What is diabetes?
Diabetes is when your body isn’t producing effective or enough insulin. Insulin helps your body break down the sugar in your blood that comes from the food you eat. It can lead to many health complications such as vision loss, heart disease, and kidney disease. Diabetes is one of the major causes of morbidity and mortality in the world. There is still no definitive cure for diabetes, but there are treatments that can help control and regulate your blood sugar.
Do I have diabetes?
Some common symptoms of diabetes are
- Increased thirst
- Increased frequency of urination during the night
- Increased frequency of urination
- Dry or abnormally dark patches of skin
- Numb/tingling hands or feet
- Blurry vision
- Weight loss
- Random blood sugar of 200 mg/dl or more.
If you are experiencing one or more of these symptoms, you should get tested for diabetes.
What is the difference between type 1 and 2 diabetes?
Type one diabetes is when your body’s immune system attacks the cells in your pancreas that produce insulin. This makes it so that the sugar in your blood isn’t broken down fast enough. This is where the terms “high blood sugar” or “high blood glucose” come from.
Type two diabetes, on the other hand, occurs when your fat, muscle, and liver cells are unaffected by insulin. Your pancreas sometimes is also unable to make enough insulin to regulate blood sugar levels. This leads to the same problem, which is too much glucose, or sugar, in your bloodstream.
What are the causes of diabetes?
The reasons for type one diabetes are mostly unknown, but some possible causes are exposure to viruses/environmental factors and genetics.
Type two diabetes is caused by a variety of factors such as:
- Race and ethnicity
- Family history
- Inactivity
- Fat distribution
- Weight
- Blood lipid levels
- Age
- Prediabetes
The best way to reduce your risk of type two diabetes is to make lifestyle changes like exercising frequently and eating healthy.
Is diabetes really that serious?
Diabetes can lead to many very serious issues, including:
- Heart and circulatory system disease
- Skin conditions
- Sleep apnea
- Nerve damage
How is diabetes usually treated?
The treatment depends on the type of diabetes and overall health profile, for which it is wise to consult your doctor and also to see your doctor at least 3 times a year.
If you think that you may have diabetes, seek medical attention immediately. The best place to start is your primary care physician. If you’re looking for one in the Plano, Frisco, or Irving area, feel free to contact us at 214-666-6259 or the contact us tab above.
Author Jai Sammpath
