What Is Diabetes?

Diabetes occur when the body is unable to produce the amount of insulin needed and can not break down the sugar in your blood properly. The amount of sugar you intake is based on the food you eat. Your body needs a certain amount of sugar (glucose) in you to give you energy, but too much can be very harmful. Your pancreas makes insulin which controls the sugar in you blood and then is released to your cells to create energy. When you have diabetes the pancreas doesn't produce enough insulin to control your sugar. Therefore it becomes too high. Your doctor will run a series of blood sugar test to determine if you have Diabetes or not.

What Causes Diabetes?

There are various ways you can get Diabetes. Food is a major factor. Food is made up of fat, carbohydrates and protein. Carbohydrates have the biggest impact on the rise of your blood sugar level. Being overweight or inactive can also control the way your body's blood levels rise. Your body has to be nourished so the rest of your body's system will function properly to distribute everything needed. Alcohol consumption contains to many calories and can make your body's blood sugar extremely high also. High levels of stress can prevent the pancreas to create enough insulin in your body, which leads to high blood levels. If any of you family members have had diabetes you are also at risk of having this disease. It is also hereditary.

What Are The Symptoms In Diabetes?

There are many symptoms of diabetes. Some are excessive urination, how quickly an infection heals, nausea, vomiting, fatigue, extremely thirsty, and weight loss although you have a great appetite.

How Is It Diagnosed?

Diabetes can be diagnosed by measuring the level of your blood sugar. Listed below are 3 blood sugar (glucose) tests that your doctor would give you to determine if you have diabetes.

A Random Plasma Glucose Test: Your doctor will check your glucose without you preparing for the test. By determining your symptoms and combining this test, your physician should be able to tell if you have diabetes.

A Fasting Plasma Glucose Test: Your doctor will check your glucose after you have gone at least 8 hours without eating.

An Oral Glucose Tolerance Test: Your doctor will check your glucose after you have gone 8 hours without eating and 2 hours after you have digested a glucose drink.

Is There Treatment?

Diabetes does not go away but it can be treated and controlled by changing a few things in you everyday lifestyle. Most people control their diabetes by exercising, losing weight, and dieting, eating healthy. This helps your body to produce the amount of insulin needed so that it may release a healthy amount of glucose into your blood to give you energy.

What Can Trigger Diabetes?

Diabetes is a hereditary disease. If someone in your family previously had diabetes, there is a chance you can get it too. Other ways of triggering diabetes is an infection in your body. When you get an infection your immune systems over reacts and attacks your pancreas, where your body makes up its insulin. If your pancreas doesn't work properly, not enough insulin will be made, and your glucose levels will be abnormal. Thus triggers diabetes. Making sure your eating healthy and exercising can really help your glucose levels and could help to prevent getting diabetes.