The 2 Types of Diabetes
Diabetes is a common disease and is caused by high sugar levels in the bloodstream that is a result of the body not being able to use the sugar properly. When the body is functioning properly there is a hormone created by the beta cells in the pancreas called insulin whose function it is to control the amount of sugar in your blood.
A picture of the liver, spleen, kidney, stomach, and the pancreas
However, when the cells that produce this hormone are damaged, the level of sugar in the body rises dramatically and this leads to one of the two types of diabetes. There are many symptoms of diabetes, some of which are:
Diabetes can effect anybody, of almost any age. Studies show that there are not great differences in cases between ethniticities; however people of Native American and African Americans are about 2 times more likely to get the disease. However, there are some factors that can greatly increase the chances of someone getting the disease. Some of these factors are;
Some of these factors are controllable, such as doing frequent exercise to control obesity but some factors like being over 45 are things that cannot be controlled.
Up-close picture of islets of langerhans, the islets are situated in the pancreas and are where the beta-cells, which are responsible for producing insulin, are also situated.
The difference between the two types is the amount of the cells destroyed or damaged. In type 1 diabetes, or insulin-dependent diabetes, all of the cells that produce insulin are destroyed, thus causing a huge rise in the amount of sugar in the bloodstream. This type of diabetes is most common in people under the age of 40 and can be treated by insulin injections an insulin diet and with exercise. Rosiglitazone is not recommended for patients with this type of the disease
The second type of diabetes, or insulin-independent diabetes is where a fraction of the insulin producing cells are killed, or if the cells producing the insulin stop working properly, or the body develops a resistance to the effects of insulin. What causes insulin resistance is quite a mysterious topic at the moment and scientists Therefore, the amount of sugar does rise but not as dramatically. Type 2 diabetes has recently been on a steep rise, and now almost 90% of people with diabetes have this type. Parallel to this rise is the increasing number of obese people in the west. As people get bigger, the pancreas has to produce more insulin, therefore making it easier for there to be too little being produced. In the early stages of the disease, type 2 diabetes can be treated by taking glucose-lowering drugs and also by taking an insulin diet. Diabetes is a controllable disease through careful daily checking with a glucometer (shown below) and by taking the necessary insulin supplements. However, every 1 in 3 people who have diabetes, do not know that they have it. Diabetes, although not life threatening at first is able to cause kidney disease, eye diseases and nervous system diseases.
Controlling diabetes is a very important part of beating the disease, however it requires one to greatly change their lifestyle, and takes time and determination. It is advised that patients check their blood sugar level regularly, however it depends on what level of control the disease is at. For someone who is on a good diet and is exercising repeatedly levels should be checked weekly, however someone who has much lower insulin levels, it is advised that levels should be checked four or even more times a day.
Rosiglitazone, in Avandia pills, can be taken regularly with meals, or on its own. Avandia, in some cases, can be taken with another diabetes drug, but take care to contact your doctor first. Avandia has several side-effects that include backache, headache, swelling, and fatigue. Avandia should be avoided by anyone with type 1 diabetes, with a history of liver or sever heart problems, and the safety of taking Avandia with pregnant women has not yet been proved. You should see that Avandia is working when you find that your blood sugar level is within the limits, if not, it is strongly advisable to contact a doctor.
A glucometer, a device that is used to check blood-pressure for people with diabetes.