What Is Diabetes?
Diabetes, or diabetes mellitus as what the doctor called, is
one of the top 10 leading causes of death in the United States. The condition
is so severe that it leads to various health complications, such as blindness,
heart disease, kidney failure, and lower-extremity amputations.
This happens when the body is not capable of producing
enough insulin, or it cannot utilize it as it should be, or both. As a result,
the glucose or sugar accumulates in the blood. The patient, who is suffering
from high blood glucose (blood sugar), may usually experience excessive thirst
(polydipsia), frequent urination (polyuria ), or increased hunger (polyphagia)
Types Of Diabetes
There are three types of diabetes namely Type 1 diabetes,
Type 2 diabetes, and Gestational diabetes.
1) Type 1 Diabetes
Also known as dependent diabetes, early-onset diabetes, or
juvenile diabetes, this type of diabetes is caused by the body's incapability
of producing insulin. Usually, the patient starts suffering from this during
his teenage years or early adulthood.
A patient who suffers from this type of diabetes is required
to maintain insulin injections, consume a special diet, and perform regular
blood tests to check the level of the blood glucose.
The statistics on diabetes from 2001 to 2009 displays a
massive increase of Type 1 diabetes in children under 20 years old.
2) Type 2 Diabetes
This type of diabetes is significantly different from the
Type 1. Instead of being unable to produce insulin, the body can produce,
however, it is inefficient. Another reason may be because of insulin resistance
wherein the body cells cannot respond to insulin. While this type still needs
maintenance, the patient can reduce or eliminate its symptoms by doing the following:
eating a healthy diet, being committed to a regular exercise routine, and
checking their blood glucose level from time to time.
Nevertheless, this type of diabetes is likely to develop
that's why an insurin, in the tablet form, is needed.
Unhealthy people, particularly those who are obese or
overweight, can increase their chance of acquiring Type 2 diabetes,
3) Gestational diabetes
When a woman is pregnant, the level of sugar in the blood
increases, making it hard for the body to build insulin. Patients suffering
from gestational diabetes can remove, if not eliminate, the condition; however,
he needs to be committed in following the proper diet given as well as doing a
regular exercise. When left untreated, the mother may suffer from the risks of complication
while pregnant.
Other Symptoms
A person suffering from diabetes may suffer the following
symptoms:
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Abdominal pain
- Weight loss
- Hyperventilation
- Irritability
- Increased fatigue
- Bruises and cuts that don’t heal quickly
- Yeast infection
- Swollen gums
- Itchy skin
- Sexual dysfunction for men
- Numbness in the feet and hand
These are just some of the common symptoms when a person suffers from diabetes. The indicators are too simple that most of the time, people ignore it. All the three types of diabetes are curable, however, some needs maintenance for a lifetime, such as the Diabetes Type 1 while some individual who suffer from Type 2 diabetes were able get rid of it, thanks to a balanced diet and a regular exercise.
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