No short article can give you comprehensive and complete information all about diabetes mellitus that is all inclusive. This article will attempt to give a general overview all about diabetes mellitus so that you will have enough information to decide where you may want to research further. Literally hundreds of thousands of pages of research has been published, and many shorter articles or books have been written all about diabetes mellitus in its various types and manifestations. Once you find out which area merits your further attention, you can fine tune your search and research the areas that pertain to your condition or the condition of someone important to you.

 

All You Need to Know about Diabetes Types

 

Diabetes mellitus is a group of diseases that are characterized by blood glucose levels that are abnormally high. The high glucose levels are the result of either an inability to produce insulin at all or a defect that causes the pancreas to produce insufficient amounts of insulin. It can also be the body’s inability to properly use the insulin that is produced. Normally, a person doesn’t need to concern themselves all about diabetes mellitus in every type, but rather learn how to manage the diabetes type that affects them.

 

What’s All Information about Diabetes Type Mean?

 

In order to understand all about diabetes mellitus for your purposes, you need to understand the types of diabetes a person can have. In general, diabetes mellitus is Type 1, Type 2, or Gestational. Let’s take a quick look at each type.

  • Type 1 diabetes used to be commonly referred to as juvenile diabetes because it is typically diagnosed in children, or in young adults under the age of 20. A person with type 1 diabetes does not produce any insulin on their own. Insulin is a hormone that is necessary to survive, and converts sugar, carbohydrates, and other foods eaten into energy for the body’s cells. Type 1 diabetes accounts for only about 5% of all diabetes diagnoses. The reason the pancreas doesn’t produce insulin isn’t completely understood, but is generally thought to be either inherited, a cause of an environmental factor like a virus or disease, or even both. Type 1 patients that learn all about diabetes mellitus and how to manage it with insulin therapy can live a long and healthy life.
  • Type 2 diabetes is by far the most common form of diabetes mellitus. It affects millions of people in the United States alone. In type 2 diabetes the body doesn’t produce enough insulin to convert the blood sugar into energy, or doesn’t use the insulin that is produced in the right way. This is sometimes referred to as insulin resistance. In either case, when the sugar in the blood doesn’t get absorbed into the cells to be used as energy, it builds up to high levels in the blood. This causes many complications and health problems, especially if it isn’t managed properly. Many things are thought to be the cause of type 2 diabetes, but obesity and poor diet, along with lack of activity are seen as the primary and most likely culprits.
  • Gestational diabetes usually develops in the third trimester of pregnancy, around the 20th to 24th week. You don’t have to have diabetes before getting pregnant to develop gestational diabetes. In fact, most women don’t. It is thought to be related to hormones released by the body during pregnancy. It can affect the health of your baby, and cause complications during delivery as well. If diagnosed, the pregnancy can be without complications if medical advice is followed strictly and glucose levels are maintained at safe levels during the pregnancy.

 

Nobody knows all about diabetes mellitus of all types, but now that you understand the different diabetes types, you can research the type that affects you and learn how to live with and manage your own diabetes condition.