Facts of Diabetes: Understanding, Symptoms, Causes, Prevention and Treatment
Diabetes is a disease that lasts a long time and is characterized by blood sugar levels above normal. The sugar level in the blood is controlled by the hormone insulin which is produced by the pancreas, the organ of the body that is located behind the stomach. When the body cannot produce insulin (a blood sugar regulating hormone) or insufficient insulin is produced or insulin does not work properly, the body’s cells cannot absorb and process glucose into energy.
Glucose that accumulates in the blood due to not being absorbed by the body’s cells properly can cause various organ disorders. If diabetes is not properly controlled, various complications can occur that endanger the lives of sufferers.
Of the various types of diabetes, the most common is type 2 diabetes. Reported from Health Line, the American Diabetes Association reveals that the combination of type 2 diabetes with high blood pressure (hypertension) increases mortality due to heart disease and stroke.
Long-term complications include cardiovascular disease (multiple risks), chronic kidney failure (the main cause of dialysis), retinal damage that can cause blindness, and nerve and blood vessel damage that can cause impotence and gangrene with the risk of amputation. More serious complications are more common, if the control of blood sugar levels is bad.
Kinds of Diabetes
In general, we know two types of diabetes, namely type 1 diabetes and type 2 diabetes. The fact is not only 2 types of diabetes, but there are some that we need to know, namely:
1. Prediabetes
As the name implies, pre-diabetes is the stage that goes through before the diabetes phase. A person’s blood sugar levels at this stage range from 100 mg / dL to 125 mg / dL (by checking fasting blood sugar).
The pre-diabetes phase is triggered, among others, by a daily diet that is high in sugar, high in calories, high in fat, and lacking in fiber. Rarely moving and exercising are also additional contributing factors. Someone in the pre-diabetes phase begins to experience insulin resistance, so that sugar levels in the bloodstream increase. Insulin is a hormone that helps sugar metabolism. If not anticipated, the pre-diabetes phase can be diabetes which is very prone to complications of various dangerous diseases.
Pre-diabetes can be cured, unlike diabetes, which until now has not been cured. So, not all people who are declared to have prediabetes will definitely get diabetes. Even so, you also have to be vigilant. Because, prediabetes is a warning that you have a high risk of developing diabetes.
People who have prediabetes don’t need drugs to control their blood sugar. Usually, doctors will ask patients to change their lifestyle to be healthier, so that their blood sugar becomes more controlled.
2. Type 1 diabetes
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