What Is Diabetes

Diabetes is the leading cause of blindness, renal failure, and amputation in the United States, and is associated with a range of complications, including heart attacks, strokes, amputations and loss of vision. It is characterized by glucose intolerance and is caused by an imbalance between the body’s insulin supply and insulin demand.

In reality no one knows the real cause of diabetes but there are a lot of factors which seem to contribute to the condition. The most common of all these factors is genetics. Obesity and lack of exercise, or a poor diet, are just some of the other factors which may lead to diabetes as well. Proof exists which supports the theory that lifestyle has a great impact on the likelihood of a person developing diabetes or not. Lifestyle can also have an immense impact on the rate of progress of your disease and how bad your symptoms are.

Diabetes is often described as type 1, type 2, or gestational diabetes, and it is caused by a combination of genetic and lifestyle factors.

Diabetes Mellitus Type I is often called insulin-dependent diabetes It occurs at a young age and is sometimes called “Juvenile Diabetes.” It is often caused by a viral attack on the system, but most experts are of the opinion that the body’s immune system is weak when this occurs. With the destruction of the beta cells in the pancreas which manufactures the insulin, the body is unable to utilize glucose, the main food for the body.

Consequently, the level of glucose is high in the blood since the body can’t absorb it. This is often called “insulin resistance.” The diabetic’s blood becomes “too thick” or “sticky” and this causes blood clots or thromboses that damage blood vessels. Type 1 diabetes, also known as insulin dependent diabetes mellitus or IDDM, accounts for 5 percent to 10 percent of diagnosed cases of diabetes. Type 1 Diabetes is considered an autoimmune disease and is usually diagnosed in children and young adults.

Type 2 diabetes may account for about 90% to 95% of all diagnosed cases of diabetes and affects approximately 8 percent of adults in the United States. This disorder is a little different in that the pancreas does produce insulin, but for some reason the insulin is not effective. Some of the common symptoms are poor vision; fatigue; frequent urination; skin infections, and slow healing of wounds as well as unusual thirst, drowsiness, and tingling or numbness in the feet.

This disease is also linked to a poor diet. The National Institute of Health says that there are twenty to twenty-five million people with diabetes type problems, many have undetected Type II (some five million). Diabetes is the third leading cause of death in America. It can be detected with a simple urine test.

Diabetes is a life-long condition. So understanding the facts about this disease is important, so that the person affected can sustain his life throughout, despite the presence of diabetes. This allows you to live a full and enjoyable life.

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