subject: What Is Diabetes And It's Symptoms? [print this page] Diabetes or Diabetes Mellitus is a condition that occurs when the level of glucose (a type of sugar) in the blood becomes higher than normal. It is classified as a chronic disease with serious complications. If untreated it can lead to conditions such as impaired kidney function, retinopathy, cardiovascular disease, erectile dysfunction and more.
An estimated 1.7 million Australians are living with Diabetes and 50% of those with Type 2 diabetes don't know they have it. It is estimated that 275 Australians develop diabetes every day and by 2031 it is estimated that 3.3 million Australians will have Type 2 diabetes Nearly one in four Australians over the age of 25 years has either Diabetes or pre-diabetes yet research shows that most Australians think diabetes is not a serious illness and believe that their risk of developing it is lower than it actually is.Insulin is a hormone that moves glucose from your blood stream, into the cells of your body where it is used for energy. When you have Diabetes, the body either cant make enough insulin or the insulin that is being made does not work properly. This causes blood glucose levels to become too high.
There are three main types of diabetes and no known cure.
Type 1 diabetes can occur at any age, but is more often diagnosed in children and young adults.
Type 2 diabetes is the most common form of diabetes affecting 85 to 90 per cent of all people with diabetes. In general it develops in adults over the age of 45 years, but it is increasingly occurring at a younger age.
Type 2 diabetes tends to run in families and is often triggered by an inactive lifestyle or excess weight. It is known as a lifestyle disease and it is not uncommon to have high cholesterol and high blood pressure as well.
Many people with type 2 diabetes do not experience any symptoms and feel completely well, so it is possible to have undiagnosed diabetes for a number of years. Gestational diabetes occurs during pregnancy and goes away after the baby is born. In Australia three to eight per cent of pregnant women are diagnosed with gestational diabetes. The most common time to develop this condition is between the 24th and 28th week of the pregnancy.
Even though there is no cure for Diabetes, it can be managed. It is for this reason that it is important to have it diagnosed as early as possible. This will enable you to either get the correct medication or make the relevant lifestyle changes to minimise the serious impact of prolonged high blood glucose levels. It can be managed with regular physical activity, healthy eating and losing excess weight. Many people will also need to take tablets and/or insulin injections in addition to lifestyle changes.
