Many people might be a little unfamiliar with what exactly it means to have diabetes! Generally when one eats a meal, the sugar (glucose) in that meal stimulates the pancreas to release insulin in an amount that is proportional to the meal that one ate. The reason this must occur in our body is because cells use sugar and other nutrients to function properly. When one has diabetes, this process does not function as it should. So we are going to break it down so you can know the difference and how they affect the human body. First off, it is actually called Diabetes Mellitus (DM); of which Diabetes comes from the Greek word (diabainein), meaning "to pass through," and Mellitus comes from the Latin word meaning “honey-sweet”; this refers to the fact that the urine of a diabetic has a sweet taste.
Type 1 Diabetes (Sometimes called Juvenile Diabetes because it usually occurs in people under 20 years old) Type 1 Diabetes is also found in 5%-10% of all diabetes cases –
It is when your own body’s immune system attacks and destroys the insulin-producing cells of the pancreas (called beta cells)
Secondary Diabetes (Not to be confused with Type 2) –
Is different from Type 1 because the cause of the destruction of the beta cells is by something other than the immune system, such as: pancreatic surgery or cystic fibrosis but none-the-less one ends up with the same results as type 1 diabetes.
Type 2 Diabetes (Is found in 90%-95% of all diabetes cases) –
People with Type 2 produce insulin, but it is either not enough insulin or the body cannot use the insulin as it is supposed to.
Gestational Diabetes –
Occurs in pregnant women, who never had diabetes before but during pregnancy develop high blood sugar levels and sometimes develops into type 2 diabetes.
The sad part is that there is really no way to prevent diabetes for the most part. Type 2 diabetes can be detected early and possibly treated with medication. If one feels that diabetes might be something you think you have or have a family history of, be sure to have yourself checked out by your doctor.
Some of the common consequences of not properly monitoring and treating your diabetes would be:
• It takes longer to heal from wounds
• Retinopathy – A condition that causes you to have eye problems and can lead to blindness
• Kidney Damage – Note: You need your kidneys to live
• Poor blood circulation – This will increase your chances of having a stroke and heart attack. It can also cause nerve damage because your body is not getting what it needs. This is usually the cause for amputations of the limbs.
• You can go into a diabetic coma
Diabetes is a very serious issue, which can lead to some serious complications and one should always be sure to monitor and keep their diabetes as under control as possible. Taking proper care of one’s diabetes condition is critical to maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Once illness gets out of control, it can become quite serious. First Care of New York provides the proper care for our clients affected by diabetes by helping our clients visit their doctors regularly and assisting them with medication reminders as well as other great services. If you or a loved one can no longer manage your diabetes or are having health issues due to medical conditions, do not hesitate to give us a call to find out how we may be able to help you. Our number is 718-364-7251.
