What is Diabetes?

What is Diabetes?

Diabetes is a chronic disease that affects as many as 16 million Americans. For reasons that are not yet clear, diabetes is increasing in our population to the point where public health authorities are calling diabetes an "epidemic" that requires urgent attention. Of the 16 million people with diabetes, about one-third of them don't even know they have it. Every year, 800,000 additional cases are diagnosed. It affects over six percent of the population now, and it is projected that nearly nine percent of all Americans will have diabetes by the year 2025. Health care costs for diabetes are estimated to be nearly $100 billion per year in the US. People with diabetes are unable to use the glucose in their food for energy. The glucose accumulates in the bloodstream, where it can damage the heart, kidneys, eyes and nerves. Left untreated, diabetes can develop devastating complications. It is one of the leading causes of death and disability in the United States. However, the good news is that with proper care, people with diabetes can lead normal, satisfying lives. Much of this care is "self-managed," meaning that if you have this condition, you must take day-to-day responsibility for your own care. Most important to managing the disease is to know as much about it as you can. The first thing to know is what kind of diabetes you have.

Type of Diabetes: 

There are Different Type of Diabetes:

1. Type 1 Diabetes:
2. Type 2 Diabetes:
3.  Gestational Diabetes:

Type 1 Diabetes:

Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease. An autoimmune disease results when the body’s system for fighting infection the immune system turns against a part of the body. In diabetes, the immune system attacks and destroys the insulin-producing beta cells in the pancreas. The pancreas then produces little or no insulin. A person who has type 1 diabetes must take insulin daily to live. At present, scientists do not know exactly what causes the body’s immune system to attack the beta cells, but they believe that autoimmune, genetic, and environmental factors, possibly viruses, are involved. Type 1 diabetes accounts for about 5 to 10 percent of diagnosed diabetes in the United States. It develops most often in children and young adults but can appear at any age. Symptoms of type 1 diabetes usually develop over a short period, although beta cell destruction can begin years earlier. Symptoms may include increased thirst and urination, constant hunger, weight loss, blurred vision, and extreme fatigue. If not diagnosed and treated with insulin, a person with type 1 diabetes can lapse into a life-threatening diabetic coma, also known as diabetic ketoacidosis. 

Type 2 Diabetes:

The most common form of diabetes is type 2 diabetes. About 90 to 95 percent of people with diabetes have type 2. This form of diabetes is most often associated with older age, obesity, family history of diabetes, previous history of gestational diabetes, physical inactivity, and certain ethnicities. About 80 percent of people with type 2 diabetes are overweight. Type 2 diabetes is increasingly being diagnosed in children and adolescents, especially among African American, Mexican American, and Pacific Islander youth. When type 2 diabetes is diagnosed, the pancreas is usually producing enough insulin, but for  known reasons the body cannot use the insulin effectively, a condition called insulin resistance. After several years, insulin production decreases. The result is the same as for type 1 diabetes glucose builds up in the blood and the body cannot make efficient use of its main source of fuel. The symptoms of type 2 diabetes develop gradually. Their onset is not as sudden as in type 1 diabetes. Symptoms may include fatigue, frequent urination,
increased thirst and hunger, weight loss, blurred vision, and slow healing of wounds or sores. Some people have no symptoms.

Gestational Diabetes:

You develop diabetes just during your pregnancy.

The good news is that women with gestational diabetes can control their blood glucose levels and greatly minimize the risks.

About 2% to 5% of all pregnant women will develop gestational diabetes, a type of diabetes that usually occurs only during pregnancy. With all types of diabetes, the body is unable to properly use glucose, a simple sugar that the body converts to energy. Glucose gets used by all the different cells in the body with the help of the hormone insulin, which is produced by the pancreas. With gestational diabetes, pregnancy hormones block insulin's ability to do its job. When this happens, glucose builds up in the pregnant woman's blood. Left unchecked, gestational diabetes can harm both the mother and the fetus. Gestational diabetes can increase the risk of:

1. Having a very large baby, nearly 10 pounds or more. This condition,called macrosomia, occurs when the fetus is exposed to high blood glucose levels and stores the extra glucose as fat.
2. Maternal and/or fetal trauma at birth due to the large size of the baby.
3. Hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) in the newborn.
4. Jaundice in the newborn. Characterized by a yellowish skin tone, jaundice is associated with a buildup of bile pigment (bilirubin) in the bloodstream.
5. Pregnancy-related high blood pressure.
6.  Premature delivery.
7. Birth defects (rare).
8. Stillbirth (rare).