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Diabetes

Diabetes is no laughing matter. This is a very serious disease. There are two types of diabetes. One is caused by autoimmune disorder or a problem with the body's immune system. Cells called beta cells in the pancreas make insulin. Insulin is a hormone that helps the body turn food into energy.

In type 1 diabetes the beta cells are mistaken for invaders by the immune system and attacked. The symptoms appear when many beta cells are destroyed and no insulin is being produced. The symptoms of type 1 diabetes are frequently going to the bathroom, you may be very thirsty and extremely hunger, unusual weight loss, increased tiredness, you are grumpy, and your vision may be blurry. Some of these symptoms are also present in type 2 but are not so severe. Sometimes diabetes is only discovered at doctors' visits.

Sometimes when you go into a Hospital with high blood sugar you need to be put on an Insulin drip. Copyright A Big Problem 2008

In type 2 diabetes, beta cells produce insulin but either there is a problem with the cells using the insulin or there is not enough insulin produced. Often older people develop type 2 diabetes. These people are often overweight. Unfortunately as kids are becoming heavier type 2 diabetes is becoming more widespread and 2 million youths (12-19) have prediabetes. This means that they have a problem with their blood sugar but they do not have diabetes yet. People can keep it under control by losing weight, by going on a diet and exercising. Others will have to take medication to increase the production of insulin or help the cells use the insulin.

There is no cure so far but, there are treatments and preventions. Well, there is a "cure" for type 1, a pancreas transplant, but they would have to take anti-rejection drugs for the rest of their life. Here are some things we can do to make sure we do not get the disease and stay healthy like staying fit, watching what you eat, and going to the doctors. It always helps to eat a well balanced diet, exercise, lose weight if you need to and if nothing else works if you are very, very heavy the doctor might give you medication to stop you feeling hungry.