Although there are three different types of diabetes, the first series of symptoms to experience are usually those of hyperglycemia, or an excess of blood sugar (glucose), which is the first indicator ‘ is something not quite right.

Symptoms of hyperglycemia May include blurred vision, fatigue, increased thirst and appetite and increased urination.

In type 1 diabetes, the onset of hyperglycemia can be abruptly because of fact, the pancreas does not produce any insulin at all, or virtually no insulin at all. In other words, there is absolutely no outlet for glucose levels that just build and build quickly. Type 1 diabetes is extremely dangerous and can lead to death. There was a time known as juvenile diabetes because it generally affects young people, and symptoms should not be ignored and doctors should be consulted immediately as a matter of urgency.

For type 2 diabetes, hyperglycemia May take considerable time to develop to the point symptoms can be felt and noticed. Many people go through their whole lives unaware that they have type 2 diabetes, and take a large number of symptoms as merely be signs of aging, especially as type 2 diabetes affects generally middle-aged adults to leave, hence its old name of diabetes for adults. In relatively recent years, due to the volume of children developing type 2 diabetes due to poor diet and obesity (the leading causes of type 2 diabetes), the name became simply type diabetes 2.

As the symptoms of high blood sugar in type 2 diabetes can be extremely subtle, many people are completely unaware they have diabetes at all. In type 2 diabetes is caused by one of two factors, the first factor is a lack of insulin production in the pancreas, the second being a condition known as “insulin resistance”. This is where the body begins to reject the admission of insulin, bringing the glucose. Therefore, a person’s body does not become starved of glucose as fuel, but the accumulation starts glucose in the blood, which has no outlet. The body May attempt by some hunting glucose from the body through urine.

May gestational diabetes perhaps the most difficult form of diabetes to detect because the symptoms are so similar to a pregnancy, it can be almost impossible to make a difference. For example, fatigue, increased appetite and thirst and increased urination.

Gestational diabetes is usually a temporary form of diabetes that disappeared shortly after pregnancy, but May leave the mother and children vulnerable to the ongoing development of type 2 diabetes in the future.

Another concern gestational diabetes is the damage it can do for the baby, which May be respiratory or heart problems, stillborn or died shortly after birth. The absence of treatment, gestational diabetes can also be a contributing factor in health problems that the baby reaches adulthood, such as chronic obesity.

If you think you’ve felt even slightly any of these symptoms of hyperglycemia, it is very important that you see your doctor as soon as possible. Diabetes is a disorder not you want to guess yourself, because it can be fatal, especially in the case of type 1 diabetes.

Although diabetes can be a very dangerous disease, the diagnosis, it is extremely treatable. The most important things for a diabetic to do so are to take any medication prescribed and monitor blood sugar levels regularly. If you’ve been told by your doctor to take with you an emergency insulin / glucose kit, you should do so at any time since May it not be fatal. Other factors include a lot of exercise to help regulate glucose levels and a healthy diet and balanced.



Thanks to Jack Stanley for contributing this article to our Diabetes blog:

Medications For Type 2 Diabetes

DIABETES CAUSES

Since there are different types of diabetes, each type has a unique possible cause.

The main two causes of diabetes is the body’s failure to produce enough of the insulin hormone, and secondly the body develops a resistance to insulin.

· Type 1 diabetes is due to decreased insulin production.

· Type 2 is due to insulin resistance in peripheral tissues.

· In juvenile diabetes, the cause might probably be a lack of vitamin D.

There is also gestational diabetes that only occurs in pregnant women.

Causes of diabetes -

Diabetes mellitus occurs when the pancreas does not create sufficient or any of the hormone insulin, or when the insulin produced does not work efficiently. Thus, this causes the level of glucose in the blood to be higher than normal levels

1. In Type 1 diabetes, the cells in the pancreas that make insulin are attacked and destroyed by the body’s own immune system, causing a severe lack of insulin.

It is not clear why this happens, but possible triggers of this reaction could be -

· infection with a specific virus or bacteria;

· exposure to food-borne chemical toxins or

· exposure to cow’s milk when as an infant, where as a yet unidentified component of the milk triggers an autoimmune reaction in the body.

However, these are only assumption, and are yet to be proven.

Type 1 diabetes usually develops in children, teenagers or young adults. Scientists believe this is a genetically caused condition and is not related to lifestyle habits.

Risk factors for developing type - 1diabetes include:

1. Family history - a child that has a parent or sibling with type 1 diabetes has a 2-6% chance of developing the disease.

2. Autoimmune disorders - such as thyroid disease and celiac disease, raises the risk of type 1 diabetes.

3. Early stoppage of breastfeeding and/or exposure to cow’s milk - breastfeeding an infant for at least three months decreases the risk of type 1 diabetes. Some studies also show that exposure to cow’s milk or cow’s milk-based formula before one year of age may increase diabetes risk.

4. Ethnicity - Americans, Caucasians have a greater risk of type 1 diabetes as compared to African-Americans, Asian Americans, Latin Americans.

5. History of childhood virus diseases

2. Type 2 diabetes is believed to develop when:

· the receptors on the human cells in the body that respond to the action of insulin fall short of being stimulated by it - known as insulin resistance. In reaction to this, more insulin may be produced, and this over-production exhausts the insulin-manufacturing cells in the pancreas;

· there is just insufficient insulin available in the body and

· the insulin that is available may be abnormal and therefore doesn’t function properly.

The following risk factors increase the chances of one developing Type 2 diabetes:

· increasing age

· if it runs in the family, ie. hereditary

· obesity

· high blood pressure

· diet which is high in fat and low in dietary fibre

· sedentary lifestyle with no or very less physical activity.

· certain medicines such as diurectics, which increase the amount of water flowing into the urine. Corticosteroids can also lead to diabetes because they work against the action of insulin.

· gestational diabetes

· any illness or disease that damages the pancreas and affects its ability to produce insulin e.g. pancreatitis. (inflammation of the pancreas) and thyrotoxicosis (a poisonous condition that results from an overactive thyroid gland).

· hormone treatments, such as growth hormone, thyroid hormone and adrenocorticotropin hormone (ACTH).

What does not cause diabetes?

It is also important to be aware of the different myths that have arisen about the causes of diabetes over time.

Eating sweets, excess sugar or the wrong kind of food (fried and fatty food) does not cause diabetes. However, this type of a diet may cause obesity, and overweight people are generally prone to developing Type 2 diabetes. So, its not the food, but the effect of food that may cause diabetes.

So, if you love eating and are a foodoholic, make sure to burn out the extra calories that go on to make the flab.

Stress does not cause diabetes, although it may be a trigger for the body turning on itself as in the case of Type 1 diabetes. Stress, however does definitely make the symptoms worse for those who already have diabetes.

People with diabetes should never eat sugar and sweets. Sugar and sweets do raise the blood glucose, but people with diabetes can safely eat sugar as part of their meal plan.

People with diabetes should eat a special diabetes diet. This is a false notion. One has to eat regulated, along with a balanced diet.

Diabetes is not contagious. Someone with diabetes cannot transmit it on to anyone else.

For diabetes information, diabetes diet, diabetes treatment, diabetes causes visit www.diabetesmellitus-information.com



Thanks to Tom alter for contributing this article to our Diabetes blog:

Blood Glucose Monitoring System