A group of diseases that affect how your body uses blood glucose is known as diabetes mellitus. Chronic conditions are type 1 and type 2 diabetes. The reversible conditions are gestational diabetes and pre-diabetes. Gestational diabetes occur during pregnancy and pre-diabetes is when your blood sugar levels are higher than normal but still not high enough to be classified as diabetes.

There is no known exact cause of type 1 diabetes known to scientists. It is proven that the immune system that protects and fights off harmful bacteria and viruses, mistakenly destroys the cells that produce insulin in the pancreas. This insulin is also known as islet. No matter what the cause of your diabetes, rather it be genetic or triggered by a virus, once the islet cells are destroyed, your body will produce little or no insulin. Type 1 diabetes was also known as juvenile diabetes although it usually appears during adolescence but can develop at any age.

If you have any type of diabetes, your blood has too much glucose. Glucose is vital because it is the body’s main source of energy that fuels your tissue and muscles.

Normally, cells get energy to the body’s muscles and tissues by getting glucose in them from the help of the hormone insulin. The pancreas produces insulin and is located just behind the stomach. When your body is working properly, after eating, insulin will secrete from the pancreas into your bloodstream. Then it circulates and acts like a key unlocking tiny doors that allow sugar to enter into cells. Insulin lowers the amount of sugar in the bloodstream dropping the sugar levels and the secretion from the pancreas.

Our livers act as a manufacturing center that stores glucose. If you haven’t eaten in a while, your insulin levels can get low triggering the liver to convert stored glycogen back to glucose to keep your levels within a normal range. This doesn’t occur with type 1 diabetes, there is no insulin to put glucose into your body’s cells. This causes sugar to build up in your bloodstream, when it should be transported to the cells. When this occurs, it can be life threatening.

The more familiar type 2 diabetes has a different cause. It was once known as adult-onset or non-insulin dependent diabetes, a chronic condition that affects the way your body metabolizes sugar. Islet cells still function, but the pancreas doesn’t produce enough insulin or it becomes resistant to it. There is no cure for type 1 or type 2 diabetes, but it is preventable and manageable. You can start with a healthy diet, exercising and maintaining your weight. You still may need insulin therapy or diabetes medications. Your weight and diet should always be managed, even if you are on medications or insulin.

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