What is Diabetes?
When you hear the word "diabetes," what are the first few words that pop into your mind? Chocolate, sugar, candy etc.? Or does it echo, amputation, low insulin, or even death? Whether either or neither of these thoughts sprouted into your mind when the word was said, it is still important to know the facts and dangers of having diabetes, and knowing what to do if you are in the place of having it. So, for starters, what even is diabetes? Well, when you eat, your body mostly breaks down what you eat into sugars, otherwise known as glucose. That glucose is released into your bloodstream, where then the pancreas is instructed to release insulin, which allows the sugars to the cells, creating energy for the body; for people that have diabetes, this results to lower insulin levels or less efficient insulin, which don't allow sugars to be converted to energy, but rather stay in the blood. This can have harmful effects to the human body. Now, let's dive into the different and major types of diabetes that we can run into.
What Are The Different Types?
Some of the varieties we are going to explore today are Type-1 Diabetes and Type-2 Diabetes. You have probably heard these terms used in every day language, but have you ever questioned what differentiates the two? Well, to start off, the primary difference between the two is whether the pancreas makes or doesn't make insulin. Like we mentioned before, the pancreas is responsible for making insulin and making sure the glucose is going to the cells to create energy. In Type-1 diabetes, the pancreas doesn't make insulin, possibly because the immune system attacks the pancreas. As for Type-2, your pancreas may make less insulin or your pancreas may produce enough insulin, but the body's cells don't respond to the insulin causing insulin resistance. So, what symptoms occur when you have these types of diabetes?
Symptoms
According to the UVA health, listed below include the symptoms that occur to both or one type of diabetes
Signs of both Type-1 and Type-2 diabetes include:
Extreme thirst
Hunger
Fatigue
Blurry vision
Irritability
Increased urination
Headaches
People with Type-2 diabetes may also experience:
Frequent or recurring infections
Poor wound healing
Numbness or tingling in the hands or feet
Problems with gums
Itching
Problems having an erection
Solution?
While there is no current cure for diabetes, there are many ways to treat it. In Type-1 Diabetes, insulin is required in order control the glucose. In Type-2 Diabetes, insulin and other medications are available to manage the diabetes. There are many different types of insulins so your doctor will choose the one that matches you the best. You should also always be aware of your glucose content, because too much or too little glucose can cause serious issues, where death is a possible consequence.
Well, as this was only a quick synopsis of diabetes, make sure to do your own research on whether you have it or not and what you should do as for treating it!
Assessed and Endorsed by the MedReport Medical Review Board