DIABETES MELLITUS
What is Diabetes?
Diabetes means that blood glucose is too high. glucose comes from the food we eat and is needed to fuel our bodies. are there different types of diabetes?
Yes. there are three main types of diabetes as follows:
- Type-1 diabetes
- Type-2 diabetes
- Gestational diabetes
What is type-1 diabetes?
- In type-1 diabetes the cells in the pancreas that make insulin are destroyed
- It happens when the immune system attacks and destroys the cells of the pancreas that produce insulin.
What is type-2 diabetes?
- In type-2 diabetes the pancreas still makes some insulin but cells cannot use it very well
- Glucose is less able to enter the cells and do its job of supplying energy (this is called insulin resistance)
- This causes the blood sugar level to rise, making the pancreas produce even more insulin
- The pancreas can wear out from working overtime to produce extra insulin and may no longer be able to produce enough insulin to keep blood sugar levels normal
What is gestational diabetes?
- Gestational diabetes is a type of diabetes that occurs when women are pregnant
- It also raises their child’s risk for being overweight and for getting type-2 diabete