Diabetes Essay

1850 Words4 Pages

One might wonder what exactly diabetes is. Most know that a person with the disease has to keep a close eye on his or her blood sugar. But, people who do not have diabetes do not know what it really is. Diabetes is the result of high blood sugar. Insulin helps the body get energy by absorbing carbohydrates in the foods people eat every day. Sometimes the body cannot use insulin efficiently or it just cannot make enough of it. This is when diabetes is developed. If glucose cannot be absorbed then it will build up in the blood. High blood sugar can damage nerves and blood vessels. It can lead to heart disease, stroke, kidney disease, blindness, dental disease, and amputations. One with diabetes can also be more apt to get other diseases, depression, and have issues with pregnancy. (NDIC, 2011)
Today there are three main types of diabetes: type 1, type 2, and gestational diabetes. Type 1 is usually caused by one not having enough insulin. Type 2 can be caused by genes, obesity, and insulin resistance. This form is the most common. Gestational diabetes is caused by the change of hormones during a pregnancy and possibly genes. Although this type of diabetes disappears after a woman’s pregnancy, she is at risk to have type 2 diabetes later in life. (NDIC, 2011) For example, if a woman develops gestational diabetes while pregnant, after pregnancy it will disappear. However, 10 years down the road, she will most likely develop type 2 diabetes.
Scientists are studying diabetes to find better ways to treat the disease. Their main goal is to prevent it. Since genes take part in both type 1 and type 2 diabetes, they are studying the genes to see what they are and their role in the body. (NDIC, 2011) A person usually has no control over being...

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...to control diabetes if physical activity, a healthy weight, and a healthy diet are not enough. (Heart, 2012)
Researchers are constantly working to improve ways of preventing, treating, and understanding diabetes (NDIC, 2011). Type 1, type 2, and gestational diabetes are the main types of diabetes. Type 1 diabetes occurs in people before the age of 30 while type 2, the most common type, occurs after this age. Gestational diabetes occurs in women only during pregnancy, but it leads to a risk of developing type 2 diabetes later in life. They all have to do with a lack or resistance of insulin, therefore, diabetics have to prick their finger, wear an insulin pump, or get insulin injections to keep it under control. (Mayo Clinic, 2013) Diabetes may seem like an awful disease to have, but if it is monitored well the risks of major complications are greatly decreased.

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