Established 2005
To manage diabetes, it helps to understand how it affects your body. In
healthy people, the body turns food into glucose (blood sugar) to use for
energy. Insulin, produced by the pancreas, is the hormone responsible for
shuttling glucose into the body's cells where it is either used right away
or stored for later use. With diabetes, however, high levels of glucose
build up in the blood because either the pancreas doesn't produce enough
insulin or the body can't use the insulin it produces. Your treatment will
depend on which problem you have.
Diabetes is broken down into three categories: type 1 or type 2 or
gestational.
Type 1 diabetes occurs when the body's immune system destroys the
insulin-producing cells in the pancreas, usually leading to a total halt in
insulin production. Insulin shots or the use an insulin pump to keep the
blood glucose within normal range is a daily activity. Insulin - stimulates
the entry of glucose into fat cells. Glucose is a simple sugar that normally
enters the cells of liver, fat and muscle to be stored or converted into
energy. Because insulin is one of the "major" hormones, it's also impossible
for your body to balance its "minor" hormones until your insulin metabolism
is balanced first. Without insulin, blood glucose rises to dangerously high
levels, if not treated it can lead to a coma or death. Type 1 most often
occurs in children or young adults. Type 1 diabetes is usually referred to
as insulin-dependent or juvenile diabetes. Type 1 diabetes often appears
suddenly. Knowing the symptoms of diabetes can help you determine what steps
to take. Here are some of the symptoms:
High levels of sugar in the blood
High levels of sugar in the urine
Frequent urination
Extreme hunger
Extreme thirst
Extreme weight loss
Weakness and fatigue
Moodiness and irritability
Nausea and vomiting
In type 2, the pancreas produces some insulin, but the body in unable to use
it properly. This leads to high levels of glucose in the blood. Because
people with type 2 diabetes are often overweight, treatment usually includes
weight loss. Until recently, type 2 diabetes was called non-insulin
dependent or adult-onset diabetes. Often, type 2 diabetes develops slowly,
and symptoms are mild:
Increased thirst
More frequent urination
Edginess, fatigue, and nausea
Increased appetite accompanied by weight loss
Repeated or hard-to-heal infections (for example, skin, gum, vaginal, or
bladder)
Blurred vision
Tingling or numbness in the hands or feet
Dry, itchy skin
Gestational diabetes occurs during pregnancy when blood glucose levels rise
above average. After delivery, blood glucose usually returns to normal,
though women who have gestational diabetes are at greater risk for
developing type 2 diabetes. Gestational diabetes, if left uncontrolled can
lead to high blood pressure or a large baby. Most pregnant women are
routinely tested for the condition. If you test positive, your doctor and
registered dietitian will work closely with you to keep your blood glucose
under control.
For anyone with diabetes, it is encouraging to know that the future gets
brighter every day for managing the disease. Ongoing research provides
people with the most up-to-date information and successful treatment plans
possible. Diabetes information along with good diabetes management will help
your body to function closer to normal.
To help you feel confident in managing diabetes, you can obtain additional
information on what it is, who is at risk, how it's diagnosed, and how it's
treated. You can also get information on eating well with diabetes. You can
learn the role of food in managing your blood sugar levels. You'll also get
the latest nutrition advice; tips for shopping, cooking, and eating out; and
the basics of building a meal plan using food exchange tips from the
American Diabetes Association and The American Dietetic Association.
About the author:
For more information about diabetes go to:
http://www.DiabetesInfoHelp.com
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