What Is Diabetes?

If you think that you are prone to diabetes, the first thing that you need to know is to understand what is the illness all about. Experts say that diabetes is a chronic disease, which develop among people who have the inability to utilize the glucose in their food to be used as energy. The illness develops when the accumulated glucose stays in the persons bloodstream for a long time. Over a period of time, this amount of glucose, can bring potential harm to the persons other organs such as the eyes, kidneys, heart, and even the nerves themselves.

After having sufficient knowledge about it and how the disease develops, the next step is to know what kind of diabetes that are known and acknowledged by experts and physicians. Today, there are three major types of diabetes including Type 1 diabetes, Type 2 diabetes, and Gestational diabetes. Knowing what they are and what sets each one apart from one other will help people who are prone to diabetes where to focus in trying to manage their condition.

What type are you?

Type 1diabetes otherwise known as juvenile diabetes or insulin-dependent diabetes, is considered as the least common type of diabetes there is. Experts say that it is an auto-immune disease that makes the bodys immune systemwhich serves as a shield against infectiongone not of working order, thus, savaging the cells located in the pancreas which is responsible for producing insulin. For peopleespecially those who are prone to diabetesinsulin is very important in breaking down the food once eaten.

People who suffer from type 1 diabetes has the inability to make insulin, thus, their bodys are easily damaged by the accumulate glucose in the body. Since they need insulin to get by, people who are suffering from this type of diabetes need a regular supply of insulin 24/7. Children and young adults are prone to this type of diabetes but this occur at any age or can be a result of an illness. Type 1diabetes sufferers exhibit characteristics such as onset thirst, often urination, and drastic weight loss. Next is the type 2 diabetes, which is also known as non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus and adult-onset diabetes. What sets it apart from the type 1diabetes is that the person suffering from this has the ability to make insulin its just that the amount produced in not enough for the body to use it efficiently.

This type is considered as the common type of diabetes, which usually develops among people who are more than 40 years of age. People who are prone to this type of diabetes are usually those who are overweight or obese and those that have sedentary lifestyle. Being a progressive disease, type 2 diabetes can also lead to more severe complications like diseases including the heart, the kidney, the eyes through blindness and amputation or loss of limbs. People who suffer from type 2 diabetes are also characterized by slow or onset thirstiness, repeated urination, and loss of weight usually develops is a span of weeks to weeks.

The last type is called gestational diabetes which develops during pregnancy. Normally, this type of diabetes ends after giving birth but there are also those cases in some women that develop this type diabetes as they get older. Gestational diabetes, though it is common among pregnant women, should be monitored because theres a big chance of leading to type 2 diabetes.