What is Diabetes?
Diabetes has become an epidemic in today’s world. More and more individuals are diagnosed with diabetes every year, and it is developing more and more early in life. Childhood diabetes is a focus of particular concern, as it can cause complications that may not be a problem in adults. There are different kinds of Diabetes, and depending on the cause and affect on the body, the condition will fall into different categories. But what is occurring in the body, to cause this condition to develop? Here are some basics on this common condition.
Diabetes refers to an individual’s blood sugar, which is affected by insulin. Insulin comes from the Pancreas, it is a hormone that helps the cells in the body absorb sugar and use it as energy. If the Pancreas does not produce enough of this hormone, or the body has problems utilizing it, Diabetes develops. Diagnosing Diabetes will put the case under a category. There three primary types of Diabetes, two which are commonly known. These are Type one, Type two, and Gestational.
Type one Diabetes includes individuals who are unable to produce insulin. Type two Diabetes includes individuals who have a certain kind of resistance to the hormone insulin, where the body is able to produce it, but not utilize it. The third type is Gestational Diabetes, which is a unique case only involving Pregnant women. This includes individuals who have no Diabetes in their past medical history, but experience high blood sugar during pregnancy.
Type two Diabetes is a chronic condition, which can be treated with medication, but never cured. Type one requires the individual to inject insulin directly using a syringe. With the aid of medications, such as Glipizide, diabetes can be treated.
Symptoms of Diabetes include the increased thirst, hunger, and the need to urinate. Weight loss and fatigue also play a part. Some forms of Diabetes may show little or no symptoms, and can take weeks to develop or present itself. The cause of this condition can be one of many different possibilities. Poor lifestyle choices can be enough to cause an individual to develop Diabetes. It is also linked with pre existing medical conditions, such as Cushing’s Syndrome. In the case of both Type one and Type two Diabetes, part of the condition is inherited through hereditary genes. This can be triggered by an infection, or other circumstances that brings the inherited gene forward and causes Diabetes to develop.
