WHAT IS DIABETES?
Diabetes is a disease that occurs when the body’s blood sugar consistently remains above normal levels.
When a person has Diabetes the body is not able to properly process food for use as energy.
Diabetes affects more than 25 million people in the U.S. alone.
WHAT TYPE OF DISEASE IS DIABETES?
Diabetes is an endocrine hormone disorder.
WHAT TYPE OF DOCTOR TREATS DIABETES?
An Endocrinologist is the type of medical specialist that treats diabetes.
WHAT ARE THE TWO TYPES OF DIABETES?
There are Two Types of Diabetes;
Type 1 Diabetes:
Occurs if the insulin-producing cells (also known as beta cells) of the pancreas are destroyed by the immune system.
People with type 1 diabetes produce no insulin.
An individual with type 1 Diabetes must use insulin injections to control their blood sugar levels.
Type 1 diabetes most commonly starts in people under the age of 20, but may occur at any age.
Type 2 Diabetes:
Occurs if the pancreas does not produce enough insulin for the body to work correctly or the body is not able to identify insulin and use insulin properly.
When there isn’t enough insulin or the insulin is not used as it should be, glucose can’t get into the body’s cells to be used as energy.
When the body does not receive enough insulin, glucose is unable to get into the body’s cells.
If there is not enough glucose in the cells then the cell are unable to store energy.
When there isn’t enough insulin or the insulin is not used as it should be, glucose is not able to enter the body’s cells to be used as energy.
Type 1 Diabetes and Type 2 Diabetes are both serious Endocrine diseases and need to be monitored closely.
You can find additional Diabetes Resources at:
Click on HypoGal My Story, to read about my journey with a rare disease.
You can also find Everyday Shortcuts to Living With A Chronic Illness on the HypoGalBlog.