Diabetes
What is diabetes?
Diabetes is an illness that keeps the body from
using food in the most effective ways.The disease causes sugar
to build up in the blood. Without treatment, diabetes can lead
to serious long-term health problems.
Is there just one type of diabetes?
There are two major types of diabetes.
Type 1: The body produces little
or no insulin, which is a hormone that breaks food down and helps
store food as usable energy.
Type 2: Occurs when the body can't
use insulin effectively. The most common type of diabetes in people
over age 20..
How common is diabetes? Who develops it?
In the United States today, nearly 16 million adults
and children have diabetes. Surprisingly, close to one-third of
the people with type 2 diabetes don't even realize they have it.
Generally, adults who develop type 2 diabetes are older than 45
and significantly overweight.
The number of children developing type 2 diabetes
has risen dramatically in recent years. Most children with type
2 diabetes are older than 10, and 85 percent of these children
are overweight or obese.
What are the risk factors?
Type 1:
- Immediate family member with type 1 diabetes
- Caucasians are at greater risk
Type 2:
- Family history of diabetes
- Limited regular exercise
- African Americans, American Indians, Hispanics, Asian Americans
and Pacific Islanders are at greater risk
- history of diabetes occurring during pregnancy (gestational
diabetes)
- Obesity
- Age 45 or older
- High blood pressure
- High cholesterol
Is it possible to prevent diabetes?
Type 2 diabetes can often be prevented by good fitness and maintaining
a sensible body weight. Even a small weight loss of 10 pounds, along
with a good diet and regular exercise, has shown to lower the risk
of developing type 2 diabetes.
What causes diabetes?
Scientists don't know for sure, but it seems that some people
are born with a tendency for diabetes. For some, the body doesn't
produce insulin that is needed to convert sugar into energy. Other
people produce enough insulin, but their body doesn't use the
insulin like it should, making them insulin resistant.
What is insulin resistance?
When functioning properly, your body uses insulin to allow glucose
9sugar) to enter your muscle, fat and liver cells where it is
converted to energy. In people who are insulin resistant, the
insulin does not work properly, and glucose stays in the blood
instead of being transported into cells.
Why should I be concerned about insulin resistance?
This condition puts you at a very high risk for a heart attack.
It also causes:
Over time, high blood glucose levels can lead to blindness, nerve
damage, kidney problems and heart disease.
What causes insulin resistance?
Scientists aren't sure of the exact causes of insulin resistance,
But people with one or more of the following risk factors have
an increased chance of becoming insulin resistant:
-
A parent or other close relative with type 2
diabetes
-
Being overweight and inactive
-
Women who had diabetes while pregnant
Does it matter if I fond help quickly?
Yes. The sooner you get help, the better. Over time, high blood
sugar can cause:
-
Nerve damage - leading to
foot sores, and problems with digestion and impotence.
-
Blood vessel damage - leading
to a higher risk for heart attack, stroke and blindness.
-
Narrowing of arteries - leading
to reduced blood flow to your feet and high risk for limb amputation.
-
Kidney damage - leading to
a higher risk of kidney failure.
What kind of treatment is available?
Managing your diabetes can help prevent or delay complication.
Once it is diagnosed, diabetes can be manage by:
-
Eating correctly
-
Losing weight if overweight or maintaining aa
sensible body weight
-
Follow an exercise routine
-
Taking medication and/or insulin if prescribed
by your doctor
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