All About Diabetes

Diabetes is a condition in which the body is unable to properly process and use glucose, a type of sugar. Glucose builds up in the blood, causing symptoms like increased urination, thirst, and hunger. Left untreated, diabetes can lead to serious complications like heart disease, kidney failure, and blindness. There are two main types of diabetes: type 1 and type 2. Type 1 diabetes is usually diagnosed in children and young adults, while type 2 diabetes is more common in adults.

What Is Diabetes?

According to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), diabetes is a condition that affects how your body turns food into energy. Most of the food you eat is broken down into sugar (also called glucose) and released into your bloodstream. Your pancreas makes insulin, a hormone that signals cells to absorb sugar from the bloodstream.

If your body doesn’t make enough insulin or can’t use it effectively, too much sugar stays in your blood. Over time, high blood sugar can lead to serious problems with your heart, eyes, kidneys, nerves, gums, and teeth.

Two Types Of Diabetes: Type 1 And Type 2

Type 1 diabetes occurs when the pancreas cannot make insulin due to damage from an autoimmune reaction or infection.

Types of Diabetes

There are three main types of diabetes: type 1, type 2, and gestational.

Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease that occurs when the body’s immune system attacks and destroys the beta cells in the pancreas that produce insulin. Insulin is a hormone that helps the body’s cells use glucose (sugar) for energy. Without enough insulin, too much sugar stays in the blood, causing serious health problems.

Type 2 diabetes occurs when the body does not make enough insulin or does not use insulin properly. Type 2 is the most common form of diabetes, accounting for 90 to 95 percent of all cases. Obesity and a sedentary lifestyle are two major risk factors for developing type 2 diabetes.

Gestational diabetes develops in some women during pregnancy.

Causes Of Diabetes

There are a number of different causes of diabetes, with the most common being type 1 and type 2 diabetes. Type 1 diabetes is caused by the body’s inability to produce insulin, while type 2 diabetes is caused by the body’s inability to properly use insulin. Gestational diabetes, which is diabetes that develops during pregnancy, is also fairly common.

There are a number of different factors that can contribute to someone developing diabetes, including family history, lifestyle choices, and certain medical conditions. For example, people who are obese or overweight are at a much higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes. People who have a family member with diabetes are also at an increased risk.

Making healthy lifestyle choices can help to prevent or delay the onset of type 2 diabetes.

Symptoms Of Diabetes

There are three main types of diabetes: type 1, type 2, and gestational. Each type has its own set of symptoms.

Type 1 diabetes is characterized by high levels of sugar in the blood, frequent urination, and extreme thirst. Other symptoms include fatigue, weight loss, blurred vision, and slow-healing wounds.

Type 2 diabetes is marked by high levels of sugar in the blood, but may not have any other symptoms for years. When symptoms do start to show up, they can include fatigue, frequent urination, increased thirst, weight loss, blurry vision, and slow-healing wounds.

Gestational diabetes only occurs during pregnancy. The main symptom is high levels of sugar in the blood. Other symptoms can include increased thirst and urination, fatigue, and nausea.

Treating Diabetes

There are two main types of diabetes, Type 1 and Type 2. Type 1 diabetes, also called insulin-dependent diabetes, is a form of disease that typically develops in childhood. In this form of disease, the body does not produce enough insulin. As a result, people with Type 1 diabetes must take daily insulin injections to survive. Type 2 diabetes, on the other hand, develops later in life and is often linked to obesity and a sedentary lifestyle. In this form of disease, the body either does not produce enough insulin or doesn’t use it properly. People with Type 2 diabetes can often control the disease through diet and exercise alone, though some may also need to take medication.

No matter what type of diabetes you have, it’s important to keep your blood sugar levels under control.

Living With Diabetes

When you have diabetes, your body cannot make or properly use insulin. Insulin is a hormone that helps glucose, or sugar, get into your cells to give them energy. When there isn’t enough insulin—or when the body can’t use it as well as it should—too much sugar stays in your blood.

Over time, having too much sugar in your blood can cause serious problems with your heart, eyes, kidneys, nerves, gums, and teeth.

You can have type 1 diabetes when you are a child or teenager, or you can develop type 2 diabetes as an adult. Type 2 diabetes is much more common than type 1.

Conclusion

There are two types of diabetes: Type 1 and Type 2. Type 2 is the most common form of diabetes. It occurs when your body does not produce enough insulin or is unable to use insulin properly. Insulin is a hormone that helps your body control blood sugar levels. If you have Type 2 diabetes, you may need to take medication to help control your blood sugar levels. You can also manage your diabetes by making healthy food choices, getting regular exercise, and monitoring your blood sugar levels.