What is Diabetes?
Around 1.4 million people have been diagnosed with diabetes in the UK today. It is estimated that a similar number have the condition without knowing it.
There are four types of diabetes:
Type 1: The pancreas cannot produce Insulin. This type affects around 5-10% of diabetes sufferers. Mainly children are in this category....(more)
Type 2: The body cannot absorb the Insulin or the pancreas produces very little Insulin. Around 90% of cases of diabetes fall into this category. It is observed mainly in adults, less so in children.....(more)
Gestation Diabetes: This is a temporary condition contracted mainly by pregnant women contract and affects both mother and child; 2-4% of all pregnancies are affected.
Secondary diabetes: This usually occurs as the result of some other condition in the body such as inflammation of the pancreas, or the use of certain medications such as steroids or diuretics.
How would you feel once you are told you are diabetic?
When one is given the diagnosis of diabetes Mellitus, they experience variable degrees of:
- Bafflement
- Fear
- Anger (at drawing the short stick).
Please remember. Diabetes happens. There is nothing you could have done to stop it from existing. But there are things you can do to treat and Control and Monitor it.
Is Diabetes Dangerous?
If patients first come to medical attention because of severe metabolic abnormalities, they may go through a near death experience (or their life may unfold before their eyes like a reel).
Is Diabetes Curable?
It is re-assuring that we have now made major strides in understanding the mechanisms underlying insulin dependent and non-insulin dependent diabetes, optimal treatment of established disease as well as possible prevention.
Large clinical trials have firmly established the role of insulin deficiency (absolute or relative), glucose toxicity and abnormalities in fat metabolism, blood clotting and blood vessel function that contribute to the complications of diabetes. These complications affect different organs to different degrees.