Understanding Diabetes
Practically each one of us is aware of a person who has diabetes. Approximately 16 million individuals in the united states have diabetes mellitus–a serious, life long affliction. About half of these folks don’t realize they have diabetes and are not under care for the disorder. Each year, about 650,000 people are diagnosed with diabetes. Despite the fact that diabetes occurs most often in older adults, it is one of the most common chronic diseases in children in the United States. About 127,000 children and teenagers age 19 and younger have diabetes.
What exactly is Diabetes?
Diabetes is a problem with metabolism–the way our bodies utilize digested food for growth and energy. Most of the food we eat is broken down by the digestive juices into a simple sugar known as glucose. Glucose is the main source of fuel for the body. After digestion, the glucose passes into our bloodstream where it is readily available for body cells to make use of for growth and energy. For the glucose to enter the cells, insulin has to be present. Insulin is a hormone produced by the pancreas.
When we eat, the pancreas is supposed to automatically deliver the right amount of insulin to move the glucose from our bloodstream directly into our cells. In people with diabetic issues, however, the pancreas either produces little or no insulin, or the body cells do not respond to the insulin that is made. As a result, glucose builds up in the blood, flows over into the urine, and passes out of the body. Thereby, the body loses its main supply of fuel even though the blood contains large amounts of glucose.
The three primary types of diabetes are:
•Insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) or Type I diabetes
•Noninsulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) or Type II diabetes
•Gestational diabetes.
Insulin-Dependent Diabetes
Insulin-dependent diabetes is regarded as an autoimmune disease. An autoimmune disease developes when the body’s system for combating infection (the immune system) turns against a part of the body. In diabetes, the body’s defense mechanisms attacks the insulin-producing beta cells in the pancreas and destroys them. The pancreas then produces little or no insulin.
People with IDDM must have daily injections of insulin to live. Currently, scientists don’t know exactly what causes the body’s immune system to attack the beta cells, but they believe that both genetic factors and viruses are involved. IDDM accounts for about five to ten percent of diagnosed diabetes in the usa.
IDDM develops usually in children and young adults, however the disorder could appear at any age. Signs and symptoms of IDDM usually develop over a short period, although beta cell destruction can start months, even years, earlier. Symptoms include increased thirst and urination, constant hunger, weight loss, blurred vision, and extreme fatigue. If not diagnosed and treated with insulin, a person can lapse into a life-threatening coma.