Diabetes Disorder

Diabetes Disorder

Diabetes is a disorder of the metabolism caused as a result of the way our bodies use digested food for growth and energy. Our bodies use glucose, a form of sugar which our digestive system has broken down from the food we eat, which is then transported around the body via the bloodstream. When a person has diabetes, this glucose has a problem being distributed around the body in the blood. If this glucose remains in the blood and is not absorbed in to the body as it needs to, abnormally high levels of blood glucose or high blood sugar levels as it is also known as, occur.

There are two main types of the condition; both are discussed briefly in this article. Young people (sometimes older) are liable to contract type 1 diabetes which occurs when the body stops producing insulin; daily injections of insulin are needed if the diabetic patient does not want to die. The body uses insulin to ensure the glucose can be used by the body which in turn converts into energy. Adult onset diabetes affects older people as the name suggests but differs from type one; this is caused when the insulin is either not being produced in sufficient quantities or there is a problem in its use, however a careful diet plan can usually treat the condition.

Our body needs energy which it obtains from food that it converts into sugar like bread, potatoes, rice and pasta etc. Prolonged periods of high blood glucose levels can lead to problems like heart disease, kidney complaints, blindness and even limb amputations. The importance of managing your diabetes condition cannot be underestimated and with a disciplined approached these serious conditions can be improved; some of the possible conditions will be halted completely whilst others will be delayed. Care of your condition relies on you maintaining certain aspects and any prescribed medication must be taken routinely; but this means sticking to your medication, watching your blood sugar, cholesterol and to stop smoking!

In addition, weight and blood pressure will need to be routinely monitored and kept stable. The bad news about this is diabetes a life long condition; in the United States there are reports of it affecting over two and a half percent of the population. Studies suggest that it is not the whole story as experts believe there are as many people again that have the disease that have not yet been diagnosed; over 600,000 new cases are diagnosed each year. It is believed that as many as 320,000 diabetics die each year in America whilst only 34,000 of those actually die directly from the condition itself.

Diabetes Disorder