Complications Of Type 2 Diabetes
Diabetes is known as a metabolic disorder because it affects how we use the food that we eat. As we eat many times a day and there is no cure for diabetes, it is a disease that can have a significant impact on a person’s life. Diabetics have a problem with the hormone insulin. When food is eaten, mainly carbohydrates, it is metabolized so that glucose is absorbed into the bloodstream. Once in the blood it can be transported throughout the body where it is used as energy by the body. When this occurs, the blood glucose level reduces from a high level to a normal level. This is the job of the hormone insulin. For diabetics the blood glucose level cannot be reduced because insulin is not created or the body is not sensitive to the insulin that is produced. As a result of this various health problems can occur. This article will first point out the difference between type 1 and type 2 diabetes and then cover some health problems caused by type 2 diabetes.
Type 1 diabetes is thought to be an autoimmune disorder. The immune system thinks that the beta cells in the pancreas, that create insulin, are foreign and destroys them. Type 2 diabetes is more to do with insulin resistance. The body continues to produce insulin but the body does not respond to the insulin as it used to. Diabetes during pregnancy is another type of diabetes that is similar to type 2 diabetes in that it is resistance to the naturally occurring insulin.
The ongoing treatment for type 1 is consistent exercise, a balanced diet and insulin replacement therapy. Type 2 is treated similarly, through exercise and diet. It generally does not need insulin replacement therapy but may need medication to make the body more responsive to the normally occurring insulin.
The Cause Of Type 2 Diabetes
The cells in the body cannot recognize or process insulin. It is thought that the cells that develop this condition have lost the receptors that sense insulin secretion or simply there is not enough insulin being produced to deal with the amount of glucose in the body. People with a large belly are most at risk of developing type 2 diabetes because the fat cells in the abdominal area produce adipokines that are believed to reduce the body’s tolerance to insulin.
Common Health Problems
The cardiovascular, circulatory and immune systems are all affected by type 2 diabetes over an extended period of time depending on how meticulous the management of the disease is. If the disease is poorly managed then the blood sugar reading will be high for long periods of time. This affects the artery walls where the blood flows through by scoring the inner surfaces. This can make it easier for LDL cholesterol to stick to the inner walls resulting in atherosclerosis and inevitably heart disease.
Another problem is poor circulation. This can lead to problems all over the body. The eyes can suffer from diabetic retinopathy because of poor circulation. Diabetic retinopathy occurs when the blood vessels that support the eyes die because they do not receive any blood. This causes the body to make new blood vessels but they are weaker and may break or burst. this can cause blood to leak into the eye and distort or reduce normal vision. In some cases if left untreated it can lead to a detached retina.
Poor circulation also means that the extremities of the body do not get all the nutrients that they need. This means that areas like the feet and hands become more open to infection, cuts and bruising. They also take a longer time to heal.
In regions like the feet, cuts and bruising are often ignored or unnoticed. For diabetics this is more so because the nervous system in these areas of the body and in general is weaker than other people. This means aches and pains that may warn or indicate that there is a problem are not felt by diabetics.
The best treatment of type 2 diabetes is to manage your diet and exercise plans. Eat a balanced diet and get regular workouts. You may also try to lose weight if this is a problem as extra weight can worsen the condition.
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