According to the CDC, diabetes is the condition in which the body does not properly process food for use as energy. Most of the food we eat is turned into glucose (sugar), for our bodies to use for energy. The pancreas, an organ that lies near the stomach, makes a hormone called insulin to help glucose get into the cells of our bodies. When you have diabetes, your body either does not make enough insulin or cannot use its own insulin as efficiently as it should. This causes sugar levels to build up in your blood. Diabetes can cause serious health problems including heart disease, blindness, kidney failure, and lower-extremity amputations. Diabetes is a leading cause of death in the world. According to Statista, in 2019 China tops the world with 116 million diabetics, followed by India with 77 million cases and the United States with 31 million suffering from it.
What are some of the symptoms of diabetes? They might have some or none of the following symptoms:
- Frequent urination
- Excessive thirst
- Unexplained weight loss
- Extreme hunger
- Sudden vision changes
- Tingling or numbness in hands or feet
- Feeling very tired much of the time
- Very dry skin
- Sores that are slow to heal
- More infections than usual
- Nausea, vomiting, or stomach pains may accompany the above symptoms.
What are the types of diabetes?
Type 1 diabetes, previously called insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) or juvenile-onset diabetes, may account for 5 percent to 10 percent of all diagnosed cases of diabetes. Risk factors are less well defined for Type 1 diabetes than for Type 2 diabetes, but autoimmune, genetic, and environment are typical factors of this type of diabetes.