Most of us have at least heard about diabetes. It is one of the most prevalent diseases, and it has been on the rise for many years. Diabetes mellitus is an endocrine disorder related to the metabolism of sugar and the function of the pancreas.
The pancreas is an organ found in the abdominal cavity, amidst the stomach, the gut, and the liver. This organ has many functions, and one of them is synthesizing and releasing insulin, an important hormone that regulates blood sugar.
Insulin is an important hormone for carbohydrate metabolism. It helps cells take the energy they need to function correctly. Contrary to what many people think, carbohydrates are not always the enemy. The problem is the amount of carbohydrates we eat, their quality, and how the body handles sugar.
In this article, you will understand all that and get helpful guidance on what to do in case of diabetes.
Diabetes and its types
As noted above, diabetes is a metabolic disease. It involves a dysfunction of the pancreas and insulin. Throughout the condition, there’s a constant change in insulin levels as they continue decreasing. But another type of diabetes features a sudden drop in insulin levels. But let us review different types and how they work:
- Type 1 diabetes: This type of diabetes is very violent and could be dangerous when it first strikes. It features complete destruction of the pancreatic beta cells, which synthesize insulin. They are entirely gone, and all of a sudden, no insulin is created. Thus, type 1 diabetes patients usually have a medical emergency when their glucose gets out of control. They always need insulin treatment, and the disease usually shows up in young patients. It has a genetic and autoimmune cause.
- Type 2 diabetes: This type of diabetes is different in almost every aspect. It does not show up all of a sudden. Before the onset of type 2 diabetes, patients usually have warning signs and symptoms that something is not okay in their organism. They are usually obese or overweight, and most of them have bad dietary habits and a sedentary lifestyle. All of this builds up over time and causes insulin resistance, leading to type 2 diabetes. The onset depends on a variety of factors, but it is usually in grown men and women.
- Other types of diabetes: Another type of diabetes is known as gestational diabetes. As the name implies, gestational diabetes happens in pregnant women and causes similar symptoms to type 2 diabetes. After giving birth, gestational diabetes may solve on its own, which may not occur in all women. Finally, we should name a condition known as diabetes insipidus. It features an increase in urination volume, which is a symptom of type 2 diabetes. However, it is not a valid case of diabetes, and the urine has no sugar in it (hence the name insipidus). It is due to an incorrect release of the antidiuretic hormone, which is unrelated to carbohydrate metabolism or insulin.
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