What is diabetes?
Diabetes,
often referred to by doctors as diabetes mellitus, describes a group of
metabolic diseases in which the person has high blood glucose (blood sugar),
either because insulin production is inadequate, or because the body's cells do
not respond properly to insulin, or both. Patients with high blood sugar will
typically experience polyuria (frequent urination), they will become
increasingly thirsty (polydipsia) and hungry (polyphagia).
There
are three types of diabetes:
1) Type 1
diabetes
Type 1 diabetes is usually diagnosed in children and young adults, and
was previously known as juvenile diabetes. Only 5% of people with diabetes have
this form of the disease.
In type 1 diabetes, the body does not produce insulin. The body breaks down
the sugars and starches you eat into a simple sugar called glucose, which it
uses for energy. Insulin is a hormone that the body needs to get glucose from
the bloodstream into the cells of the body.
2) Type 2
diabetes
Diabetes
is a problem with your body that causes blood glucose (sugar) levels to rise
higher than normal. This is also called hyperglycaemia. Type 2 diabetes is the
most common form of diabetes.
If you have type 2 diabetes your body does not use insulin properly. This is called insulin resistance. At first, your pancreas makes extra insulin to make up for it. But, over time it isn't able to keep up and can't make enough insulin to keep your blood glucose at normal levels.
If you have type 2 diabetes your body does not use insulin properly. This is called insulin resistance. At first, your pancreas makes extra insulin to make up for it. But, over time it isn't able to keep up and can't make enough insulin to keep your blood glucose at normal levels.
3)
Gestational diabetes
During pregnancy – usually around the 24th week – many women develop
gestational diabetes. A diagnosis of gestational diabetes doesn't mean that you
had diabetes before you conceived, or that you will have diabetes after giving
birth. But it's important to follow your doctor's advice regarding blood
glucose (blood sugar) levels while you're planning your pregnancy, so you and
your baby both remain healthy.
Symptom of
Diabetes
- Urinating often
- Extreme fatigue
- Feeling hungry even though you are eating
- Feeling very thirsty
- Blurry vision
- Cuts/bruises that are slow to heal
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn98O60lgG6AbuOXBb2RWMPe64lNPgX7zeKg3pUfLs15AP5ULkx7r0_RFCE6t-ohfijTvtqI-9y9Mv5QoKh7pS6J29jiunrFKZMFpj54Id1LkhzsXjR0-f-nAAxZDTRwR0LylKF3-2g3Qr/s640/Diabetes2.png)
Causes of type 1 diabetes
The exact cause of type 1 diabetes is unknown. What is known is that
your immune system — which normally fights harmful bacteria or viruses —
attacks and destroys your insulin-producing cells in the pancreas. This leaves
you with little or no insulin. Instead of being transported into your cells,
sugar builds up in your bloodstream.
Type 1 is thought to be caused by a combination of genetic
susceptibility and environmental factors, though exactly what many of those
factors are is still unclear.
Causes of prediabetes and type 2 diabetes
In prediabetes — which can lead to type 2 diabetes — and in type 2
diabetes, your cells become resistant to the action of insulin, and your
pancreas is unable to make enough insulin to overcome this resistance. Instead
of moving into your cells where it's needed for energy, sugar builds up in your
bloodstream.
Causes of gestational diabetes
During pregnancy, the placenta produces hormones to sustain your
pregnancy. These hormones make your cells more resistant to insulin.
Normally, your pancreas responds by producing enough extra insulin to
overcome this resistance. But sometimes your pancreas can't keep up. When this
happens, too little glucose gets into your cells and too much stays in your
blood, resulting in gestational diabetes.
Treatment
for diabetes type 2:
- Proper diet
- Weight management
- Blood glucose monitoring
- Insulin injection
- Medication
- Proper exercise
No comments:
Post a Comment