Diabetes

There are two different types of diabetes. In type 1 diabetes the body's insulin production is highly impaired. The body's immune system for some reason, attacks and destroys the insulin-producing cells in the pancreas, which can ultimately lead to complete insulin deficiency. Why the immune system, which is responsible to defend the body against infection, attacks and destroys its own insulin-producing cells is not known. Many researchers believe that a combination of both genetic and environmental factor such as viruses or chemicals can cause immune system's auto-reactivities. Type 1 diabetes diagnosed normally in children and young people. Most of the patients, who suffer from type-1 diabetes do not have a close relative with type 1 diabetes. Patients are normally treated with insulin with some form of injections. (Picture from medical-look)

 The first signs are usually large amounts of urine, increased thirst, unusual tiredness and sometimes weight loss. The large volume of urine is because of high glucose (sugar) levels in the blood, which makes the kidneys to extract the glucose in the urine and the sugar draws water with it, which cause increased thirst. Fatigue and weight loss can also be other symptoms, which is due to serious disruptions in metabolism due to insulin deficiency. Unfortunately, the symptoms appear only when most of the insulin-producing cells are destroyed.

Type 2 diabetes is the most common form of diabetes (>80 %), in which the body either doesn't produce enough insulin or the cells don't respond to the insulin. Many people with type 2 diabetes are overweight and may produce much more insulin than normal level. The exposure of cells to high concentrations of insulin may lead to insulin resistance and thus diabetes. Both types of diabetes can have similar symptoms. Unlike type-1 diabetes, the type-2 diabetes is not an autoimmune disease and is diagnosed normally in people above 40 years of age.