Metabolic disorders – When engine functions of your body have problems

Think of metabolism within the human body as the aggregate of the engine functions, which help a vehicle to run. With poor maintenance or inherently flawed design, a car can break down due to a variety of factors. Even before it breaks down, it does provide indications, and if not attended to in time, can cause serious damage or ground it all together. Metabolism within the human body is akin to the sum total of the engine functions that allow it to run on a continuing basis. Thus, metabolic disorders can have serious implications on the day to day functions of any human being.

What Is Metabolism Exactly?

The human body uses a process of breaking down the various foods ingested to give energy to the body for all its needs. This process is referred to as metabolic activity and Metabolism is the rate at which the body can normally convert food into energy.

A Little Intro To Metabolic Disorders

As can be inferred from the explanation above, Metabolic disorders are problems within the body in converting the foods into basic forms which can then be used as a form of fuel within the body. With metabolic problems, normal chemical reactions within the body may be disrupted. These may result in too much or too little of certain necessary chemicals, ultimately leading to health problems.

Primarily, the most usual problems faced with metabolic disorders are in the breakdown of carbohydrates, amino acids, and lipids. There are other problems which are classified as a part
of mitochondrial diseases. These diseases affect the ability of the cells to produce energy form the body and are usually genetic disorders that are passed down from a parent to a child.

Common Metabolic problems

A large number of metabolic issues are caused by lifestyle choices such as a bad diet, lack of exercise, smoking or excessive consumption of alcohol among others. While some can be controlled with an improvement in daily life such as working out or a controlled diet, others may be set in and require medication to keep in check. Some of the more common types of metabolic hazards have been mentioned below: –

Diabetes

Probably the most common form of metabolic problem, this is often the most overlooked yet harmful disorder plaguing humanity at the moment. Diabetes, specifically diabetes mellitus causes excess sugar in the bloodstream and within the body which then results in organ damage over time. This is a slow process and can often be disregarded initially until other organs have taken the brunt. If detected, this can be quite easily corrected with a balanced diet and daily exercise. However, if not attended to properly at the
right time, in later stages it can cause significant damage to the human body and some of the vital organs.

High cholesterol

Another silent killer, cholesterol causes the accumulation of plaque in the coronary arteries, i.e., the arteries that pump blood into the heart. This plaque can accumulate to a level where it hinders the functions of the heart. This condition is referred to as atherosclerosis and can cause chest pains. If an emergency procedure is not performed on the patient in time, it can cause heart attacks and death.

Obesity

Another common metabolic issue plaguing the developed nations is obesity. Characterized by high waist measurement and subcutaneous fat under the skin, obesity has become a leading killer disease as it contributes to both diabetes as well as cholesterol among a plethora of other diseases.

Most of these disorders can be easily curtailed with the help of medication and certain lifestyle changes. Even in certain advanced cases, a patient can have a long life with lifestyle changes supplemented by certain medications. However, actions need to be taken before it is too late.