Diabetes or diabetes mellitus is a disease that results in the body having
high blood sugar levels. In normal people, the hormone insulin released by the pancreas helps your body process and use these sugars (glucose) circulating in your blood. It does so by sending sugar into your cells, where it is processed to produce energy. In diabetes, your body can’t make enough insulin or it can’t use it effectively.
In 2018, diabetes affected about
34.2 million Americans. It was also the
seventh leading cause of death in 2017. More so, about
1.5 million Americans are diagnosed with diabetes every year. Uncontrolled diabetes can have serious consequences on your health, affecting your nerves, eyes, heart, kidneys, and several other organs. This is why it is often known as the mother of all diseases.
Following are the different
types of diabetes:
- Type I diabetes – constitutes 10% of all diabetes types.
- Type II diabetes – this is the more common type.
- Prediabetes – Prediabetes is when your blood sugar is higher than usual but not high enough to be diagnosed as type II diabetes. It is more like an early stage of Type II diabetes that can be prevented from proceeding to Type II diabetes with early management.
- Gestational diabetes: As the name indicates, gestational diabetes happens during gestation, that is, pregnancy.