Understanding Diabetes

Diabetes is a long-term health problem that either occurs due to insufficient insulin production or when the body can’t make use of the insulin it produces. As a result, sugar or glucose accumulates in the bloodstream, causing symptoms such as increased thirst, frequent urination, fatigue, and unintended weight loss. Patients with diabetes require critical care medicine Humble to control their blood sugar levels and avoid complications such as nerve damage. Below are the different types of diabetes, including their causes and treatment.

Type 2 diabetes

Type 2 diabetes results from two interrelated problems; the cells in the muscles, fat, and liver become resistant to insulin, and the pancreas cannot produce enough insulin. It is common in older adults, but today, the prevalence of obesity among younger people has led to more cases of diabetes in younger people. Symptoms of type 2 diabetes develop gradually, so you may not know you have this health problem until a health professional diagnoses it. There is no cure for this health problem, but lifestyle changes and treatment, including medication and insulin therapy, can help manage your blood sugar.

Type 1 diabetes

Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease that occurs when your body’s defense system attacks insulin-producing cells in the pancreas. As a result, the pancreas produces little or no insulin, causing glucose levels to rise in your bloodstream. Symptoms of type 1 diabetes can develop in just a few weeks and months, and once they appear, they can be severe. Like type 2 diabetes, type 1 diabetes has no cure, so treatment focuses on controlling glucose levels.

Gestational diabetes

Gestational diabetes is diagnosed for the firt time in pregnant women, and without treatment, it puts the mother’s and baby’s health at risk. During pregnancy, the body undergoes many changes, including weight gain and hormone production. These changes cause insulin resistance, a condition where body cells are unresponsive to insulin action, increasing the need for insulin in the body. When the pancreas can’t produce more insulin, sugar builds up in the bloodstream. Although all pregnant women have some insulin resistance during late pregnancy, some have it before pregnancy, putting them at risk of gestational diabetes.

When gestational diabetes is left untreated, it increases the risk of high blood pressure in the mother. The baby is also more likely to be bigger than usual and can’t be delivered through the vagina. Babies of women with gestational diabetes are also more likely to develop type 2 diabetes later in life.

Prediabetes

Prediabetes is whereby your blood sugar levels are higher than average but not accelerated enough to be diagnosed as type 2 diabetes. Without lifestyle changes such as exercise and eating a healthy diet, prediabetes can progress to type 2 diabetes. The good news is that progression from prediabetes to type 2 diabetes are not inevitable; making physical activity a part of your daily life, staying at a healthy weight, and eating healthy can help lower your glucose levels to normal. Prediabetes causes no symptoms meaning you can have this condition without your knowledge. However, one possible sign of prediabetes is hyperpigmentation in certain body areas such as the armpits, neck, and groin.

Consult your healthcare provider at North Houston Diabetes Institute to learn more about diabetes.