A condition in which the blood glucose, which is also referred to as blood sugar, is found in excessive quantities in the body, is known as diabetes. Blood glucose is responsible for supplying energy to the body and the food that we consume is the main source of this substance.
The pancreas produces a hormone known as insulin, which does the job of taking the glucose to the cells where it is used for energy. However, in some cases, the body does not produce enough or any insulin. In such cases, the glucose starts accumulating in the blood and does not get transferred to the cells.
When this accumulation of glucose keeps taking place for a while, it leads to several problems. A cure for diabetes is yet to be found. However, if you stay aware of its symptoms, causes, risks, and other important factors, you can manage the disease easily.
Symptoms of diabetes
The symptoms of diabetes depend largely on how much blood sugar levels have increased in the body. People suffering from pre-diabetes or even type 2 diabetes might not experience any symptoms in the initial stages. However, when a person suffers from type 1 diabetes, the symptoms can start appearing soon and can be severe.
The common symptoms experienced by type 1 and types 2 diabetes include the following:
- More thirsty than normal
- Urination that becomes frequent
- Loss in weight which cannot be explained
- Tiredness
- Blurriness in the vision
- Catching infection frequently in various parts of the body such as skin and gums
Causes of diabetes
To understand the causes of diabetes, it is important to understand the role of insulin first. So, the pancreas secretes a hormone known as insulin into the blood which lets the glucose or sugar from the food enter the cells for energy. It is also the job of insulin to reduce the amount of sugar in the bloodstream. When the sugar levels start dropping in the blood, the secretion of insulin also starts dropping.
Based on the type of diabetes a person suffers from, the causes can also vary.
Type 1
Although the particular cause of this type of diabetes is yet to be known, there are certain facts associated with it that can point towards the cause of its occurrence. What has been known so far is that the immune system in our body is designed to kill any foreign invasion by viruses or bacteria. However, when it starts malfunctioning, it can attack the cells that produce insulin in the pancreas. As a result, the body is left with a very small amount of insulin, and this leads to type 1 diabetes.
Type 2 and pre-diabetes
In both types, the cells in the body start to become resistant towards the functionality of the insulin, and at the same time, the pancreas is not able to produce insulin in sufficient quantities to fight the resistance. As a result, the sugar does not get transported to the cells and starts building up in the bloodstream and leads to diabetes.
Risk factors of diabetes
Depending on the type of diabetes, the risk factors can vary. The risk factors for type 1 diabetes include:
- Genetics
- Exposure to any kind of virus-related diseases
- The presence of autoantibodies which attack the cells in the immune system
Risk factors for pre-diabetes and type 2 diabetes include:
- Bodyweight
- Low physical activity
- Genetics
- Old age
- High blood pressure