Diabetes! Probably one of the most terrifying diseases we all have been hearing about since childhood. It is not hard to guess that for most of you, your grandparents would have been suffering from diabetes or “sugar”, or your uncle? Your aunty? Your neighbour? That irritating relative? Aren’t they? Hope this was enough for you to get the idea of how much diabetes is common in people’s lives.

So, in this blog, we tell you what is diabetes, and why the people suffering from diabetes can’t have any sweets or candies.

Diabetes

Diabetes is basically a condition in which the blood sugar or glucose level in the body rises for a long period of time. This is such a detrimental disease that it also affects your eyes, heart, kidneys, lungs, and whatnot! There are several reasons for which this happens and on the basis of the cause of diabetes, it has been categorized differently. Let us know what are these types.

Types of Diabetes

There are many types of diabetes but among all, Type 1, Type 2, and gestational diabetes are the most common ones.

Type 1 Diabetes- Autoimmune disease in which the immune system attacks its own body and destroys the insulin-producing cells in the pancreas. It is mostly seen in children and young adults, that is why is also called “juvenile diabetes”. People with this type of diabetes take insulin to stay alive, and so, it is also called “insulin-dependent diabetes”.

Type 2 Diabetes- Type 2 diabetes is the most common type of diabetes that happens in almost 90-95% of people. In this type of diabetes, either one’s body is resistant to insulin or it doesn’t make enough insulin and hence, the glucose level in your blood gets high. Usually, middle-aged and older people suffer from type 2 diabetes and this is why it is also called “adult-onset diabetes” or “insulin-resistant diabetes”.

Prediabetes- It is the rise in glucose levels that can potentially become type 2 diabetes. In this case, the glucose level is high but lower than that of type 2 diabetes.

Gestational Diabetes- This type of diabetes happens in some women during their pregnancy. It usually goes away after pregnancy but women who suffer from gestational diabetes can potentially have type 2 diabetes later in their lives.

Less Common Types

1. Monogenic Diabetes Syndrome- It is a less common type of diabetes that is known to be inherited in generations.
2. Cystic- Fibrosis Diabetes- This type of diabetes happens in people suffering from cystic fibrosis, which is another disease condition.
3. Drug or chemical induced diabetes- This type of diabetes happens after an organ transplant or HIV/AIDS treatment.

Diabetes insipidus is a condition in which kidneys produce large amounts of urine.

Causes of Diabetes

To understand the cause of diabetes you must understand what is the role of Insulin and Glucose in the body.

The pancreas secretes this hormone called Insulin in our body that plays role in lowering the blood glucose level. Another component called glucose which is a source of energy in the body comes from food or the breakdown of glycogen when we don’t consume food for a long time. The function of insulin is to help glucose reach the body cells and this is how it reduces its level in the blood. After the glucose level drops, so does the secretion of insulin by the pancreas.

Insulin is a type of hormone that is produced and secreted by the pancreas in the bloodstream to lower the glucose level in the body. Glucose is a source of energy that comes either from food or from the breakdown of glycogen when we don’t consume food for a long time. Insulin helps in enabling the glucose to reach the cells and hence lowers its level in the blood. As the glucose level in the blood drops, so does the insulin secretion by the pancreas.

Now that you know the functioning of both, let’s study each of the diabetic types individually

• For Type-1 Diabetes- As mentioned above, it is an autoimmune disease in which the immune system attacks its own body. This type of diabetes can be more genetic or comes into effect due to some virus that triggers the immune system.
• For Type 2 Diabetes and Prediabetes- In this either the body is resistant to insulin, or not sufficient amount of insulin is being produced by the pancreas to keep up with the situation, and hence, the glucose level rises.
• For Gestational Diabetes- In this, the placental hormones that are produced during pregnancy could make the female body resistant to insulin. Your pancreas also doesn’t produce enough insulin to help the situation and hence, the glucose level in the body remains high.

Symptoms of Diabetes

• Increased thirst.
• Tiredness and Weakness.
• Blurred vision.
• Numbness or tingling in the hands or feet.
• Slow-healing sores or cuts.
• Unplanned weight loss.
• Frequent urination.
• Frequent unexplained infections.
• Dry mouth.
• In women- yeast or urinary tract infections may occur.
• In men- Erectile dysfunction, decreased libido and muscular strength may occur.

In case of

Type 1 Diabetes- The symptoms may develop quickly when you are a child or a young adult. In addition, one may suffer vomiting, nausea, and stomach ache.

Type 2 Diabetes or Prediabetes- In this, the symptoms may not be noticeable as they develop over a long period of time, but you may see symptoms in middle age. This type of diabetes can happen in all ages so one must go for a regular health check-up if have a family history of prediabetes or Type-2 diabetes.

Gestational Diabetes- No such symptoms are being noticed. Your doctor will check for gestational diabetes during 24-25 weeks of your pregnancy period.

We hope you now know about diabetes, its types, causes, and symptoms. To help people heal, Getron Pharmaceuticals offer several ranges of products for managing diabetes and boosting the health of people suffering from diabetes. Do check our shop for more!