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.