Diabetes

Approximately 422 million people across the globe are currently living with diabetes. Chronic disease accounts for 1.5 million deaths every year, and if we speak of India alone, 77 million above the age of 18 are suffering from the condition. Diabetes is marked by the excessive build-up of glucose in the blood, which can be due to insufficient insulin production by the pancreas or the inability of the produced insulin to convert glucose into energy. Diabetes can affect people of any age group, even small children. Over the years, diabetes can severely damage the blood vessels and nephrons found within the kidney; this leads to the gradual degeneration of renal function, often resulting in kidney failure.

What are the different types of Diabetes?
Diabetes can be of several different types. These are:

• Type 1 Diabetes - It is also referred to as juvenile diabetes or insulin-dependent diabetes. A faulty autoimmune response triggers the condition, i.e. the patients immune system starts attacking the pancreas, affecting insulin production ability.
• Type 2 Diabetes - It happens to be the most common type of diabetes, accounting for nearly 90 per cent of the cases. The body of a person suffering from the condition becomes resistant to insulin.
• Type 1.5 Diabetes - It is also referred to as latent autoimmune diabetes in adults or LADA. It is because this type of diabetes only affects adults and presents with the features of both, Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes.
• Gestational Diabetes - It is a temporary condition, rather than a complication, experienced by women during pregnancy. This is triggered by the production of certain insulin-blocking chemicals produced by the placenta.

What causes Diabetes?
Different underlying reasons cause different types of diabetes.

• Type 1 Diabetes is caused by an abnormal autoimmune response
• Type 2 Diabetes may be genetic or a result of unhealthy lifestyle practices eating habits
• Type 1.5 Diabetes may be autoimmune or genetic
• Gestational Diabetes is a result of specific hormonal changes that are experienced during pregnancy.

What are the symptoms of Diabetes?
Some of the most common symptoms associated with Diabetes include:

• Increased appetite and thirst
• Unexplained change in weight
• Frequent urge to urinate
• Blurring of vision
• Unexplained fatigue
• Developing sores
• Erectile dysfunction and reduced sex drive in males
• Increased susceptibility to yeast infections, UTI and vaginal dryness in females.