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Diabetes is a medical condition that occurs when the body is
unable to produce insulin or it cannot use the insulin it produces.
There are 3 major types of diabetes and they all start at different
stages of a lifetime. Diabetes is reaching epidemic proportions
worldwide and has become one of the most cited causes of death and
illness in most countries, mostly due to the complications related
to the disease. People with diabetes have twice the risk of
developing heart disease or stroke than people without.
Type 1 diabetes accounts for a small percentage of the diabetes
population, approximately 5-10%. Patients with type 1 diabetes do
not produce the hormone insulin, required to process blood sugar
into the glucose the body’s cells use for growth and energy. This
form of diabetes is usually diagnosed early in life, prior to
puberty and requires insulin injections.
Gestational diabetes occurs in pregnancy, most often later in
pregnancy so that birth defects due to the disease are not a
concern, but other health concerns are present. The overproduction
of insulin on both mother and child can result in a macrosomic, or
overweight baby.
Overweight babies can have a hard time during the birthing
process and after. They have been overproducing insulin in utero and
as a result, have low blood sugar at birth. They also may experience
breathing difficulties. As they grow older, these children are at
risk for developing type 2 diabetes and are also at risk for
obesity.
Treatment for gestational diabetes is imperative and is usually a
combination of diet, exercise and even insulin injections. This
treatment is monitored carefully to protect mother and child.
Type 2 diabetes is the most prevalent form of diabetes. This form
is also called adult onset as it occurs later in life. One of the
risk factors for this disease is age. Other factors are genetics,
body weight and the amount of exercise one gets. With type 2
diabetes, the body does not produce enough insulin or it doesn’t use
the insulin it does produce due to a condition called insulin
resistance.
Type 2 diabetes can be managed in many cases with lifestyle
changes, simply making healthy food choices and adding a daily
exercise routine can keep the disease under control. It is important
for a person with type 2 diabetes to keep regular medical
appointments and to learn about diabetes. There are serious
complications that need to be recognized and avoided.
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