If you have diabetes, your body has problems processing glucose, the main fuel for all cells in your body including those in your muscles, heart, and brain. People who have diabetes have too much glucose in their bloodstreams. The glucose remains in the blood, instead of transferring into the cells, with the help of a hormone called insulin.
Insulin is normally produced in the pancreas which secretes it into the bloodstream. Insulin helps move circulating glucose into the cells and glucose blood levels drop, causing your brain to call for more glucose from the storage supply in the liver. This balancing act, along with healthy and regular eating, keeps blood sugar within the normal range.
There are three main types of diabetes:- Type 1 in which the body's immune system attacks and destroys the insulin producing cells in the pancreas. This allows glucose to accumulate in your bloodstream, starving your body and brain cells of the fuel they need to function properly.
- Type 2 in which your cells gradually become resistant to insulin. Your pancreas secretes more but cannot overcome the resistance that prevents glucose from entering the cells. As in Type 1, glucose accumulates in the bloodstream, with damaging effects on the cells and organs being starved for fuel.
- Gestational diabetes occurs during pregnancy, usually during the 2nd and 3rd trimester due to hormone interactions that make your cells resistant to insulin, preventing the transfer of glucose into the cells. Glucose builds up in the bloodstream, preventing the cells from getting the fuel they need.
Family history of diabetes is a risk factor in all types of diabetes and there may be environmental factors at work as well. However, in Type 2 diabetes, the most common type, there are also risk factors that can be controlled. If you have diabetes, or are at risk for the disease, it is critical to control your weight, nutritional status, and activity levels. The less active you are, the greater the risk of developing the disease. Healthy habits will also help control other diabetes risk factors such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and triglycerides.
Uncontrolled diabetes has many complications including risk of heart disease, loss of vision, kidney damage, and nerve damage, particularly in the feet and legs. Your OHM doctor will test your blood for signs of diabetes and discuss ways you can stay healthy to help prevent the onset of the disease.
