What is Diabetes Exactly?

Diabetes is the name of two diseases that have the same symptom, excessive urination. Diabetes usually refers to diabetes mellitus, by far the more common disease, where the body cannot utilize the sugar normally.

Cause of diabetes is unknown. The disease is common in some families, but many diabetics have no known family history of diabetes. Doctors believe that diabetes occurs due to the lack of the hormone, insulin in the body.

Insulin, which is produced by the pancreas, enables the body to use and store sugar. Some diabetics do lack insulin. This form of the disease is called Type 1 diabetes (also known as insulin-dependent diabetes or juvenile-type diabetes).

People who become diabetic after their 40’s have normal or above-normal insulin production.. Their bodies do not respond efficiently to the insulin. Doctors call this form of the disease Type II diabetes (also known as insulin-dependent diabetes or adult-type diabetes). Almost 80% of diabetics have Type II, which is a milder form of the disease.

The differences between Type I and Type II diabetes vary in the treatment. Type I diabetics need to receive daily doses of insulin. It needs to be injected into the bloodstream and cannot be orally taken because it is destroyed in the digestive system. Not taking insulin results to excessive amount of sugar in the blood, resulting to to diabetic ketoacidosis and the patient may go into a diabetic coma. That’s why many diabetics carry candy or table sugar with them in case of an insulin reaction.

Most cases of Type II diabetes can be controlled by a diet that is low on calories. Some Type II diabetics whose condition cannot be controlled by diet alone use insulin or take oral drugs that reduce the level of sugar in the blood.