Anybody can develop diabetes, and over the past several years, the number of people in the U.S. who have develop this disease has increased to over 29 million people. More than 380 million people are affected by diabetes worldwide. If left untreated, diabetes can be debilitating and deadly. It is the primary cause of blindness, heart and kidney failure, amputations, and stroke, and more people die from this disease than AIDS and breast cancer combined.
Diabetes occurs when the body is unable to process sugar inside the body. The food that we eat turns into sugar, or glucose, inside the body. When this happens, the pancreas releases insulin, which opens up the cells in the body to allow the sugar to enter. Then the cells …show more content…
When some or all of the sugar in the body is unable to enter the cells, the sugar stays in the bloodstream, which thickens the blood. When thick blood flows through the tiny veins in the eyes, brain, heart, kidneys, fingers, and toes over time, this can lead to devastating health problems and potentially death may occur.
Type 1 Diabetes
Type 1 diabetes used to be called juvenile diabetes because this condition mostly develops in children, yet it can also develop in adults. A person with Type 1 diabetes is no longer able to produce insulin because their body’s immune system attacks the cells in the pancreas that produce insulin. They have to have to inject insulin into their body at least once a day to keep their blood sugar at normal levels.
Type 2 Diabetes
Type 2 diabetes generally develops in adults, but with the increase in childhood obesity, children are also susceptible to developing this condition. Type 2 diabetes occurs when the body’s fat, muscle, and liver cells ineffectively use the insulin produced by the pancreas. This is known as insulin resistance, and as a result, the pancreas has to produce more insulin than normal. Over time, the overproduction of insulin wears down the pancreas to the point where it doesn’t produce enough insulin thus causing Type 2 diabetes. People with Type 2 diabetes can maintain normal blood sugar levels by taking oral medications in addition to diet and