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When the body does not produce enough insulin it develops a condition called diabetes. Insulin is a hormone. The hormone converts sugar, starches and other food into energy. No one knows for sure what causes diabetes, but genetics and general health factors are taken into consideration when a person’s risk of getting diabetes is assessed.
According to the American Diabetes Association, 18.2 million people in the United States (that’s 6.3% of the population) have diabetes. Of those, 5.2 million people do not even know they have the disease.
There are Two Types of Diabetes
There are different types of diabetes simply called, type 1 diabetes and type 2 diabetes. Some people have a condition called pre-diabetes. Gestational diabetes is another form of the disease that affects about 4 percent of all pregnant women in America each year.
Type 1 diabetes happens when the body fails to produce insulin. About 5-10 percent of Americans who are diagnosed with the disease have type 1 diabetes.
Type 2 diabetes occurs when the body can’t use the insulin it produces properly. The body becomes insulin resistant. The body also suffers from relative insulin deficiency.
Gestational diabetes strikes about 135,000 pregnant women in the United States each year.
Pre-diabetes is diagnosed when a person's blood glucose levels are higher than normal, not high enough for a diagnosis of type 2 diabetes. According to the American Diabetes Association, about 41 million Americans are pre-diabetic.
Some races have a higher incidence of diabetes. It is more common in African Americans, Latinos, Native Americans, Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders.
Following are some of the symptoms of diabetes that seem harmless enough individually, but combined can add up to diabetes. Many people have diabetes and don’t even know it because they ignore the warning signs. Like many diseases, the severity of diabetes can be reduced with early detection and treatment. If you have any of the following symptoms, see your doctor right away:
• frequent urination
• excessive thirst
• extreme hunger
• unusual weight loss
• increased fatigue
• irritability
• blurry vision
Sometimes diabetes can be regulated with diet. Depending on the severity of the disease, the diabetic might have to take medication and regulate diabetes with insulin.
Type 2 diabetes is the most common form of diabetes. When type 2 diabetes occurs, the body isn’t producing enough insulin or the cells don’t use the insulin properly. The body needs insulin and needs to be able to use it in order to turn sugars into energy by taking it from the blood and delivering it to cells.
If you have type 2 diabetes, your cells could be starved for energy. If the condition is allowed to persist, your eyes, kidneys nerves and heart will most likely begin to suffer.
Diabetes is serious, but people who are diagnosed and take good care of themselves can live long lives in generally good health.
You should always make it a priority to take good care of your body, but it is necessary to take extra good care of your body when you have diabetes. People who are diagnosed with diabetes should take special care of their eyes, feet, skin and teeth.
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