Health Treatment Guide

What is Diabetes?

iabetes refers to a condition whereby you have abnormally high levels of glucose in the bloodstream. The pancreas produces insulin and insulin is used to lower blood glucose levels. If the pancreas does not produce enough insulin, your body will develop diabetes.

Diabetic symptoms include an increased desire to urinate, extreme hunger and thirst, and chronic fatigue. To diagnose for diabetes, you need to go through a blood sugar test. There are many complications that can arise once you are found to have diabetes. These complications include disease of the blood vessels, blindness, kidney damage, and damage to the nerves and heart.

There are two types of diabetes; Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes. Of the two, Type 1 diabetes is the more severe one. Treatment for Type 1 diabetes involves adopting a special diet, exercise, and a weight loss plan before insulin is added. Type 1 diabetes is considered an insulin dependent disease.

Type 2 diabetes is initially treated with a diabetic diet, exercise and weight loss. Only if they are unsuccessful, would oral medications be recommended. Insulin is usually administered as a last resort. Type 2 diabetes normally occurs in middle aged adults or older. The pancreas is still producing the correct amount of insulin but in these cases, the body has developed a resistance to it.

Your risk to developing diabetes increases if one of your family members has diabetes. You will have to seriously consider losing weight, exercising regularly and controlling your diet. Over two million adolescents are in the prediabetes stage largely because of being overweight. Teens usually develop high levels of glucose between the ages of 12 and 19.

Gestational diabetes is developed by pregnant women but will normally disappear after the birth of their baby. Treatment is usually needed for the mother to help stabilize the blood glucose levels. This will decrease the chance of complications to the baby.

Onset juvenile diabetes is a well-known form of diabetes that affects many of our nation’s children. It is considered the onset of Type 1 diabetes and is found early in childhood. If your child is experiencing even a few of the symptoms of diabetes, it is important that you have them checked by your doctor.

Diabetes is now the fifth leading cause of death in the United States. If someone in your family has diabetes, then you should get a regular blood glucose test. This help you determine the onset of diabetes and take the necessary precautions.

Tags: Diabetes News