What is diabetes?
Diabetes is when someone has too much sugar in their blood. There are two main kinds:
Type 1 diabetes is when the body's own defenses attack and destroy the cells that make insulin, a hormone needed to control blood sugar.
Type 2 diabetes happens when the body doesn't make enough insulin or when the cells don't use it properly. It's much more common than Type 1, with over 90% of adult cases in the UK being Type 2.
During pregnancy, high blood sugar is called gestational diabetes. It usually goes away after the baby is born..
Symptoms
- Increased thirst
- Frequent urination
- Extreme hunger
- Unexplained weight loss
- Fatigue
- Blurred vision
- Slow wound healing
- Frequent infections.
Treatment
Diabetes treatment involves:
- Lifestyle changes: Eating well, exercising, and maintaining a healthy weight.
- Medication: Taking prescribed drugs like insulin or metformin.
- Checking blood sugar levels regularly.
- Managing other health problems like heart disease.
- Regular medical check-ups for monitoring and adjustments.
Causes
Diabetes can be caused by various factors, including:
- Genetics: Family history can predispose individuals to diabetes.
- Lifestyle: Unhealthy habits like poor diet, lack of physical activity, and obesity can increase the risk.
- Autoimmune response: In type 1 diabetes, the immune system mistakenly attacks insulin-producing cells.
- Insulin resistance: In type 2 diabetes, the body's cells don't respond properly to insulin, leading to elevated blood sugar levels..
Sources:
@medyouthalliance
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