Diabetes

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Diabetes is a disease in which the body either cannot produce insulin or cannot properly use the insulin it produces. Insulin is a hormone that helps the cells of the body use sugar for energy. It also helps the body store extra energy in muscle, fat, and liver cells. It is like a key that allows the glucose to enter the cells.

When the body does not make or properly use insulin, it leads to high blood sugar which can harm parts of the body, such as the eyes, heart, blood vessels, nerves, and kidneys. High blood sugar can also increase the patient's risk for other complications.

There are different types of diabetes. In addition to Type 1 and Type 2, which we will discuss in this course, there is also gestational diabetes.
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What is it?


Type 1 diabetes used to be called juvenile diabetes, since it usually presents in children or young adults. In Type 1 diabetes, the patient's pancreas beta cells stop making insulin. In order to treat Type 1 diabetes, patients are prescribed exogenous insulin, insulin that comes from outside the patient's body.

Patients with Type 1 diabetes must test their blood sugar regularly, closely monitor their diet, and work closely with their doctor to ensure their insulin dosage is correct and their diabetes is under control.
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Symptoms of untreated Type 1 diabetes include:
  • excessive thirst
  • excessive urination
  • unintentional weight loss
  • increased hunger (not as common)
  • blurry eyesight

If diabetes is uncontrolled for too long, diabetic ketoacidosis can occur. Diabetic ketoacidosis can be incredibly dangerous and even life-threatening. Symptoms that a patient is experiencing diabetic ketoacidosis include:
  • flushed, hot, dry skin
  • not feeling hungry
  • belly pain
  • vomiting
  • a strong, fruity breath odour
  • fast and shallow breathing
  • restlessness, drowsiness, or trouble waking up
  • confusion
Risk factors for Type 1 diabetes include the following:
  • A family history of Type 1 diabetes.
  • Being of European descent.
  • Two or more diabetes tests indicating antibodies in the blood.

What is it?


In Type 1 diabetes, the pancreas does not produce insulin. In Type 2 diabetes, the patient’s body cannot properly use the insulin that the body does produce. This means that the body has to produce more and more insulin to get glucose into the cells. Over time, the pancreas “burns out” and no longer produces insulin.
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Blood sugar for a patient with Type 2 diabetes may raise gradually enough that they do not notice that there is something wrong.

Common symptoms of high blood sugar can include:
 
  • unusual increased thirst
  • unusual increased urination
  • increased hunger
  • blurred vision
There are more risk factors for Type 2 diabetes than there are for Type 1 diabetes. Some are controllable and others are not.
 
  • family history of type 2 diabetes
  • age
  • Ethnicity—Indigenous peoples, Africans, Asians, Hispanics, and South Asians are at higher risk
  • history of gestational diabetes
  • giving birth to a baby with a birth weight of more than 9 lbs
  • being overweight
  • being physically inactive
  • an unhealthy diet
  • Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS)
  • history of heart disease
  • high blood pressure
  • low high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol
  • high triglyceride level
  • acanthosis nigricans (increased pigmentation of the skin)
  • prediabetes (blood sugar higher than it should be but not high enough to be diagnosed with diabetes)