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There are in fact two major variations of diabetes – Type 1 and Type 2, and they are quite different in cause and treatment regime. There also exists a type of diabetes called gestational diabetes that is only suffered by pregnant women. To understand diabetes, we must first appreciate the role that insulin plays in our body. When we consume fructose, glucose or carbohydrates, our system breaks them down into glucose within the blood stream. In order to utilise the glucose to produce energy, our pancreas produces insulin which 'unlocks' receptors in our cells and permits the glucose to enter the cells and be used for energy. In Type 1 diabetes the body is incapable of producing sufficient insulin to regulate blood sugar levels correctly. It is often referred to as insulin dependant diabetes or juvenile diabetes, and it is usually found in people under 30 years of age. The condition comes on quite suddenly and is recognised by severe thirst brought on by an excess of glucose in the blood stream. This consequently results in excessive urination, another symptom. It is a chronic condition – in other words, it is a lifelong condition. It seems that the pancreatic cells that normally produce the insulin could have been destroyed or damaged by the body's own immune system. Type 1 diabetics make up around 5-10% of diabetes sufferers and it is treated by administering insulin either by injection or by a drip feed. There is a danger for type 1 diabetics that they may suddenly lose consciousness and they are also at risk for serious complications. A recent technological breakthrough has created a new treatment involving the transplantation of islet cells, and although the recipient has to take anti-rejection drugs, the newly introduced cells are able to produce insulin and patients involved in the trial have reported greatly reduced need for insulin injection. It is hoped that the injections may eventually be totally eliminated through more transplants of islet cells. Type 1 diabetics are liable over time to be affected by sight problems, micro-vascular disorders, vascular disorders and kidney problems due largely to deterioration in their blood vessels. Type 2 diabetes applies to the vast majority of diabetes cases. Patients with type 2 diabetes can produce insulin, but their cell receptors have become resistant to the chemical. Their body must therefore produce greater amounts of insulin to be able to 'unlock' the cells so that they can extract the glucose from the blood stream. Eventually, these sufferers reach the point where they cannot produce enough insulin to reduce the glucose in their body. The disease affects 15-20% of people over sixty. A substantial number of adults remain undiagnosed as diabetes sufferers. It is normally discovered during a doctor's check-up following complaints of problems such as urinary, skin or chest infections. Type 2 diabetes can be managed through weight reduction and diet control or through tablets. Although there is an inherited predisposition to the disease in 80% of cases, it is kick started by being overweight, not taking sufficient exercise and eating too much food full of high glycaemic index carbohydrates (white rice, white bread, sugar and fruit).Weight management, exercise and an eating regime low in sugars, fructose and processed carbohydrates are recognised as important techniques when trying to avoid the disease. More alarming is the recent trend of children being found suffering from Type 2 diabetes. This is almost certainly due to the prevalence of overweight children, combined with the shortage of exercise that overweight children take and the diet they follow that is high in sugar and carbohydrates with a high glycaemic index. Gestational diabetes affects around 4% of women during their pregnancy. Most of them recover from this form of diabetes once the baby has been born, but it does appear to indicate an increased risk of contracting type 2 diabetes later in their lives. The most well known symptom of diabetes is constant thirst and subsequent regular urination. Other symptoms include constant fatigue, itching, unexplained weight loss, dizziness and pain in the legs whilst walking. If diabetes only involved taking insulin for the remainder of your life, it wouldn't be such a worrying problem. Diabetics have a number of elevated risks including: - double the rate of heart disease as non-diabetics - five times more likely to have a stroke - the most frequent cause of amputation of limbs discounting accidents - diabetes is the most likely cause in all new cases of blindness in people aged between 24 and 74 - the leading cause of end-stage renal disease and over one third of new kidney diseases. Consistent and accurate management of blood sugars lowers the odds of any of the above occurring.
Article Source: http://www.rightarticle.com
This article on the causes and treatment of diabetes was written by Terry Cod, a travel writer who himself suffers from the illness. He is the owner of www.twistedorange.co.uk/ which has sections on diet plans.
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