Diabetes

What is diabetes?  It is a disease in which too much sugar (glucose) accumulates in you bloodstream, instead of being carried to cells throughout your body.  You do not get diabetes from eating too much sugar.  Your body normally converts some of the food you eat into glucose to provide energy for your body.  A hormone called insulin allows glucose to enter your cells.  If you have diabetes, either your pancreas stops making insulin or your body does not respond to the insulin it produces.  In Type I diabetes, the main problem is decreased insulin production.  In Type II diabetes, the main problem is a reduced response by your body to insulin.  Both types are associated with a higher risk of cardiovascular disease. 

Type I often occurs in younger people.  More than 90% of people with diabetes have Type II.  Most people who have Type II diabetes are overweight.  Evidently, obesity is a trigger that causes diabetes to develop in people who are genetically vulnerable.  Diabetes causes both a deficiency of insulin and an inability of your body’s cells to respond appropriately to insulin that is present.  A high fat diet in this case is also a risk factor for diabetes.

Many people do not even know they have diabetes.  Mild diabetes may produce no signs for years.  People who are older than 40, or are overweight or obese, or have a family history of diabetes have the greatest chance of developing type II diabetes.  Signs and symptoms of type I usually appear rather suddenly: increased thirst, increased volume and frequency of urination, weight loss despite increase appetite and fatigue.  Signs and symptoms of type II diabetes usually develop more gradually and may be subtle.  They include any of the above signs and symptoms except weight loss, in addition to the following: frequent or slow-to-heal infections, blurred vision, and tingling or numbness in the hands and feet.

If you or anyone you know are experiencing any of the signs and symptoms above, consult your doctor.  Various treatments will be implemented into your lifestyle such has exercise and change in diet to allow you to begin to living a healthier lifestyle.