Diabetes is a life long disease that is marked by low or high levels of sugar in the blood. It can be cause by too much or too little insulin in the blood. Diabetes affects more than 16 million Americans (Diabetes Overview). There are many risk factors for diabetics such as: family history of diabetes (parent or sibling), obesity, age (greater than 45 years old), delivering a baby weighing more than 9 pounds, high blood presser and high cholesterol levels. About 40% of all diabetics have no symptoms of the condition. There is no cure for diabetes; it is a life threating disease. There are many different types of diabetes like type I and II, gestational diabetes, and diabetes insipidus.
Type I diabetes is a chronic disease that occurs when the pancreas produce not enough insulin to regulate blood sugar levels appropriately. Type I diabetes is often called juvenile or insulin-dependent diabetes (Yahoo Health Encyclopedia). It can occur at any age, but it usually starts in people younger tan the age of 30. The exact cause of type I diabetes is unknown. It accounts for 3% of all new cases of diabetes each year (Yahoo Health Encyclopedia). There is 1 new case every 7,000 child per year (Yahoo Health Encyclopedia). .
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New cases are less common among adults older than 20 years old (Yahoo Health Encyclopedia). Symptoms are usually severe and occur rapidly such as: increased thirst, increased urination, weight loss despite increased appetite, nauseam vomiting, abdominal pain, fatigue, and the absence of menstruation.
Type II diabetes is a chronic (life long) disease that results when the body's insulin does not work effectively. It accounts for 90% of all cases (Yahoo Health Encyclopedia). A person with type II diabetes often does not require insulin injections. The primary treatment is exercise and diet. It usually occurs gradually most people with type II diabetes usually are obese at the time of diagnosis, but it can also develop in lean people, especially the elderly.
