Metabolic Disorders

 

 

Metabolic Disorders

Metabolic Disorders involves chemical reactions in your body, which upset the process of metabolism – the process of making energy from food. To work properly, your metabolism must break down the food you eat and into sugars and acids. You also need to have the right amount of each of these substances, so when a disorder occurs, the body will usually have too much or too little of these important substances. There are various ways in which metabolic disorders occur and it usually happens when certain organs fail or become diseased. In some cases, metabolic disorders could be hereditary.



An example of a metabolic disorder is diabetes. Diabetes itself is attributed to both hereditary and environmental factors and involves the sufferer having an abnormally high blood sugar level. It is caused by insulin levels becoming insufficient and leading to symptoms such as: large urine production, thirst, lethargy, blurred vision and weight loss. Insulin is available medically, meaning that the condition can be treated but not cured.



To discover if one has any metabolic disorders, including diabetes, simple blood tests can be carried out to determine if any enzyme used in the metabolism are missing or are in insufficient numbers.

 

SSIEM - Stands for: Society for the Study of Inborn Errors of Metabolism