What is Diabetes?
Diabetes is a disease resulting from the actions of the pancreas. The job of the pancreas is to release the hormone insulin that helps your body to both store and use the sugar in the food you eat. Basically, the insulin made by your pancreas allows your cells to turn the glucose in the food you eat into energy. Diabetes is the result of the following occurrences:
- The pancreas doesn’t produce any insulin.
- The pancreas produces only a small amount of insulin.
- Your body becomes “insulin resistant”. This is a condition when your body does not respond as it should to insulin.
Type 2 Diabetes
Glucose is a kind of sugar in your blood. The way your body handles glucose is affected by diabetes which is a disease that can last throughout your life.
Type 2 diabetes is the most common type. In fact, approximately 27 million people in the U.S. have it. An additional 86 million have a condition in which their glucose is higher than normal, but not so high to be considered diabetes yet.
With type 2 diabetes, the cells of your body do make insulin. However, the cells of your body simply do not use the insulin as they should. This is what doctors call “insulin resistant” diabetes. When this occurs, the pancreas tries to make enough insulin in order to get a sufficient amount of glucose into your cells. Since the pancreas is not able to keep up, there is a build-up of sugar in your blood.
One or more of the following can cause type 2 diabetes:
- DNA
- Being overweight
- Metabolic conditions
- Bad cell communication
- Liver produces too much glucose
Symptoms of Type 2 Diabetes
- Constant thirst
- Frequent urination
- Irritability
- Blurring of vision
- Extreme tiredness
- Numbness or tingling in feet or hands
- Wounds failing to heal
- Yeast infections constantly returning
Type 1 Diabetes
The pancreas of a person with type 1 diabetes doesn’t make insulin. As a result, you must take insulin for your entire life.
Type 1 Diabetes Early Symptoms
- Mouth often dry
- Feeling thirsty most of the time
- Breath is fruity
- Increased urination
Later Problems for Type 1 Diabetes
- Increased appetite
- Weight loss
- Drowsiness and lack of energy
Skin Problems
- Fungal and bacterial infections
- Poor circulation causing itching and dry skin
- Genital yeast infections in girls
- Babies often develop a severe diaper rash called candidiasis. The rash may also spread to stomach and thighs.
Serious Diabetic Complications
When blood sugar remains low, serious complications can develop such as:
- Blurring of vision
- Feet numb and tingling
- Hypoglycemia or low blood sugar
- Feinting
- Blood sugar that is too high or low can cause you to go into a diabetic coma. Unfortunately, there may not be any warning signs before this happens. You should immediately get emergency treatment.
Dangers of Ketones and Ketoacidosis
The biggest danger of type 1 diabetes is that without treatment your cells may be deprived of the sugar that is needed for energy. This results in your body burning fat for energy which causes a build-up of ketones in your blood. These ketones are acids and can poison your body. When this occurs along with other blood changes, a life-threatening condition called diabetic ketoacidosis can be triggered. It is essential that you seek emergency treatment immediately at the ER when this happens.
A1C Test
The average level of glucose in your blood over two to three months is determine by the A1C blood test. If you have diabetes, this test will check how well you are controlling your blood sugar levels. It is also used to properly diagnose diabetes.