What Is Diabetes

The disease of diabetes certainly seems to be getting a lot of attention these days. It is thought to be one of the fastest growing diseases in the world causing concern from organizations such as the World Health Organization. So what is diabetes ? This article will cover what it is and the different types of diabetes.

Someone with diabetes will have a high blood sugar reading after they have eaten some food. Their body is unable to process the sugar in the bloodstream. Sugar is vital for the body as it is the primary source of energy for the body’s cells. Without sugar the cells will starve and die.

One belief that has no scientific proof is that eating too much sugar will give you diabetes. This is not really true, however eating lots of sugary foods without sufficient exercise could lead to weight gain.

If the scenario continued without change then the person would run the risk of becoming obese. And there seems to be a definite link between obesity and type 2 diabetes. An obese person has a greater chance of developing type 2 diabetes than someone that is a normal weight.

Another commonly held belief is that many people that have the disease are not aware of it. This is true for many people because diabetes has no symptoms that are unique to it. So a person may think they are stressed out because they are tired or their vision gets blurred at times when, in fact, they have diabetes.

Some of the common symptoms are :

Always being thirsty (polydipsia).

Increased urination (polyuria).

Having a unusually large appetite without any weight gain (weight loss is more likely).

Constantly tired.

Nausea and a general feeling of being ill.

Yeast infections.

Problems with vision.

Male impotence.

If you have any of these symptoms then you should see your doctor.

It could be that your body has stopped making insulin, which is the hormone responsible for reducing blood sugar levels. This is called type 1 diabetes.

Alternatively, you continue to produce insulin but the body resists the affects of the insulin. This is known as adult onset diabetes or type 2 diabetes. This can also happen when a woman is pregnant. She will have type 2 diabetes during the pregnancy and it will stop after the birth. This is called gestational diabetes.

As yet there is no cure for diabetes. It will last for life and the best way to deal with it is regular checkups and ongoing treatment. Treatment is easy after the initial adjustment to a new lifestyle conducive with the disease.

Treatment is a two pronged approach. If focuses on eating the right foods and getting regular exercise. You can set up your own diabetic diet by following the diabetic food pyramid but it is probably best to get initial ideas on the right food to eat from your doctor or a dietitian. Exercise helps to use up energy and reduce blood sugar levels. People with type 1 diabetes will also have to inject insulin normally before a meal and sometimes when they have a high blood sugar level. People with type 2 diabetes may have to take medication so that their body responds to the insulin already being produced. after the initial change in lifestyle, this treatment is easy to implement and there will be no significant impact on your life due to diabetes.