Diabetes Description Diabetes is a disease where your blood glucose levels are above normal. Most of the food we eat is turned into glucose or sugar for our bodies to use as energy. The pancreas makes a hormone called insulin to help glucose to get into the cells of our bodies. When you have diabetes your body either does not make enough insulin or cannot use its own insulin. This causes sugar to build up in your blood. Diabetes can cause serious health complications including heart disease, blindness, kidney failure and lower-extremity amputations. You get two kinds of diabetes – Type 1 and Type 2. Causes Type 1 diabetes seems to be caused by autoimmune, genetic and environmental factors. Type 2 diabetes is more likely in older people, obese people, those with a family history of diabetes and people who are physically inactive. Signs & Symptoms If you have diabetes you may have some of the following symptoms: frequent urination excessive thirst unexplained weight loss extreme hunger sudden vision changes tingling or numbness in hands or feet feeling very tired much of the time very dry skin sores that are slow to heal more infections than usual. Prevention There is no known way of preventing Type 1 diabetes. You can prevent Type 2 diabetes by: getting more physical activity eating food with plenty of fibre eating whole grain food. Treatment Healthy eating, physical activity and insulin injections are the best treatment for Type 1 diabetes. Healthy eating, physical activity and blood glucose testing are the basic treatment for Type 2 diabetes. In addition, many people with Type 2 diabetes require oral medication, insulin, or both to control their blood glucose levels.
Posted on: Thu, 27 Jun 2013 10:20:56 +0000
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