Facts On Diabetes

The Essential Facts On Diabetes

Diabetes, also called Diabetes Mellitus, is a life-long disease. It is marked by excessively high sugar levels in the blood. Since, approximately 7 percent of the American population suffers from this disease; we must get familiarized with certain essential facts on diabetes.

Diabetes is caused either by too little insulin, or resistance to insulin, or by both. Insulin is a hormone that is produced by the pancreas to control the blood sugar levels. To further understand this disease, we must however understand the basics of the metabolic process that takes place in our body.

When food starts getting metabolized, a sugar called glucose enters our bloodstream. Glucose is the source of fuel in our body. However, the process gets completed only when the insulin moves it from the bloodstream to the different muscles, fats and liver cells, where the energy finally gets released.

People with diabetes have high blood glucose levels because either the pancreas are not making enough insulin, or their muscle, liver cells and fats have stopped normally responding to insulin, or both.

Diabetes can occur in three major types; Type 1 Diabetes, Type 2 Diabetes and Gestational Diabetes. Type 1 Diabetes occurs in childhood. It is characterized by low or zero levels of insulin. Insulin injections are required daily to sustain life in this case.

Type 2 Diabetes is more common and occurs in adulthood, usually after one hits 45. It is characterized by both low levels of insulin as well as an abnormal reaction to insulin by our muscles and liver cells, etc.

Gestational Diabetes is a condition of high blood glucose levels during pregnancy on patients who were otherwise not suffering from it.

The main causes of diabetes are obesity, age above 45, high blood pressure, high cholesterol level in blood, lack of adequate exercise and high blood levels of triglycerides, which is a type of a fat molecule. The other causes are any of the parents, bothers or sisters being diagnosed with diabetes and the delivery of a 9 pound baby in case of gestational diabetes.

Besides these, if you are a member of certain ethnic African American, Native American, Hispanic American, Pacific Islander and Asian communities, then also you would run a higher risk of contracting this disease.

The signs of type 1 diabetes are increased thirst, excessive urination, increased appetite coupled with weight loss, fatigue, vomiting and nausea. Type 2 diabetes also shows the same signs in addition to blurred vision, slow-healing infections and impotence in men.

The treatments of diabetes include two blood glucose tests; the fasting blood glucose level test and the random/ non-fasting blood glucose level test. These tests help identify the disease. Then appropriate medicines are given to maintain a healthy sugar level.

Since, there is no cure for this disease, appropriate diets are recommended along with a suitable exercise schedule. A well-balanced diet having low saturated fats and high fibrous food is right for such patients. These facts on diabetes can certainly help us keep this deadly disease at bay.