Diabetes, officially called Diabetes Mellitus, is one of the present day’s biggest causes of death around the world. Ranked number seven on a list of chronic diseases, people who have diabetes will suffer from one form of it or another. If the pancreas is unable to produce or use insulin in the proper way, diabetes is the result and must be treated accordingly.
Sugar is ingested with every meal taken, since a part of it is converted to sugar. After that the sugar makes its way into the bloodstream where it enters the cells by way of insulin, which is a hormone made by the pancreas. Normally the pancreas makes enough insulin to handle the amount of sugar present in a persons system. Diabetes causes a persons pancreas to either produce little or no insulin, or the cells won’t respond as they should to insulin. This will allow sugar to build up in the blood that presents even more problems. It passes unused through the urine of the affected. As time goes by, the high blood sugar levels can cause eye damage that will lead to diabetic retinopathy and blindness if not properly cared for. Since diabetes compromises vascular health, strokes, myocardial infarctions (heart attacks), and peripheral artery disease are all associated with diabetes. Diabetes has also been found to have a connection with impotence and digestion issues.
Type 1 (insulin dependent) and Type 2 (non-insulin dependent) are the two main types of diabetes. Type I diabetes, known as insulin dependent, usually affects younger people under 20 years of age whose pancreas doesn’t produce insulin. Type II, known also as non-insulin diabetes, has a reduced amount of insulin produced by the pancreas or cells that no longer respond or both.
Known to be genetically based, Type I diabetes is coupled with an abnormal immune response. Medical experts believe that Type II diabetes is caused by genetics, its causes are still mostly unknown.
The symptoms of Type I diabetes are usually obvious. Symptoms of Type II diabetes is opposite of Type I. A lot of Type II diabetics don’t know they this illness until they need help for heart problems, blood vessel ailments, stroke, go blind, skin outbreaks, kidney issues, nerve irritation or sexual problems.
A person can take steps to improve the chances of avoiding diabetes but there is no foolproof way to prevent diabetes. It means doing such things as exercising, managing weight, eating right, not smoking, and not drinking alcohol to excess.
For many years Donna has been contributing articles on the internet. Not only does the writer writ