Diabetes
Diabetes is a life long disease that is characterised by increased levels of sugar in the blood. It is either caused due to lack of insulin (a protein that regulates blood glucose levels) or due to lack of response to
insulin produced by the body. Diabetes caused by lack of insulin is called
type 1 diabetes. It develops due to fault in the genes that make insulin and is seen in young adults and teenagers. Diabetes caused by failure of response to insulin is called type 2 diabetes. It is more common type of diabetes and is found in adults. It is caused mainly due to lifestyle factors.
Some of the common symptoms of diabetes are hunger, frequent urination and increased thirst. Factors like unhealthy diet,
sedentary lifestyle and
obesity are main contributing factors of type 2 diabetes. In fact, type 2 diabetes is one of the most common ‘
lifestyle diseases’ which is plaguing people in the developed countries. Diabetes is also known to cause complications like
heart diseases and
hypertension. In this section, you will find answers to all your queries regarding diabetes.
Lack of proper exercise and
sedentary lifestyle is undoubtedly one of the common causes of type 2 diabetes. It is due to lack of response to
insulin (a protein that helps in proper regulation of glucose in the body) that in turn increases glucose levels in the body. However, a fault in the genes that produce insulin cause
type 1 diabetes, which is seen in teenagers and young adults. As compared to type 1 diabetes, type 2 diabetes is quite common in India.
You can diagnose diabetes depending on the symptoms like excessive hunger and thirst and frequent urination. And it can be confirmed with a simple blood test done on an empty test and after having your meals. It is important to control your sugar levels as it might increase your risk of
obesity,
hypertension,
heart disease or kidney problems. While type 1 diabetes is quite difficult to manage, type 2 diabetes can be easily controlled by making simple changes in your daily routine. Here are all your queries related to diabetes and its types, answered.