and become a chronic problem. This is then treated as regular diabetes.

Diabetes is so widespread in today’s world that physicians or endocrinologists do courses to gain expertise to study, research, treat and manage the disease and its associated complications. The term specifically for the doctor having such an expertise is called a diabetologist. You can book your appointment for online consultation with diabetologist on Mediflam’s website.

• Why choose online doctor consultation?

With the advent of new technology, it has become very easy to connect to some of the best specialists available in India from the comfort of home. The past history, reports, medications details, etc. can be uploaded to a safe and secure place on the server so that it can be accessed anytime by a specialist with the permission of the patient. The patient doesn’t have to worry to carry the reports and other files every time when seeing a doctor and thus saves the potential of misleading or missed information to be given to the doctor. We at MediFlam offer these services and have empaneled some of the best doctors that are known for their expertise and have a vast experience serving in their respective fields. Diabetologist online consultations can also be very helpful for those who are non-ambulatory that is cannot visit a hospital or a doctor because of old age or some diseases that makes it very difficult to travel. The patients, through online consultation, can at least get an idea of the disease that they are suffering from and can be further advised by the doctor for the course of action on treatment that may include medications or surgery or both.