DIABETES (TYPE I AND TYPE II)
(Note of BB MAM)
Diabetes mellitus refers to a group of diseases that affect how your body uses blood sugar (glucose).
Glucose is vital to your health because it's an important source of energy for the cells that make up
your muscles and tissues. It's also your brain's main source of fuel.
The underlying cause of diabetes varies by type. But, no matter what type of diabetes you have, it can
lead to excess sugar in your blood. Too much sugar in your blood can lead to serious health problems.
Chronic diabetes conditions include type 1 diabetes and type 2 diabetes. Potentially reversible
diabetes conditions include prediabetes and gestational diabetes. Prediabetes occurs when your
blood sugar levels are higher than normal, but not high enough to be classified as diabetes. And
prediabetes is often the precursor of diabetes unless appropriate measures are taken to prevent
progression. Gestational diabetes occurs during pregnancy but may resolve after the baby is delivered.
Symptoms
Diabetes symptoms vary depending on how much your blood sugar is elevated. Some people,
especially those with prediabetes or type 2 diabetes, may sometimes not experience symptoms. In
type 1 diabetes, symptoms tend to come on quickly and be more severe.
Some of the signs and symptoms of type 1 diabetes and type 2 diabetes are:
Increased thirst
Frequent urination
Extreme hunger
Unexplained weight loss
Presence of ketones in the urine (ketones are a byproduct of the breakdown of muscle
and fat that happens when there's not enough available insulin)
Fatigue
Irritability
Blurred vision
Slow-healing sores
Frequent infections, such as gums or skin infections and vaginal infections
Type 1 diabetes can develop at any age, though it often appears during childhood or adolescence.
Type 2 diabetes, the more common type, can develop at any age, though it's more common in
people older than 40.
, Causes
How insulin works
Insulin is a hormone that comes from a gland situated behind and below the stomach (pancreas).
The pancreas secretes insulin into the bloodstream. The insulin circulates, enabling sugar to enter your
cells. Insulin lowers the amount of sugar in your bloodstream .As your blood sugar level drops, so does
the secretion of insulin from your pancreas.
Glucose , a sugar , is a source of energy for the cells that make up muscles and other tissues. Glucose
comes from two major sources: food and your liver. Sugar is absorbed into the bloodstream, where it
enters cells with the help of insulin. Your liver stores and makes glucose. When your glucose levels are
low, such as when you haven't eaten in a while, the liver breaks down stored glycogen into glucose to
keep your glucose level within a normal range.
Causes of type 1 diabetes
The exact cause of type 1 diabetes is unknown. What is known is that your immune system — which
normally fights harmful bacteria or viruses — attacks and destroys your insulin-producing cells in the
pancreas. This leaves you with little or no insulin. Instead of being transported into your cells, sugar
builds up in your bloodstream.
Type 1 is thought to be caused by a combination of genetic susceptibility and environmental factors,
though exactly what those factors are is still unclear. Weight is not believed to be a factor in type 1
diabetes.
Causes of prediabetes and type 2 diabetes
In prediabetes — which can lead to type 2 diabetes — and in type 2 diabetes, your cells become
resistant to the action of insulin, and your pancreas is unable to make enough insulin to overcome this
resistance. Instead of moving into your cells where it's needed for energy, sugar builds up in your
bloodstream.
Exactly why this happens is uncertain, although it's believed that genetic and environmental factors
play a role in the development of type 2 diabetes too. Being overweight is strongly linked to the
development of type 2 diabetes, but not everyone with type 2 is overweight.
Causes of gestational diabetes
During pregnancy, the placenta produces hormones to sustain your pregnancy. These hormones
make your cells more resistant to insulin. Normally, your pancreas responds by producing enough
(Note of BB MAM)
Diabetes mellitus refers to a group of diseases that affect how your body uses blood sugar (glucose).
Glucose is vital to your health because it's an important source of energy for the cells that make up
your muscles and tissues. It's also your brain's main source of fuel.
The underlying cause of diabetes varies by type. But, no matter what type of diabetes you have, it can
lead to excess sugar in your blood. Too much sugar in your blood can lead to serious health problems.
Chronic diabetes conditions include type 1 diabetes and type 2 diabetes. Potentially reversible
diabetes conditions include prediabetes and gestational diabetes. Prediabetes occurs when your
blood sugar levels are higher than normal, but not high enough to be classified as diabetes. And
prediabetes is often the precursor of diabetes unless appropriate measures are taken to prevent
progression. Gestational diabetes occurs during pregnancy but may resolve after the baby is delivered.
Symptoms
Diabetes symptoms vary depending on how much your blood sugar is elevated. Some people,
especially those with prediabetes or type 2 diabetes, may sometimes not experience symptoms. In
type 1 diabetes, symptoms tend to come on quickly and be more severe.
Some of the signs and symptoms of type 1 diabetes and type 2 diabetes are:
Increased thirst
Frequent urination
Extreme hunger
Unexplained weight loss
Presence of ketones in the urine (ketones are a byproduct of the breakdown of muscle
and fat that happens when there's not enough available insulin)
Fatigue
Irritability
Blurred vision
Slow-healing sores
Frequent infections, such as gums or skin infections and vaginal infections
Type 1 diabetes can develop at any age, though it often appears during childhood or adolescence.
Type 2 diabetes, the more common type, can develop at any age, though it's more common in
people older than 40.
, Causes
How insulin works
Insulin is a hormone that comes from a gland situated behind and below the stomach (pancreas).
The pancreas secretes insulin into the bloodstream. The insulin circulates, enabling sugar to enter your
cells. Insulin lowers the amount of sugar in your bloodstream .As your blood sugar level drops, so does
the secretion of insulin from your pancreas.
Glucose , a sugar , is a source of energy for the cells that make up muscles and other tissues. Glucose
comes from two major sources: food and your liver. Sugar is absorbed into the bloodstream, where it
enters cells with the help of insulin. Your liver stores and makes glucose. When your glucose levels are
low, such as when you haven't eaten in a while, the liver breaks down stored glycogen into glucose to
keep your glucose level within a normal range.
Causes of type 1 diabetes
The exact cause of type 1 diabetes is unknown. What is known is that your immune system — which
normally fights harmful bacteria or viruses — attacks and destroys your insulin-producing cells in the
pancreas. This leaves you with little or no insulin. Instead of being transported into your cells, sugar
builds up in your bloodstream.
Type 1 is thought to be caused by a combination of genetic susceptibility and environmental factors,
though exactly what those factors are is still unclear. Weight is not believed to be a factor in type 1
diabetes.
Causes of prediabetes and type 2 diabetes
In prediabetes — which can lead to type 2 diabetes — and in type 2 diabetes, your cells become
resistant to the action of insulin, and your pancreas is unable to make enough insulin to overcome this
resistance. Instead of moving into your cells where it's needed for energy, sugar builds up in your
bloodstream.
Exactly why this happens is uncertain, although it's believed that genetic and environmental factors
play a role in the development of type 2 diabetes too. Being overweight is strongly linked to the
development of type 2 diabetes, but not everyone with type 2 is overweight.
Causes of gestational diabetes
During pregnancy, the placenta produces hormones to sustain your pregnancy. These hormones
make your cells more resistant to insulin. Normally, your pancreas responds by producing enough
