Signs, Causes, And Early Symptoms
of Diabetes

Simply defined, diabetes is a health condition where the blood sugar is higher than normal. The cause may be that the body doesn't produce enough insulin or the cells are not able to use the insulin that is produced. Warning signs and symptoms of diabetes include frequent urination, thirst and increased hunger.

Diabetes is manifested in three different ways, called types:

1. Type 1 diabetes is when the body simply fails to produce insulin. These diabetics will need to take insulin via injection as long as they live.

2. Type 2 diabetes is the result of insulin resistant. The cells fail to use the insulin the body does produce or there is a deficiency of insulin. Treatments include medications, diet restrictions, and sometimes insulin.

3. Gestational diabetes happens with pregnant women, not already diabetics, when the blood glucose level becomes too high. Type 2 diabetes sometimes follows. This is usually diagnosed as a result of routine screening during pregnancy. Treatments include a specific gestational diabetes diet and exercise, although anti-diabetic drugs are sometimes prescribed. Check with your physician and ask for a list of foods for diabetics to eat.

The question of what causes diabetes is not entirely understood although it's believed that Type 1 diabetes is inherited, at least in part, although there is some evidence that a virus named Coxsackie B4 may be involved. It is felt that Type 2 diabetes results from particular lifestyle factors, as well as genetics.

Recent research indicates that getting too little sleep may be a factor in onset of Type 2 diabetes. There is a correlation between weight gain and sleep deprivation, the studies have revealed; but it's also implicated in the onset of Type 2 diabetes.

Insulin is a hormone that serves a regulating function in the flow of glucose from blood to cells. Carbohydrates go to the digestive system where they are processed. Insulin is released into the blood by the pancreas in response to the digestion of the carbohydrates and is used by the body's cells to turn the glucose from the blood into fuel or to be stored.

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