Diabetes is a chronic medical condition that happens due to high levels of blood glucose (sugar) in your bloodstream. This happens when your body doesn’t produce the recommended amount of insulin. Diabetes also happens when your body doesn’t effectively use the insulin your body produces.
Contrary to what some claim, Diabetes lives with your whole life. It is incurable, and with the right medications and lifestyle can easily be managed. However, it’s incredibly important to recognize the symptoms and take the necessary steps under the guidance of a diabetes specialist.
Now that you know the basics of Diabetes, let’s go a little deeper.
As you can see, the term “Insulin” keeps popping up.
What is Insulin and what role does it play for your body?
Insulin is a type of hormone, produced by beta cells in your pancreas, which plays an essential role in regulating blood glucose levels of your body.
Role of Insulin
Uptake of Glucose
When you eat something, your digestive system breaks down the carbohydrates in it into glucose. The glucose then enters your bloodstream. Now, what insulin does is it helps your cells to take absorb glucose. That absorbed glucose is used as an energy that helps in the proper functioning of cells in your body, such as muscle and fat cells.
Storing Glucose
Now, your body does not use all the glucose it produces. That’s why, insulin directs your liver to store the excess glucose as glycogen. Now what happens to the glycogen?
Well, it is used as energy when the sugar levels in your drop hours after a meal. This is the reason why you feel weak and hungry after a while or after doing some heavy work, as there is no glucose to give you energy. This is where the stored glycogen helps you stay energetic by converting itself into energy.
Prevents gluconeogenesis
Gluconeogenesis is a process in which your body’s liver produces glucose from non-carbohydrate sources. Thereby stopping the release of excess glucose into your bloodstream.
Enhance protein synthesis
Protein synthesis is a process where your cells produce protein, which is important for cellular growth and repair.
Promote Fat Storage
Insulin also helps in storing the excess glucose in the form of fat in your fat tissues. This happens when you have excess glucose bloodstream.
Now that you know the role of insulin, it will become easier for you to connect the dots.
Insulin regulates glucose metabolism by sending the appropriate amount of glucose to your cells and storing the rest for future purposes. In short, it keeps the glucose levels in your blood stable. In diabetes, your body stops producing insulin (type 1 diabetes) or decreases the efficiency of insulin (Type 2 diabetes). This causes a spike in blood glucose levels in the body, including other metabolic disturbances.
Types of Diabetes
Type 1 diabetes
- Excessive thirst and hunger
- Frequent urination
- Unexplained weight loss
- Fatigue and weakness
- Blurred vision
- Irritability
Type 2 Diabetes
Type 2 diabetes is when your body’s cells don’t respond to insulin. As a result, insulin production will gradually decline. This type of diabetes is usually caused by genetics, age (usually above 45), and lifestyle factors, such as obesity, and lack of physical activity.
Symptoms of Type 2 diabetes are similar to Type 1.
It usually develops in adulthood, but more and more younger individuals are also getting it in recent times.
Gestational Diabetes
Gestational diabetes is a type of diabetes that occurs during pregnancy. It is characterized by elevated blood sugar levels in a woman who did not have diabetes before pregnancy. This condition typically develops in the second or third trimester of pregnancy and is associated with hormonal changes and increased insulin resistance.
The symptoms of Gestational Diabetes are not quite noticeable, but in certain cases, you may notice frequent urination, thirst, and fatigue.
Monogenic Diabetes
Monogenic diabetes, also known as maturity-onset diabetes of the young (MODY), is a rare form of diabetes characterized by a strong genetic component. Unlike the more common types of diabetes such as type 1 and type 2, monogenic diabetes is caused by mutations in a single gene. These mutations are typically inherited in an autosomal dominant manner, meaning that an affected individual has a 50% chance of passing the mutation to each of their children.
This type of diabetes usually manifests at a younger age, often before the age of 25, and may be misdiagnosed as either type 1 or type 2 diabetes.
Secondary Diabetes
Secondary diabetes results from an underlying condition, such as pancreatic diseases, hormonal disorders, medications, or genetic syndromes. It is not a standalone condition like primary diabetes. Causes include pancreatitis, certain medications, and hormonal imbalances.
Treatment for Diabetes
Diabetes is a lifelong condition and cannot be completely treated. However, the goal of a diabetes specialist is to manage the glucose levels in your blood and prevent any possible complications.
For type 1 diabetes, insulin therapy is pretty important and needs to be administered through injections or insulin pumps.
Type 2 diabetes can be managed with oral medications, and insulin-sensitizing drugs, including a balanced diet, regular exercise, and managing weight.
On top of that, technologies like closed-loop systems, and continuous glucose monitoring further help in managing diabetes at a precise level.
BCure is a home to professional diabetologists in Bhubaneswar and Cuttack. We have smart clinics across Odisha, offering people from rural, semi-urban, and urban areas to receive high-quality treatments from diabetes specialists in Bhubaneswar and Cuttack.
