Diabetes

Diabetes is a condition in which your blood glucose, often known as blood sugar , is abnormally high. Your main source of energy is blood gl...

Diabetes is a condition in which your blood glucose, often known as blood sugar, is abnormally high. Your main source of energy is blood glucose, which comes from the food you eat. Insulin, a hormone produced by the pancreas, aids glucose absorption into cells for use as energy. Sometimes your body doesn't produce enough — or any — insulin, or it doesn't use it properly. Glucose then lingers in your bloodstream for a long time.

Having too much glucose in your blood might lead to health issues over time. Although there is no cure for diabetes, you may take efforts to manage it and stay healthy.

Diabetes is also referred to as "borderline diabetes" or "a touch of sugar." These words imply that someone does not have diabetes or has a milder form of the disease, however, diabetes affects everyone in some way.

What are the many forms of diabetes?

Type 1, type 2, and gestational diabetes are the most prevalent forms of diabetes.

Type 1 diabetes

Your body does not produce insulin if you have type 1 diabetes. Your immune system assaults and kills the insulin-producing cells in your pancreas. Diabetes type 1 is most commonly diagnosed in children and young adults, although it can strike anybody at any age. To stay alive, people with type 1 diabetes must take insulin every day.

Type 2 diabetes

Your body does not manufacture or utilize insulin well if you have type 2 diabetes. Type 2 diabetes can strike at any age, including infancy. This kind of diabetes, on the other hand, is more common in middle-aged and older persons. Form 2 diabetes is the most prevalent type.

Gestational diabetes

During pregnancy, some women acquire gestational diabetes. This form of diabetes usually goes away once the baby is born. If you've experienced gestational diabetes, though, you're more likely to acquire type 2 diabetes later in life. It's possible that diabetes diagnosed during pregnancy is truly type 2.

Diabetes in other forms

Monogenic diabetes, which is a hereditary form of diabetes and cystic fibrosis-related diabetes are two less frequent forms.

What is the prevalence of diabetes?

Diabetes affected 30.3 million individuals in the United States in 2015, accounting for 9.4% of the population. More than one-fourth of them were unaware that they had the illness. One in four adults over the age of 65 has diabetes. In adults, type 2 diabetes accounts for 90-95 percent of occurrences. 1

Who has a higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes?

If you're 45 or older, have a family history of diabetes, or are overweight, you're more likely to acquire type 2 diabetes. Physical inactivity, race, and certain health issues like high blood pressure can all increase your risk of getting type 2 diabetes. If you have prediabetes or have gestational diabetes while pregnant, you're more likely to acquire type 2 diabetes. Learn more about type 2 diabetes risk factors.

What kinds of health concerns may diabetics develop?

High blood glucose levels can contribute to a variety of issues over time, including

·         heart disease

·         stroke

·         kidney disease

·         eye problems

·         dental disease

·         nerve damage

·         foot problems

 

You may take actions to reduce your risk of acquiring diabetes-related health complications.