An Introduction to Diabetes (Type I & II)

Diabetes has become a common affliction around the world. It is a serious disease which can result in loss of eyesight, loss of limbs, and even death. Given the prevalence of diabetes today, it is important to have a general understanding of this illness and its most common forms. This introduction to diabetes provides some basic facts about the disease and how it originates.

Essentially, diabetes is a metabolic disorder, meaning that it is related to the manner in which the body utilizes digested food for energy. The majority of our food is broken down into glucose, which is a type of sugar found in the blood. In fact, glucose is the body’s main fuel source. In order for glucose to permeate cells of the body and to be used for energy, the pancreas must produce insulin, a hormone.

If you have diabetes, the pancreas may produce little insulin, if any. In other cases, the pancreas may produce some insulin, but the cells do not respond to it. The body’s main fuel source disappears as glucose flows into the urine and out of the body. As this introduction to diabetes indicates, the illness basically saps the body of its strength, making it difficult for the body to function effectively.

No introduction to diabetes would be complete without discussing the various types of diabetes. In general, diabetes is divided into two forms—type 1 and type 2. But while the two forms may progress in different ways, they can both be devastating to an individual’s health. Therefore, it is important to have a clear understanding of both manifestations of diabetes.

Type 1 diabetes is classified as an autoimmune disease, meaning that the body’s system for combating infection has turned against a portion of the body. In this case, the immune system targets beta cells in the pancreas that produce insulin and eliminates them. As a result, the pancreas produces little insulin. Anyone suffering from this condition must take insulin each day in order to survive.

Researchers are unsure what leads the immune system to destroy beta cells, although it is possible that viruses are responsible. Other possible causes include autoimmune factors and genetic troubles. Children and young adults are the most likely to suffer from type 1 diabetes, although it can develop at any stage of life.

Type 1 diabetes can develop rapidly, even though the initial destruction of beta cells may begin much earlier. The tell-tale signs of type 1 diabetes include excessive thirst and urination, rapid weight loss, blurry vision, and fatigue.

An individual with type 1 diabetes can go into a coma, which is known as diabetic ketoacidosis.

A much more common form of diabetes is type 2, which is responsible for as many as 95 percent of diabetic cases. Type 2 diabetes has been linked to a number of factors, including old age, obesity, physical inactivity, and ethnicity. The overwhelming majority of patients with type 2 diabetes—80 percent—are overweight (it's no surprise that weight management, with proper diet and exercise, are powerful weapons to fight off this disease).

With type 2 diabetes, the pancreas is producing insulin, but the body cannot utilize it. Eventually, however, insulin production drops significantly. The symptoms of type 2 diabetes tend to develop more slowly than symptoms of the type 1 variety. Signs of type 2 diabetes include infections, slow healing of wounds, weight loss, excessive thirst, frequent urination, and fatigue or nausea.

As this introduction to diabetes indicates, the disease can actually develop at any time in one’s life. Effective treatment is absolutely vital for long-term management of the illness. While diabetes remains a serious threat to public health, scientific research is offering new hope for those afflicted with the disease.