Diabetes is a long-term disorder marked by unusually high blood sugar (glucose) levels. The pancreas produces insulin, which reduces blood glucose levels. Diabetes is caused by a lack of or inadequate insulin synthesis or the body's inability to utilize insulin correctly. Type 1 and type 2 diabetes are the two main forms of diabetes. The other types of diabetes are gestational diabetes and prediabetes. In the United States, diabetes affects roughly 34.2 million individuals (10.5 percent of the population), while another estimated 88 million people have prediabetes and are unaware of the condition. In addition, an estimated 7.3 million people have diabetes that is undiagnosed.

1. Causes, Symptoms, and Early Diagnosis of
Diabetes
Rodney Goodie

2. Introduction
Diabetes is a long-term disorder marked by unusually high blood sugar (glucose)
levels. The pancreas produces insulin, which reduces blood glucose levels.
Diabetes is caused by a lack of or inadequate insulin synthesis or the body's
inability to utilize insulin correctly.

3. Type 1 and type 2 diabetes are the two main forms of diabetes. The other
types of diabetes are gestational diabetes and prediabetes.

4. In the United States, diabetes affects roughly 34.2 million individuals (10.5
percent of the population), while another estimated 88 million people have
prediabetes and are unaware of the condition. In addition, an estimated 7.3
million people have diabetes that is undiagnosed.

5. Diabetes can cause blindness, renal failure, and nerve damage over time.
Damage to the smallest blood vessels, known as microvascular disease,
causes these sorts of problems. It also hastens the hardening and
constriction of arteries (atherosclerosis), leading to stroke, coronary heart
disease, and other big blood vessel illnesses. These conditions are referred
to as macrovascular disease.

6. The different kinds of diabetes have distinct causes. In the case of type 1
diabetes, however, the etiology is unknown. What is known is that the
immune system, which is generally responsible for fighting dangerous germs
and viruses, assaults and destroys the pancreas' insulin-producing cells. This
leaves the body with little or no insulin. Sugar builds up in the blood instead
of being delivered to the cells.

7. Type 1 diabetes is assumed to be caused by a mix of genetic predisposition
and environmental factors, but the exact nature of those variables is
unknown. Weight is not thought to play a role in type 1 diabetes.

8. In prediabetes and type 2 diabetes, the cells become resistant to the action
of insulin. Unfortunately, the pancreas lacks the necessary insulin to
overcome this resistance. Rather than entering the cells where it is needed
for energy, glucose accumulates in the bloodstream.

9. Although genetic and environmental factors are known to play a role in
developing type 2 diabetes, it is unclear why this occurs. Obesity is strongly
linked to the development of type 2 diabetes, but not everyone who has the
illness is overweight.

10. The placenta generates hormones to keep a pregnancy viable. Insulin
resistance is increased in the cells as a result of these chemicals created by
the hormones. The pancreas normally reacts by generating enough
additional insulin to overcome this resistance. However, the pancreas can't
always keep up. When this happens, too little glucose enters the cells while
too much remains in the blood, causing gestational diabetes.

11. Type 1 diabetes, which is most commonly diagnosed in children and
teenagers, and type 2 diabetes, which is more commonly diagnosed in
adults, can have similar symptoms. These include elevated blood and urine
glucose levels, which are found in all diabetes patients. Increased thirst and
water intake are often the result of dehydration, a symptom of diabetes.
Weight loss occurs when there is a relative or absolute insulin shortage.
Diabetes can cause weight loss despite an increase in appetite.

12. Patients with uncontrolled diabetes may also feel tired. Nausea and
vomiting are common symptoms of uncontrolled diabetes. Frequent
infections (such as of the bladder and vaginal areas) are more probable in
persons with untreated or poorly managed diabetes. Blurred vision can be
caused by fluctuations in blood glucose levels.

13. Blood sugar testing is a reasonably easy and accurate way to make an early
diagnosis. Diabetes is treated through a combination of diet and exercise
with the goal of reducing blood glucose levels and other known blood
vessel-damaging risk factors.