Diabetes Mellitus is a disease in which the body does not properly use or absolutely stops producing the hormone insulin. There are 20.8 million people in the United States including children who have this disease. According to the American Diabetes Association an estimated 14.6 million people have been diagnosed with diabetes, but, unfortunately, 6.2 million people are unaware that they have the disease. Diabetes is a deadly disease that could lead to death if the person that has the disease does nothing about it. To understand the severity of diabetes we must first learn about our body.
The Digestive System
When the body takes food in the enzymes in our body breaks down our food into energy. Carbohydrates, which are sugar and starches, are taken from our food and broken down in two places, the stomach and the intestine. The result of this break down is glucose.
Glucose is then passed form the intestine, where the carbohydrates were broken down, to the liver. The glucose travels through the bloodstream to get to the liver where it is then stored. As everyone knows who have taken biology classes, glucose is an important source of energy.
Since Carbohydrates are sugar and starch the body must control the amount of sugar that is in our body, so it produces a special hormone. The pancreas produces the hormone, insulin, which controls the amount of sugar stored in the liver. When the sugar is released from the liver insulin is produced once again to control the amount of sugar throughout the body.
The hormone, insulin, is very important for our body. It is also used to control the cells in the muscle fibers, fat, and kidneys as well as other organs. If there is a deficiency in insulin these cells do not receive the proper amounts of sugar from the bloodstream and therefore does not receive the proper nutrition.
Learning as much as possible about your disease can help you find a way to live with it. The first thing is to learn, the second is to make changes. Live a healthy life. Choose diets that are not only healthy, but are high in complex carbohydrates. Limit the amount of simple carbohydrates or sugars you take in. Try and eat healthy foods which do not contain much fat. Take small meals throughout the course of the day in a timed manner. Go on walks, jog, or swim so that you can exercise without wasting too much energy.
It is very important to consult your physician on proper diets and exercises so you can make the right choice for you. Only you can decide the path you will go down. So choose the right path. If you have diabetes, do something about it today!
When the body takes food in the enzymes in our body breaks down our food into energy. Carbohydrates, which are sugar and starches, are taken from our food and broken down in two places, the stomach and the intestine. The result of this break down is glucose.
Glucose is then passed form the intestine, where the carbohydrates were broken down, to the liver. The glucose travels through the bloodstream to get to the liver where it is then stored. As everyone knows who have taken biology classes, glucose is an important source of energy.
Since Carbohydrates are sugar and starch the body must control the amount of sugar that is in our body, so it produces a special hormone. The pancreas produces the hormone, insulin, which controls the amount of sugar stored in the liver. When the sugar is released from the liver insulin is produced once again to control the amount of sugar throughout the body.
The hormone, insulin, is very important for our body. It is also used to control the cells in the muscle fibers, fat, and kidneys as well as other organs. If there is a deficiency in insulin these cells do not receive the proper amounts of sugar from the bloodstream and therefore does not receive the proper nutrition.
Diabetes Begins…
Type I Diabetes Mellitus
In this type of diabetes the pancreas produces little or no insulin. As we have learned, without insulin our cells will not get the proper amounts of sugar therefore losing energy. When this happens the body’s tissues are starved and the glucose remains in the bloodstream causing the blood glucose level to skyrocket extremely high. This type of diabetes begins mostly in children, but it can still occur in adults. 5-10% of patients have Type I diabetes and require insulin therapy. Type II Diabetes Mellitus
In this type of diabetes, the pancreas produces some insulin, but is either too little or ineffective. Another problem may be that insulin receptors that control the transport of sugar into cells may not work properly or are few in number. This type of diabetes often develops in older people or people older than 40 years. A majority of Type II Diabetes patients are overweight, but are able to control their diabetes through a proper diet and weight loss. Other patients may require oral medication or injections to maintain glucose control. What are the long-term effects of diabetes?
High blood glucose levels caused by the diabetes disease can damage many blood vessels and nerves. Diabetes can also lower the body’s ability to fight infection making the patient susceptible to other sicknesses and diseases. As a result of the body not being able to fight infections, serious eye problems, kidney diseases, heart attacks, strokes, high blood pressure, poor circulation, tingling in hands and feet, sexual problems, and infections can occur. Good diabetes control can help to prevent these problems and even make them less serious.
In this type of diabetes the pancreas produces little or no insulin. As we have learned, without insulin our cells will not get the proper amounts of sugar therefore losing energy. When this happens the body’s tissues are starved and the glucose remains in the bloodstream causing the blood glucose level to skyrocket extremely high. This type of diabetes begins mostly in children, but it can still occur in adults. 5-10% of patients have Type I diabetes and require insulin therapy. Type II Diabetes Mellitus
In this type of diabetes, the pancreas produces some insulin, but is either too little or ineffective. Another problem may be that insulin receptors that control the transport of sugar into cells may not work properly or are few in number. This type of diabetes often develops in older people or people older than 40 years. A majority of Type II Diabetes patients are overweight, but are able to control their diabetes through a proper diet and weight loss. Other patients may require oral medication or injections to maintain glucose control. What are the long-term effects of diabetes?
High blood glucose levels caused by the diabetes disease can damage many blood vessels and nerves. Diabetes can also lower the body’s ability to fight infection making the patient susceptible to other sicknesses and diseases. As a result of the body not being able to fight infections, serious eye problems, kidney diseases, heart attacks, strokes, high blood pressure, poor circulation, tingling in hands and feet, sexual problems, and infections can occur. Good diabetes control can help to prevent these problems and even make them less serious.
What do I do if I am a diabetic?
Learning as much as possible about your disease can help you find a way to live with it. The first thing is to learn, the second is to make changes. Live a healthy life. Choose diets that are not only healthy, but are high in complex carbohydrates. Limit the amount of simple carbohydrates or sugars you take in. Try and eat healthy foods which do not contain much fat. Take small meals throughout the course of the day in a timed manner. Go on walks, jog, or swim so that you can exercise without wasting too much energy.
It is very important to consult your physician on proper diets and exercises so you can make the right choice for you. Only you can decide the path you will go down. So choose the right path. If you have diabetes, do something about it today!
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