What is diabetes? Why is it a health problem? There are basically two types of diabetes: childhood or type one, which is early onset, and adult onset or type two diabetes.
Type one is usually inherited and type two is usually caused by poor diet and other health difficulties in later life.
Called diabetes mellitus, this condition is a physically based illness, caused by the pancreas not producing enough insulin or the cells not responding to the insulin that is already produced.
This makes the blood glucose unable to be absorbed by the cells, causing diabetes.
The symptoms of this physical illness include frequent urination, continuous lethargy, blurred vision, faintness, excessive thirst and unusual hunger.
The disease is chronic, and it causes serious health complications such as renal or kidney failure, heart disease, stroke and blindness.
About 17 million Americans have either type one or type two diabetes, but more than half of them are completely unaware that they have it, putting down their general tiredness and other symptoms as due to weight problems, excessive indolence, or simply getting older.
But treatment for this disorder can be as simple as moderate changes in diet, some safe oral medications, and in the most severe cases, a series of daily oral injections of insulin.
Diabetes can also be monitored on a moment to moment basis through the use of special hand held devices which check the blood glucose levels, through pricking the skin either on the fingers or on the arm.
And when glucose levels are too low or too high, preventive measures can be taken to ensure the continued health and good feelings of the patient.
Why does diabetes exist? What exactly causes it? All our body cells need energy in order to perform their various functions, and the body's primary energy source is glucose or blood sugar.
This is a simple sugar which comes from digestion of carbohydrate laden foods, such as sugars and starches, and the glucose from this process circulates in the blood.
This makes for an immediate energy source for all the cells, body tissues and organs.
Insulin is a hormone produced by the pancreas, an organ located on the back side of the stomach.
This chemical stimulator bonds to receptor sites on the outside of cells, acting like a key to open the door into the cell.
Glucose thus enters the cells, and some of it can be converted to concentrated energy sources such as glycogen or fatty acids.
This saves the glucose for later energy usage.
But when not enough insulin is produced, or when the "doorway" no longer recognizes the "key," the glucose lingers in the blood instead of entering the cells.
Your body then tries to dilute the resulting higher levels of blood glucose, which causes hyperglycemia as the water is drawn out of the cells and into the bloodstream.
This is all in an effort to dilute blood sugars and excrete them into the urine.
People with undiagnosed diabetes are thus typically constantly thirsty and drink large amounts of fluids such as water, urinating frequently in an attempt to get rid of excess glucose.
You can check for large levels of glucose in the urine, a key sign of diabetes, by doing a simple urinalysis test.
This is mainly how doctors determine whether or not you have diabetes.
While the body is trying to rid itself of excess glucose in the blood, the cells are now starving for glucose, triggering your body to grow hungry and to eat more food.
The body will also provide energy for the starving cells by converting your available fats and proteins to glucose.
This breakdown of fats and proteins for the sake of gaining energy causes acid compounds called ketones to form in the blood, which will also be excreted in the urine.
Ketoacidosis occurs when too many ketones build up in the blood, and this condition can be life threatening, if left untreated.
Fortunately, there are nowadays many different ways to treat the signs and symptoms of diabetes, including ketoacidosis, through making minor to major lifestyle changes.
Diabetes, though a serious illness, does not have to mean the end of your life; rather, it points to the beginning of how to treat yourself for the rest of your life, in order to ensure your continuing good health, productivity and general well being.
Type one is usually inherited and type two is usually caused by poor diet and other health difficulties in later life.
Called diabetes mellitus, this condition is a physically based illness, caused by the pancreas not producing enough insulin or the cells not responding to the insulin that is already produced.
This makes the blood glucose unable to be absorbed by the cells, causing diabetes.
The symptoms of this physical illness include frequent urination, continuous lethargy, blurred vision, faintness, excessive thirst and unusual hunger.
The disease is chronic, and it causes serious health complications such as renal or kidney failure, heart disease, stroke and blindness.
About 17 million Americans have either type one or type two diabetes, but more than half of them are completely unaware that they have it, putting down their general tiredness and other symptoms as due to weight problems, excessive indolence, or simply getting older.
But treatment for this disorder can be as simple as moderate changes in diet, some safe oral medications, and in the most severe cases, a series of daily oral injections of insulin.
Diabetes can also be monitored on a moment to moment basis through the use of special hand held devices which check the blood glucose levels, through pricking the skin either on the fingers or on the arm.
And when glucose levels are too low or too high, preventive measures can be taken to ensure the continued health and good feelings of the patient.
Why does diabetes exist? What exactly causes it? All our body cells need energy in order to perform their various functions, and the body's primary energy source is glucose or blood sugar.
This is a simple sugar which comes from digestion of carbohydrate laden foods, such as sugars and starches, and the glucose from this process circulates in the blood.
This makes for an immediate energy source for all the cells, body tissues and organs.
Insulin is a hormone produced by the pancreas, an organ located on the back side of the stomach.
This chemical stimulator bonds to receptor sites on the outside of cells, acting like a key to open the door into the cell.
Glucose thus enters the cells, and some of it can be converted to concentrated energy sources such as glycogen or fatty acids.
This saves the glucose for later energy usage.
But when not enough insulin is produced, or when the "doorway" no longer recognizes the "key," the glucose lingers in the blood instead of entering the cells.
Your body then tries to dilute the resulting higher levels of blood glucose, which causes hyperglycemia as the water is drawn out of the cells and into the bloodstream.
This is all in an effort to dilute blood sugars and excrete them into the urine.
People with undiagnosed diabetes are thus typically constantly thirsty and drink large amounts of fluids such as water, urinating frequently in an attempt to get rid of excess glucose.
You can check for large levels of glucose in the urine, a key sign of diabetes, by doing a simple urinalysis test.
This is mainly how doctors determine whether or not you have diabetes.
While the body is trying to rid itself of excess glucose in the blood, the cells are now starving for glucose, triggering your body to grow hungry and to eat more food.
The body will also provide energy for the starving cells by converting your available fats and proteins to glucose.
This breakdown of fats and proteins for the sake of gaining energy causes acid compounds called ketones to form in the blood, which will also be excreted in the urine.
Ketoacidosis occurs when too many ketones build up in the blood, and this condition can be life threatening, if left untreated.
Fortunately, there are nowadays many different ways to treat the signs and symptoms of diabetes, including ketoacidosis, through making minor to major lifestyle changes.
Diabetes, though a serious illness, does not have to mean the end of your life; rather, it points to the beginning of how to treat yourself for the rest of your life, in order to ensure your continuing good health, productivity and general well being.
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