Diabetes

#33

Diabetes is a chronic disease that occurs when the pancreas produces an insufficient amount of insulin or when the body is unable to use the insulin that the pancreas produces. Insulin is a hormone that manages the body’s blood sugar levels by letting glucose (sugar) go from the bloodstream to the body’s cells to make energy.

Types

There are many types of diabetes, such as gestational diabetes, neonatal diabetes, cystic fibrosis diabetes, and more. However, only type 1 and type 2 diabetes will be covered here, as they are the most commonly seen types of diabetes.

Type 1:

• the pancreas produces little to no insulin

• usually appears in children and adolescents, but can also occur in adults

• no cure, not preventable

Type 2:

• the body’s cells do not respond normally to insulin, causing the pancreas to produce more insulin to make cells respond

• overproduction of insulin can lead to high blood sugar (hyperglycemia)

• unnoticeable symptoms can develop over the course of several years

• preventable

• you may be more at risk if you are: overweight, physically inactive, over the age of 45, or have a family history of type 2 diabetes

Symptoms

Symptoms of type 1 and type 2 diabetes include feeling more thirsty than usual, urinating more often than normal, blurry vision, getting slow-healing sores, tiredness, numb/tingling hands or feet, and losing weight.

Treatment

A healthy diet and regular physical activity are two small but important things that help control the body’s blood sugar level. For individuals with type 1 diabetes, treatment can include an insulin pump and checking blood sugar frequently. Other treatments include medicines, insulin injections, and weight loss surgery (for type 2).

Sources:

WHO

Mayo Clinic

NIDDK

CDC