What is Diabetes?

What is Diabetes? It is a disease that an increasing number of people are facing. It is also for many people a disease, which is unknown. There are some who believe that you can only get diabetes if you are old or obese. The facts are not so simple. Diabetes can affect anyone, young or old, weight proportionate or obese and it can affect people from any income group or background. It is true that there are some factors, which can make a person more likely to develop diabetes. Answering this question can go a long way to removing the mystery and fear that shrouds this disease.

The medical definition of diabetes, defines it as a metabolic disorder. It affects the way that the body processes food and nutrients for energy. Insulin is a necessary chemical, which allows the body to absorb glucose, the primary source of fuel that the body gets from food. In the case of diabetes the pancreas does one of two things, produces too much insulin for the amount of glucose present or produces too little. It can also affect the cells causing them respond differently than they should when insulin is present.

When answering what is diabetes an additional question what type of diabetes needs to be asked as well. There are several types of diabetes. They are classified by the symptoms that are attributed to them and the type of diabetes helps to determine the treatment plan necessary to counteract the effects of diabetes. The three types are type 1, type 2 and gestational diabetes.

Type 1 diabetes is characterized by weight loss, constant hunger, chronic and extreme fatigue as well as an increase in urination and thirst and blurred vision. These symptoms are caused by the body being unable to recognize insulin producing cells. As a result, the body attacks these cells preventing the body from being able to process glucose.

Type 2 diabetes is actually the type that comes to people's minds when you ask what is diabetes or they hear the term. It is most often associated with obesity because the majority of people who suffer from this type of diabetes are overweight. In fact, type 2 diabetes comprises 90-95% of all cases. Symptoms do not appear as quickly but are the same as type 1 diabetes except for the addition of slow healing. Wounds take longer to heal and it is easier to get sores. In some cases, you may not see any symptoms at all.

Gestational diabetes affects women late in pregnancy, it usually reverses itself after the birth of the child however it does increase the chances of developing type 2 diabetes later in life. A family history, inactivity or even belonging to some ethnic groups can increase your chance of developing diabetes.

Testing for diabetes is not hard. It can be done with a few simple tests. These tests are necessary, as type 2 diabetes may not present symptoms. The primary test is a fasting blood glucose test. This usually requires fasting for more than 8 hours then testing the glucose level in the body. Diagnosis is usually made if this test shows a 126 mg/dL result. The OGTT or oral glucose tolerance test is also a method for testing diabetes. This involves drinking a drink containing 75 g of glucose after a wait of 2 hours a blood glucose level of 200 mg/dL usually warrants a diagnosis of diabetes. A 200mg/dL glucose level with random testing may also indicate diabetes if other symptoms exist.

Anyone can be at risk for developing diabetes. It could be in the family history, the genetic ethic background or simply the lifestyle a person is leading. The important thing is to learn how to manage diabetes. One of the best ways is by changing nutritional habits and activity levels diabetes can be effectively managed in many cases. There are many resources many of which are supplied by the American Diabetic Association that can provide a good and reliable starting point for information on managing diabetes.

Preventing diabetes begins with providing an overall healthy lifestyle. It is important to eat properly and exercise regularly. This keeps the body working at its best and can help to prevent the development of diabetes. While it may not be able to prevent all forms of diabetes, it can go a long way to preventing and managing diabetes once a diagnosis is made. Learning about and answering the question what is diabetes is the best way to not only prevent but manage diabetes.

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  References:

  http://diabetes.niddk.nih.gov/dm/pubs/overview/
  
  

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