• Diabetes is a disease in which the body either does not produce enough insulin, or does not react to it properly. Insulin converts sugars and starches into energy. There are three major types of diabetes, each with different causes.

• Fast Facts

  1. U.S. sufferers: 20.8 million
  2. One-third do not know they have diabetes
  3. Diabetes literally means 'siphon', referring to frequent urination Medinfo Diabetes
  4. The difference between Type 1 and Type 2 discovered in 1936 ScienceDirect: DIABETES MELLITUS -- ITS DIFFERENTIATION INTO INSULIN-SENSITIVE AND INSULIN-INSENSITIVE TYPES
  5. Diagnosis is confirmed through glucose testing

• Symptoms

  1. Extreme hunger
  2. Constant thirst Medinfo Diabetes
  3. Frequent urination Medinfo Diabetes
  4. Sudden weight loss
  5. Fatigue
  6. Irritability
  7. Blurred vision

• Type 1 Diabetes

  People with Type 1 Diabetes, also called Juvenile Diabetes, produce little or no insulin. This is due to an autoimmune disorder. It usually appears before age 30.

• Type 2 Diabetes

  In Type 2 Diabetes, also called Adult-Onset Diabetes or Noninsulin-Dependent Diabetes, the body may slow down insulin production, or the body may become resistant to the effects of insulin. Most people with this type of diabetes are obese or sedentary. It also appears in women who have had gestational diabetes.

• Gestational Diabetes

  Some women become insulin resistant during pregnancy. The cause is not known, although it is believed to be related to the hormones from the placenta that help a fetus develop. Women who have had gestational diabetes once are very likely to get it again.

• Pre-Diabetes

  People with elevated blood glucose levels that are not high enough to be categorized as Type 2 Diabetes are said to have pre-diabetes. Patients who change their diet and lifestyle when they have pre-diabetes may never progress to Type 2 Diabetes.

• Treatment

  Treatment for diabetes when caught early includes blood sugar testing, dietary restrictions, lifestyle changes, medications (possibly including insulin injections). More advanced or unusual cases are treated with pancreas transplants (for Type 1) and gastric bypasses (for Type 2). If untreated for long periods of time, extensive circulation issues cause poor healing, which can then require amputation for the extremities, especially the feet and legs.

• Related Pages on Mahalo

  Eyes | Protein in Urine | Sugar | Diet | Obesity | America's Fattest States | Obesity Epidemic | Metabolic Syndrome | Weight Gain | Blurred Vision | Pancreas | Pancreatic Cancer | Difference between Type 1 Diabetes and Type 2 Diabetes | Diabetes Treatment

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