Diet and Diabetes Online

It has been estimated diabetes affects some 15.9 million Americans. In fact, diabetes is listed as the seventh most common cause of death in the US, and approximately 798,000 new cases of diabetes are diagnosed each year. What exactly is this disease that has an effect on so many of our lives?

Diabetes mellitus, the most common form of diabetes which affects one out of ever fifty adults, is a disease which the body is unable to properly process carbohydrates. This inability to control carbohydrates in a regulated manner causes in creased levels of glucose in the blood. High levels of glucose in the blood are dangerous because they can cause certain proteins to bind, altering their functions and endangering body tissues.

In a normally functioning digestive system, blood glucose levels are regulated by a hormone known as insulin. Unfortunately, diabetics are either unable to produce. Essentially, insulin is required to reduce the sugar content in the blood by serving as a transit system. This hormone transports the glucose from the blood to various body cells which use it as fuel. In the absence of insulin, glucose circulates without being absorbed, and heavy sugar concentrates accumulate in the blood.

 

Diabetes Early Symptoms

Diabetes common symptoms include frequent urination, excessive thirst, unexplained weight loss, extreme hunger, sudden vision changes, numbness in the feet or hands, fatigue, dry skin, an increase of infections, and sores or wounds that are slow to heat.

Often times, diabetes can go virtually undetected, only being discovered when the blood or urine is tested for other reasons. In fact, it is suggested that of the estimated 15.9 million diabetics in the United States, 5.4 million people have undiagnosed diabetes. Diabetes can be a very silent and dangerous disease.

Although each case varies, diabetes can be accompanied by some very slight symptoms or no symptoms at all. Some of the more common symptoms include frequent urination, excessive thirst, unexplained weight loss, extreme hunger, sudden vision changes, numbness in the feet or hands, fatigue, dry skin, an increase of infections, and sores or wounds that are slow to heat. With diabetes more common in children, nausea, vomiting, or stomach pains may occur as symptoms during the onset of the disease.