Statistics show that there are about twenty-six million people in America who have Diabetes. This is roughly 8.3% of the population, an alarmingly high number that points to the need for people to become more educated about the disease, the different types, the wide prevalence, the symptoms to look for, and how it can be treated. By gathering this information, the concerned reader can learn to be aware of the disease, learn how to spot it and find out about the necessary steps to take to get the disease under control and possibly increase his or her longevity.
There are three known types of diabetes; type one, type two, and gestational diabetes. Type one diabetes or juvenile diabetes is diagnosed in childhood and is a result of the body’s inability to produce little or no insulin. Endocrinologists believe that this form of diabetes begins with heredity; this is because certain genes predispose a person to type one diabetes. For such people, viruses such as rubella destroy the pancreatic beta cells, causing insulin to drop to a critically low level. The symptoms of this type of diabetes are; frequent urination, thirst, unexplained weight loss, dry mouth, blurred vision, tingling in both hands and feet, or even pain. Type one diabetes affects only about five to ten percent of those diagnosed with diabetes. It can be treated by administration of insulin injections, dry insulin inhalers, diet, exercise, and blood sugar level monitoring.
Diabetes type 2 is another type of diabetes. About eighty percent of people with diabetes are overweight. Millions of Americans are diagnosed with this type of diabetes. This is a type of diabetes where the pancreas produces very little insulin which is not sufficient for the body. Diabetes type two is mainly a result of the target cells rejecting the insulin produced in the body. The prevalence of this type of diabetes varies among ethnic groups; it is relatively high, for example, in Native Americans, Hispanics, and Asians. Other important risk factors are age, obesity, and lifestyle. In addition to oral medication or injectable insulin, physicians also recommend a healthy diet, weight loss, and exercise in the management of type 2 diabetes. If for any reason the above-mentioned reasons fail, insulin therapy can be utilized.
Gestational diabetes is a form of diabetes that manifests itself during pregnancy. It is mostly a result of the excess production of hormones during pregnancy. Women who are overweight before pregnancy and those who have a genetic history of diabetes are more susceptible to this type of diabetes. In addition, women who have high blood pressure, unexplained miscarriage or stillbirth, too much amniotic fluid, had a baby that was more than nine pounds, and those who had birth defects, are also prone to gestational diabetes. This type of diabetes usually goes away after pregnancy, but can sometimes turn into type two diabetes.
Another type of diabetes is surgically induced diabetes, which occurs if surgery is performed on the pancreas. This may be either temporary or permanent and may be determined by blood sugar monitoring. Chemically induced diabetes may be a result of medications such as steroids.
While there is no cure once a person is diagnosed with diabetes, there are certain things a person can do to prevent it; making lifestyle changes, eating healthy foods, maintaining a healthy weight, exercising, and blood glucose level screenings for anyone above forty-five years of age.
