Diabetes
is a disease that no one wants, but many people have. It is
simply a condition that results from the body's inability
to produce or use insulin in the correct form. Insulin is
key in this disease, because it is the hormone the body produces
to enable it to transform sugar, starch and other foods into
energy. When insulin levels are too low, the glucose, or sugar,
levels in the blood are too high and damage to vital organs
can be done.
While diabetes is a fairly treatable condition,
it is one that has no single known cause or cure. There is
work being done to find a cure, but the road ahead is still
long. Considering this, those who suffer from this condition
must generally resign themselves to a lifetime of regulating
food intake and insulin levels. When a careful balancing act
is performed, the chances of developing negative side effects
of the disease can be minimized greatly.
It is estimated some 20.8 million people of
all ages in the United States have this condition. Of those,
more than 6 million likely don't even know they have the disease.
When it comes to diabetes, knowing is half the battle. Acting
is the other half.
There are three major types of diabetes and
the treatments recommended might vary depending on which form
presents. The forms are:
Type 1 diabetes: This is also known as "juvenile
diabetes." In this condition, a person's body does not
produce the necessary insulin on its own. This form of the
disease is fairly rare in the grand scheme of things, but
it can be the most difficult to regulate.
Type 2 diabetes: This form of diabetes tends
to strike people as they get older. In this form, the person
who suffers has an inability to use insulin properly. This
is the most common form of diabetes.
Gestational diabetes: This is a temporary
form of diabetes that can strike a woman while she is pregnant.
Uncontrolled gestational diabetes can present problems for
the baby, including high birth weights.
The treatments for diabetes range from diet
and exercise changes to the introduction of insulin through
shots. It will depend on the type of diabetes present and
the severity of it before a treatment plan can be made.
Diabetes is no laughing matter, but it can
be a condition that's controllable. Although there's no guarantee
strict control will prevent side effects, such as blindness
and kidney failure, it can go a long way toward doing so.
Prevent
Diabetes | Diabetes
meal plan| Holiday
Meal Planning| Can
vegetables cure diabet?|
Brain
stem cells to cure diabetes| Cure
Research Accelerates| Brain
stem cells to cure diabetes|
Diabetes:
African Americans Deadly Foe| Diabetes
Supply|
Knowing
What Diabetes Is Just Half The Battle |
