Diabetes-Symptoms and Causes

Ali January 12, 2022 40 0

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Diabetes mellitus is a group of diseases that modify how your body utilizes blood sugar or glucose. Glucose is vital to your health because it is an essential energy source for the cells that make up your muscles and tissues. Moreover, it is the brain’s primary source of fuel.

There are various types of diabetes, and the underlying cause of diabetes also varies by ts type. However, it does not matter which diabetes type you have; it can cause excess sugar in your bloodstream. It is a dangerous situation as too much sugar in your blood can direct to severe health conditions.

Type 1 diabetes and type 2 diabetes are chronic diabetic conditions. It has to do with blood sugar levels. More so, possibly reversible diabetes conditions include prediabetes and gestational diabetes. Prediabetes occurs when your glucose levels are higher than optimal but not enough to be categorized as diabetes. It is also taken as the precursor of diabetes until required measures are taken to prevent its progression.

On the other hand, gestational diabetes occurs only during pregnancy. Pregnant women usually develop it in their last trimester. However, it can get resolved after the baby is delivered.

Symptoms of Diabetes

As per your increased blood sugar levels, diabetes symptoms can vary. People with prediabetes or type 2 diabetes might not even experience any signs. However, in type 1 diabetes, symptoms can occur quickly, and they can be severe.

Following are some of the most common symptoms of type 1 and type 2 diabetes:

Increased thirst
Unexplained weight loss
Frequent urination
Extreme hunger
Presence of ketones in the urine. The breakdown of muscle and fat that occurs when there are not enough insulin available causes ketones as a byproduct.
Fatigue
Slow-healing sores
Irritability
Blurred vision
Frequent infections or inflammations, like gums, skin, or vaginal infections

Type 1 diabetes can happen at any age. However, it often develops during childhood or puberty. On the contrary, type 2 diabetes, the more common type, can also develop at any age. But it is more common in people who are 40 or above.

Causes of Diabetes

Diabetes is caused when the blood sugar level or glucose is not produced correctly by the pancreas glands. It is where glucose is generated. This malfunction can cause many health problems that may be severe.

Following are the causes of different types of diabetes:

1-Causes of Type 1 Diabetes

To date, the exact cause of type 1 diabetes is not known. But what has been discovered is that your immune system, which usually fights harmful bacteria, strikes, and damages those cells in the pancreas that produce insulin. Due to this, sugar starts to build up in your bloodstream instead of getting transported into your cells. It leaves the patient with little to no insulin in their system.

Type 1 diabetes is also caused by a mixture of genetics and environmental factors. However, the exact factors are still not clear. People often criticize weight problems when developing type 1 diabetes, but weight is not considered a determinant in type 1 diabetes.

2-Causes of Prediabetes or Type 2 Diabetes

Prediabetes is the condition that leads to type 2 diabetes. In type 2 diabetes, your body cells start to repel the action of insulin, which causes your pancreas to be unable to make enough insulin to overcome this resistance. The sugar begins to build up in your bloodstream rather than moving into your cell to produce energy.

Like type 1 diabetes, the cause of type 2 diabetes is also unknown. It is thought that genetic and environmental factors play a significant role in type 2 diabetes. However, being overweight or obese is heavily linked to the growth of type 2 diabetes, although not everyone who has type 2 diabetes is obese.

3- Causes of Gestational Diabetes

Pregnant women develop gestational diabetes, usually in their last trimester. During the tenure of pregnancy, the placenta produces hormones necessary to sustain the pregnancy. These hormones often make your cells more repellent to insulin.

Usually, the pancreas reacts and produces extra insulin that is enough to overcome this resistance. But your pancreas can not keep up with the rising demand sometimes and fails to fill the gap. When this occurs, little glucose transfers to your cells, and a lot of it stays in your bloodstream. It results in gestational diabetes.

However, it can subside when the baby is delivered as it is temporary.