Diabetes Mellitus: What Is It Exactly?
There are those who have heard of the term "diabetes mellitus," but might not be familiar with it. Diabetes Mellitus is a condition in which the body has elevated blood sugar levels, usually because the pancreas does not produce enough insulin.
Prediabetes
There are several different types of diabetes mellitus which affect different groups. For instance, prediabetes is the pre-cursor to the full-blown condition. In this scenario, the glucose levels are higher than normal, but have not quite reached dangerous levels. For these people, it is often possible to curtail diabetes.
Gestational Diabetes
Gestational diabetes affects pregnant women, even if they have no history of the disease. The condition may continue to develop into type 2 diabetes or the symptoms may pass soon after delivery. If the symptoms disappear and the woman becomes pregnant again, the chances are quite high that she will contract the symptoms once again.
Type 1 Diabetes
Type 1 diabetes, once referred to as juvenile diabetes, only affects a small portion of diabetics. These individuals have few insulin producing cells in their pancreas.
Type 2 Diabetes
On the other end of the spectrum, type 2 diabetes, also known as adult-onset diabetes, is a result of someone having insulin resistance. This means insulin is not being processed correctly. There are several other forms of this disease, some of which can be derived from genetic defects, certain illnesses, or even high doses of certain steroids.
Regardless of the types, the symptoms are generally the same with varying degrees of severity. Excessive thirst and urination are common and as is a tendency to lose weight unexpectedly.
Photo: Pixabay
More Articles
With its slightly nutty flavor, chewy texture, and nutritional punch farro is an ancient whole grain worth a place in our pantry.
Farro...
Having diabetes is cause for concern, however it doesn’t mean that you need to eliminate all of your favorite foods from your diet completely....
With diabetes becoming more of an epidemic each and every day, being knowledgeable about the disease, its effects on the body as well as ways to...
If you’re a diabetic or live with one, it can be tough trying to figure out the best foods to eat because your priority is to control your blood...
In this post, I will show you the 10 best ice creams for diabetics.
When you think of sweetened foods that a diabetic shouldn’t consume,...
More Articles
If you’re living with diabetes, snacking is a necessity because going for more than 3-4 hours without eating can be detrimental to your health....
For diabetics, choosing healthy snacks can be a daunting task.
A good rule of thumb is to pick out snacks that are rich in protein, fiber,...
According to information available through the National Institutes of Health, there’s an estimated 462 million people in the world who are...
Eleven Clinical Studies
After eleven clinical studies and 300,000 participants, researcher Vasanti Malik and her team of researchers...
Diabetic women often have a harder time losing weight than non-diabetic women. A study funded by Jenny Craig proved that diabetic women have an...
Many recent studies have proved that magnesium levels are lower in patients with diabetes than in non-diabetics. This magnesium...
Fluid retention, also known as edema, is a problem that affects many diabetics, especially those with type 2 diabetes...
Some of us might be thrilled if we could manage our blood sugar by sitting in a hot tub or sauna, instead of working up a sweat biking, or using...
Cooking and baking with the ancient cereal grain sorghum has health benefits for people with diabetes, and those with weight control issues....
When it comes to certain foods, there are always questions as to whether or not a diabetic can have them without...
Matcha tea is a rich, creamy, full-bodied beverage with amazing nutritional properties that address several diabetes health concerns.
The...
Salads are good example of foods that type 2 diabetics can enjoy with relatively low guilt. With the right greens and other elements added, salad...
Remaining gainfully employed is important to many people. Those who live with any form of diabetes may find that some lines of work are more...
Learning that you have diabetes does mean making some lifestyle changes. One of the areas that needs attention is your diet. Most people find that...
One of the more challenging aspects of life as a type 2 diabetic is managing your diet. There’s often the temptation to avoid certain foods...