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Facts About Diabetes
American Diabetes Services is a leading diabetic supplies company that provides
free diabetic
supplies to diabetics who are eligible through Medicare or their
private insurance. Because we work with thousands of diabetics, American
Diabetes Services understands how difficult the transition can be for
people who are just diagnosed with diabetes or may be at risk. In order
to make this transition a little easier, American Diabetes offers these
facts about diabetes to help diabetics and their families who are looking
for information on diabetes.
What causes diabetes?
Diabetes is a disease in which your body is unable to properly use and store glucose (a form of sugar). Glucose backs up in the bloodstream -- causing your blood glucose or "sugar" to rise too high. The specific causes of diabetes depend on the type of diabetes that you're diagnosed with.
Type 1 Diabetes
Type 1 diabetes (also known as juvenile-onset or insulin-dependent diabetes) happens when your body completely stops producing any insulin, a hormone that enables your body to use glucose found in foods for energy. Diabetics with this type of diabetes must take daily insulin injections to survive. Type 1 diabetes usually develops in children or young adults, but can occur at any age. Insulin-dependent diabetes may account for 5% to 10% of all diagnosed cases of diabetes.
Type 2 Diabetes
Type 2 diabetes (also called adult-onset or non insulin-dependent diabetes) happens when the body has issues properly converting food into energy, because it doesn't produce enough insulin. This type of diabetes usually occurs in people who are over 40, overweight, and have a family history of diabetes. Type 2 diabetes may account for about 90% to 95% of all diagnosed cases of diabetes.
Gestational Diabetes
Gestational diabetes develops in women during pregnancy when they are not able to produce enough insulin. This type of diabetes usually begins in the second trimester, and goes away after the baby is born. While the exact cause of gestational diabetes is unknown, it's believed by some scientists that the hormones produced during pregnancy may block the action of insulin. Gestational diabetes develops in 2% to 5% of all pregnancies but disappears when a pregnancy is over. Women who have had gestational diabetes are at increased risk for developing type 2 diabetes. In some studies, nearly 40% of women with a history of gestational diabetes developed diabetes later in life.
Other Types of Diabetes
Other types of diabetes result from specific genetic syndromes, surgery, drugs, malnutrition, infections, and other illnesses. Such types of diabetes may account for 1% to 2% of all diagnosed cases of diabetes.
Who can get diabetes?
Anyone can get diabetes. However, there are certain factors that can make you more at risk for diabetes. People who have close relatives with the disease are somewhat more likely to develop it. The risk of developing diabetes also increases as people grow older. People who are over 40 and overweight are more likely to develop diabetes. So are people of African-American, Hispanic or Asian heritage. Also, women who develop diabetes while pregnant (see gestational diabetes above) are more likely to develop other types of diabetes later in life.
What are the symptoms of diabetes?
While severity of symptoms can vary, many diabetics may experience some or all of these symptoms of diabetes:
- Blurry vision
- Fatigue (feeling weak, tired)
- Frequent urination (having to go to the bathroom too much)
- Increased hunger (especially after eating)
- Increased thirst
- Skin infections
- Slow healing wounds/cuts
- Unexplained weight loss or weight gain (not related to eating habits)
In some cases, there are no diabetes symptoms -- this can happen with type 2 diabetes. In this case, people can live for months, even years without knowing they have the disease. In a recent study, American Diabetes Association estimated that 5.2 million Americans have diabetes and don't even know it.
American Diabetes Services hopes these facts about diabetes have help you. We encourage you to fill out our form to find out if you're eligible for free diabetic supplies. If you need more information on diabetes, please visit our diabetic links.
[ Up ] [ Facts About Diabetes ] [ Risk Factors ] [ Diagnose Diabetes ] [ 10 Tips ] [ Medicare and Diabetic Supplies ] [ Diabetes Mandate states ]
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