What Is Diabetes?
Diabetes is a metabolic illness that exists in 2 types where the hormone needed for proper glucose absorption, insulin, is affected.
The islet (or beta) cells in the pancreas are responsible for insulin production. When a person eats, an increase in blood glucose is detected by the islet cells, and the islet cells release insulin. This causes the body to absorb as much glucose is needed and store the excess as glycogen and fat. When blood glucose levels are low or the body is engaged in physical activity, the islet cells detect this and decrease insulin secretion. In order to raise blood sugar levels, glycogen and fat are broken down and turned back into glucose. By detecting and adapting to these changes in blood sugar level, the pancreas is able to maintain homeostasis in a healthy, non-diabetic person.
In type I diabetes, which typically begins in childhood, the body doesn’t produce insulin (video below). The reason for the lack of insulin production is that the body has destroyed the beta cells in the pancreas. This means that type I diabetes is classified as an autoimmune disease.
Source: ClearlyHealth
In type II diabetes, which tends to affect adults more, the body is either not responding to or not producing enough insulin (video below) to absorb the amount of glucose entering the bloodstream. Usually, this type of diabetes is brought on by a poor diet and lack of exercise. Overstimulation of the pancreas cells can cause the body to resist insulin.
(Click Above to Watch)Source: ClearlyHealth
Many symptoms of diabetes are secondary symptoms of having high blood sugar. Some symptoms mostly pertain to one of the types while others are present in both. It is important to know these symptoms for accurate diagnosis and effective treatment.
Click the following link to begin reading through the symptoms of the different types of diabetes.
