Diabetes is a killer. It is estimated that over 16 million people in the US alone has diabetes. Diabetes can have serious lifelong conditions. half of the people that have diabetes don’t even know that they have it.

Diabetes is a disorder of the metabolism. Metabolism is the way our body digests food for growth and energy. Most of the food we eat is broken down by our digestive juices into simple sugar. This simple sugar is called glucose. Glucose is the main source of fuel for the body. For this source of fuel to get into the cells insulin must be present. Insulin is a hormone produced by the pancreas.

There are three types of diabetes. The three are type 1 diabetes, type 2 diabetes and finally gestational diabetes.

Type 1 diabetes is also known as insulin dependent or juvenile diabetes. Someone with type 1 diabetes needs daily injections of insulin to live. Type 1 diabetes accounts for about 23 percent of all diagnosed cases of diabetes in the US. Symptoms include increased thirst, unrination, constant hunger, weight loss, blurred vision, and extreme tiredness. If not diagnosed and treated with insulin a person can lapse into a life threating coma.

Type 2 diabetes usually appears in people over the age of 45 years old. The body cells resist insulin. The insulin resistance may be due to obesity and lack of physcial activity.

Gestational diabetes develops during pregnancy. This type of diabetes disappears after the birth of the child. But the woman who have gestational diabetes has a greater risk of getting type 2 diabetes later in life.

Diabetes affects 16 million people: some of its complications are blindness, kidney failure, amputation.

Blindness results because of damage to the retina. Kidney failure happens because the kidney blood filtering unit is damaged. In the toes and feet, damaged nerves impair circulation and may lead to amputation.

Getting treated early can save your life. So go and see your doctor early.


BDST: 1549 HRS, Dec-30, 2013
Edited by: Sharmina islam, Lifestyle Editor