Type II diabetes is more common than type I, affecting 90-95% of Americans with diabetes. It is known as non-insulin dependent diabetes. Unlike people with type I, people with type II are able to produce insulin, but their bodies either do not make enough or do not use the insulin properly. Type II is typically caused by poor lifestyle choices regarding diet and exercise. Symptoms of type II diabetes include:
- Areas of darkened skin (acanthosis nigricans)
- Blurry vision
- Fatigue
- Tingling, pain, or numbness in the hands/feet
- Slow-healing sores or cuts
- Frequent yeast infections
- Impotency
Some of these symptoms can be present in type I diabetes as well, but in milder forms. Most people who have type II diabetes are also overweight or obese, and they do not participate in any physical activities. Usually, symptoms of type II diabetes do not appear until health complications have already occurred, or the symptoms appear very gradually. About a third of people with type II diabetes do not even know they have it because they have not experienced any of the aforementioned symptoms.
- Source: OlympicHotTub
The pancreas releases insulin into the body from the glucose in the food that you eat. Diabetes occurs when the pancreas does not produce any insulin or produces very little insulin. It can also happen when the body does not respond correctly to insulin, which is known as insulin resistance. With type II diabetes, the pancreas does release insulin, but it either does not secrete enough or the body does not use it properly, which is known as insulin resistance. The causes glucose to remain in the blood and build up, causing damage to the body since cells are not receiving the glucose they need to carry out metabolic activities.
This excess glucose in the blood is known as hyperglycemia, which acts as the underlying cause for all the above mentioned symptoms. The excess sugar in the bloodstream causes damage to the delicate nerve cells, causing a loss of sensation in the extremities. Hyperglycemia also causes the lense in the eyes to swell, which accounts for the blurred vision associated with type II diabetes. Diabetes also causes blood vessels to thicken and harden, which causes decreased circulation of blood in the body. This poor circulation then makes it harder for the body to heal cuts, thereby increasing the risk of infection.
