What is diabetes?
Diabetes is a life-threatening condition in which the body loses its ability to turn glucose (sugar) from food into energy. The hormone, Insulin, regulates the level of glucose absorbed into the bloodstream. People with diabetes either produce too much or too little Insulin resulting in abrupt swings in blood sugar levels. Diabetes usually develops later in life, after 45 years of age and which used to be known as Adult Onset Diabetes or Non-Insulin Dependent Diabetes Mellitus (NIDDM)- is known today as Type II Diabetes.
Diabetes is a severe, life-threatening condition in which the body loses its ability to turn glucose (sugar) from food into useable energy. The muscle cells and other tissues in the body require specific levels of glucose and carbohydrates to maintain their function. The level of glucose absorbed into the bloodstream by the intestines, and the method by which glucose enters the body’s cells, is regulated by a hormone called Insulin. This is produced in the pancreas, a gland located behind the stomach. Diabetes usually develops later in life, after 45 years of age and which used to be known as “Adult Onset Diabetes’ or “Non-Insulin Dependent Diabetes Mellitus (NIDDM)- is known today as Type II Diabetes.
Diabetes is a disease in which blood glucose (or sugar) levels are too high. When we eat food, most of it is turned into glucose which our bodies use for energy. Just like a car uses gasoline for energy, our bodies use glucose. In order for our bodies to use glucose for energy the pancreas must release a hormone called insulin. Insulin allows glucose to move into our cells and be used. With diabetes, the pancreas does not produce enough insulin and/or the insulin being produced is not being used by the body properly. In either case the end result is high blood sugar or diabetes. Individuals with Type 1diabetes have a pancreas that does not produce any insulin, so they must take insulin injections every day. In Type 2 diabetes the pancreas may not be producing enough insulin and/or the insulin being produced is not working with the cells of the body properly. Another issue with Type 2 diabetes is that the liver may be releasing too much sugar into the blood stream. People with Type 2 di
Diabetes means that your blood glucose (sugar) is too high. Your blood always has some glucose in it because the body uses glucose for energy; it’s the fuel that keeps you going. But too much glucose in the blood is not good for your health. Your body changes most of the food you eat into glucose. Your blood takes the glucose to the cells throughout your body. The glucose needs insulin to get into the body’s cells. Insulin is a hormone made in the pancreas, an organ near the stomach. The pancreas releases insulin into the blood. Insulin helps the glucose from food get into body cells. If your body does not make enough insulin or the insulin does not work right, the glucose can’t get into the cells, so it stays in the blood. This makes your blood glucose level high, causing you to have diabetes. If not controlled, diabetes can lead to blindness, heart disease, stroke, kidney failure, amputations (having a toe or foot removed, for example), and nerve damage. In women, diabetes can cause
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