Diabetes
Most of the food we eat is turned into glucose for our bodies to use for energy. The pancreas, an organ near the stomach, makes a hormone called insulin to help glucose get into your body cells. When you have diabetes, your body either doesn't make enough insulin or can't use its own insulin well. This problem causes glucose to build up in your blood.
You may recall having some of these signs before you found out you had diabetes.
*Being very thirsty.
*Urinating a lot - often at night
*Having unclear vision from time to time.
*Felling very tired much of the time.
*Losing weight without trying.
*Having very dry skin.
*Having sores that are slow to heal.
*Getting more infections than usual.
*Vomiting.
Two main types of diabetes are Type 1 and Type 2. Another type of diabetes appears during pregnancy in some women. It's called gestational diabetes.
One out of ten people with diabetes' has Type 1 diabetes. These people usually find out they have diabetes when they are children or young adults. The pancreas of a person with Type 1 makes little or no insulin. People with Type 1 diabetes must inject insulin every day to live.
Most people with diabetes have Type 2 diabetes. The pancreas of people with such diabetes keeps making insulin for some time, but the body can't use it well. Most people with Type 2 find out about their diabetes after age 30 or 40.
Some risk factors which make people more likely to get Type 2 diabetes are:
* A family history of diabetes.
* Lack of exercise.
* Weighing too much.
Diabetes can hurt your eyes, your kidneys, and your nerves. It can lead to problems with the blood circulation in your body. Even your teeth and gums can be harmed. And diabetes in pregnancy can cause special problems.
