Symptoms of Diabetes, Causes Signs, Type 1 Diabetes, Mellitus Type 2 Diabetes.

You should know the detailed information on diabetes, including diabetes symptoms, signs, type 1 diabetes, type 2 diabetes and their causes.

What is Diabetes?

Today 240 million people worldwide are living with diabetes. 41 million Indians have diabetes and 80 million Indians will have diabetes by 2030, according to World Health Organisation.

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Types of Diabetes | Causes of Diabetes | Symptoms of Diabetes | Can you die from diabetes?

Diabetes is a very common disorder that affects the manner in which the body handles carbohydrates, fats and proteins. If neglected, diabetes can have serious complications. Fortunately, with a healthy lifestyle and with diet management you can lead a healthy life. The diabetic people have a high level of blood sugar. The blood sugar level is regulated by insulin (a hormone produced by the pancreas). The blood sugar level is regulated by your eating habits.

Types & Causes of Diabetes

There are two different types of diabetes.

Type I (Juvenile diabetes or insulin-dependent diabetes): The reason for type I diabetes is due to pancreas unability to produce insulin. This type of diabetes is usually starts in childhood (childhood diabetes) or adolescence.

Causes of Type 1 Diabetes

The exact cause of Type 1 diabetes is unknown. However, it is known that in majority of Type 1 diabetes cases, the body's own immune system attacks and destroys the insulin-producing beta cells in the pancreas. Once these cells are destroyed, they cannot make insulin again. So people with Type 1 diabetes need to inject insulin.

The cause of autoimmune system not working properly in such cases is still a subject of research.

Risk Factors That May Cause Type 1 Diabetes

No one knows for certain why this happens, the following are possible risk factors for Type 1 diabetes.

1. Genetics
2. Some viruses like mumps, coxsackie virus, or cytomegalovirus.
3. It has also been observed in some babies who develop jaundice or a respiratory infection just after the birth.
4. Early feeding of cow's milk to the child has been linked to an increased risk of type 1 diabetes.

Causes of Type 2 Diabetes

Diabetes Type 2 (non insulin dependent diabetes or adult onset diabetes): Diabetes Mellitus Type 2 (Type II) is a result of body tissues becoming resistant to insulin. It generally happens to people above 40 years of age and is usually hereditary.

A study (January 2004 issue of the Journal Diabetes Care) suggests that people with a deficiency in magnesium have increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

Drinking two or more sweetened fruit drinks and other soft drinks per day for one month can increase the risk of type 2 diabetes by 31%, according to the researcher Julie Palmer of the Boston University in a report published in the Archives of Internal Medicine. Diet soft drinks, orange juice and grapefruit juice are not linked to a higher diabetes risk, because they may have a different metabolic effect.

Early Symptoms of Diabetes

• Excessive urination

• Excessive thirst and hunger

• Sudden weight loss

• Blurred vision

• Delay in healing of wounds

• Dry and itchy skin

• Repeated infections

• Fatigue

• Headache

All or any of these symptoms may be present. However, note that these diabetes symptoms may be due to some other disease so you should consult your Doctor.

Can You Die From Diabetes

Most people want to know if one can diet from diabetes. The answer is yes. The two cases are as under:

1. If you are on insulin: Your blood sugar can go too low because of the insulin. This is called hypoglycemia. If you don't eat some sugar quickly at that time, you can go into a coma, or even die in the worst case. You should eat some sugary food or juice immediately before it goes too low.
2. If your sugar level goes too high: Too high blood sugar is called hyperglycemia. Hyperglycemia generally takes much longer to kill than low blood sugar (hypoglycemia). When you have high blood sugar for a long time, you can go blind, lose your limbs, develop kidney problems, become heart patient, etc. You should not eat sugar all the time, because it will spike your blood sugar.

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