Brief Look At What Is Diabetes?

When people ask, “What is diabetes?” they usually have are asking about one of three diabetes types that most people are familiar with. When a person takes a brief look at what is diabetes, they will find that these types of diabetes can be resolved with a change in lifestyle, while other require a life time of insulin medication or shots.

In the United States, about 5-10% of children and young adults are found to have Type 1 diabetes yearly. It is the result of an auto-immune disease. When the immune system attacks the beta cells that produce insulin in the pancreas and kills them, the pancreas can not produce insulin. This results in no insulin being produced for the body.

Most cases of Type 1 diabetes have a sudden onset of symptoms which include extreme thirst, frequent urination, extreme hunger, weight loss, blurred vision, and/or extreme fatigue. When there is no medical treatment for this condition it can result in diabetic ketoacidosis, or diabetic coma. This is a serious and life-threatening condition when it is not treated.

Over 95% of adults over thirty-five in the United States have Type 2 diabetes according to the National Institute of Health. 80% of these individuals are overweight. When a person has Type 2 diabetes their cells become resistant to insulin and do not get the glucose they need to be healthy.

The causes for this type of diabetes include some ethnicity’s, age, genetics, lack of exercise, high blood pressure, obesity, and high cholesterol. An individual that does not have a proper diet and exercise are susceptible to type 2 diabetes. Studies have shown that unhealthy eating habits are the greatest cause for Type 2 diabetes.

People will develop the symptoms of this diabetes gradually over a long period of time. They will feel extreme fatigue, blurred vision, increased thirst and hunger, slow healing of wounds and sores, and frequent urination.

Most of the time if a person changes their lifestyle, loses weight, and begins to exercise, they will be able to resolve their Type 2 diabetes. In some cases people must continue medication for the diabetes, but this rarely occurs.

About three to eight percent of women in their 2nd trimester of pregnancy develop Gestational diabetes. The diabetes often does not have any symptoms and is resolved with the birth of the baby. When a woman is found to have gestational diabetes she will normally be instructed to begin a proper diet and exercise program to keep the diabetes in check during the pregnancy.

Women who have had gestational diabetes have about a 40% risk of developing Type 2 diabetes when they are older. Therefore, it is important that they maintain a healthy lifestyle throughout their lives. When a woman has gestation diabetes with a pregnancy, she will normally develop the diabetes with following pregnancies.

Outlook: Some diabetes statistics.

What Is Diabetes And What Can You Do About It?

Diabetes refers to a disease in which the body is unable to process sugar (glucose). It is important to recognize the symptoms of diabetes early so that you can get the necessary treatment. Diabetes occurs when the body cannot adequately use the sugars we ingest from the foods we eat. While the disease is partially a result of our lifestyle, it is also based on your genetic background.

Statistics just released by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention indicate that the prevalence of diabetes in the US population is expected to increase by at lease twelve percent by 2050. This figure becomes daunting when you realize that this represents an estimated 48 million people. However, you do not need to be a part of this statistic if you start eating right and exercising.

There are three types of diabetes mellitus:

• Type 1 diabetes
• Type 2 diabetes
• Gestational diabetes

Type 1 Diabetes

Type 1 diabetes is the type of diabetes where the body is unable to produce any of the insulin it needs to function. Type 1 is an autoimmune disease; that is, the body is turning on itself. With Type 1 diabetes, it does this by destroying the cells in the pancreas that produce insulin. Once these cells are destroyed, the body can no longer produce insulin. Persons with Type 1 diabetes have to take insulin daily for the rest of their lives. Type 1 diabetes used to be known as juvenile diabetes because it is found most frequently in children and young adults.

Type 2 diabetes

This was formerly referred to as adult-onset diabetes, but even children can have type 2 diabetes.  With this type of diabetes, the body produces some insulin, but not as much as it needs to regulate sugar levels.

Gestational diabetes

This type of diabetes only affects pregnant women, hence, the name. It normally occurs late in a pregnancy and results from the hormonal changes taking place.

Risk factors for diabetes

Although genetics plays a role in determining who will develop diabetes, there are other factors that may indicate that you are at risk. These risk factors include being overweight, an inactive lifestyle, and your age. Hormonal fluctuations in pregnancy also increase your risk of developing diabetes later on.

Symptoms of diabetes

The main signs of diabetes include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Increased thirst and hunger
• Increasing need to urinate and increased quantity of urine produced
• Blurry vision
• Minor cuts and scratches take longer to heal than usual
• Losing weight without any apparent reason
• Being constantly tired

Treatment of diabetes

Typical treatment for diabetes includes:

• Medication (primarily insulin)
• Controlling and lowering your blood pressure
• Lowering your cholesterol levels (especially LDL)
• Exercising
• Losing weight

Changing lifestyle habits can be hard, but it is necessary if you get a diagnosis of diabetes. Being told that you have diabetes does not mean that your life is over, so take heart. What it means is that you must now pay attention to what you eat and increase your level of physical activity.

To learn more go to Diabetes Nutrition and at Information On Diabetes