What Is Diabetes And How Is It Caused?

Diabetes is condition brought on by a disorder of the metabolism. It is caused when the pancreas either starts producing too little insulin or stops producing insulin altogether. Diabetes could also be caused when production of insulin is unaffected, but the cells of the body do not react appropriately to the insulin that is being produced.

Types of Diabetes

There are three main types of diabetes:

Type 1 Diabetes – This is an autoimmune form of the disease that results when the immune system of the body attacks and destroys the insulin producing beta cells that are present in the pancreas, causing the pancreas to drastically reduce its insulin production. Genetic and environmental factors could be possible causes of Type 1 diabetes.

Type 2 Diabetes – This is the most common form of diabetes and is associated with obesity, advancing age, family history of diabetes ethnicity and physical inactivity. The symptoms of Type 2 diabetes develop gradually, unlike Type 1 diabetes where the onset of symptoms is more sudden.

Gestational Diabetes – This form of diabetes is experienced only by pregnant women. Ethnicity and family history are big influencing factors in gestational diabetes.

Symptoms of Diabetes

Some of the symptoms that are exclusive to all three types of diabetes include:

Excessive thirst and hunger

Excessive urination

Unusual loss or gain in weight

Extreme fatigue

Nausea and vomiting

Blurry vision

Dry mouth

Slow-healing cuts and sores

Frequent vaginal infections in women

Itchy skin especially in the groin or vaginal area

Significance of keeping Diabetes under control

Individuals who suffer from diabetes have a much higher chance of suffering from heart disease, gum disease and loss of teeth, stroke, blurry and reduced vision, kidney failure and nerve damage that could lead to numbness in hands, legs and feet.

Points to remember when taking insulin to control Diabetes

Insulin is typically recommended when the diabetes cannot be controlled despite regular exercise and correct diet.

Weight control plays a significant role when taking insulin.

Article brought to you by Diabetes Management Software - DiaMed by Chiron Data Systems