Archive for October, 2009
Finding the best treatment method for diabetes often depends on the specifics of each case. Those with type 1 diabetes rely on regular insulin injections or an attached pump in order to survive. While type 1 diabetes only accounts for about 10 percent of all diabetes cases, millions of people are affected by the chronic disease. People with type 2 diabetes, which is often preventable but can result from a number of factors, can control the problem with healthy diet and exercise choices.
Before making assumptions and judgments about a person’s lifestyle, make sure you get the facts about diabetes. Type 1 diabetes is not preventable, and it’s a condition that patients must deal with for the duration of their lives. Type 2 might not show up until the late stages of life, but poor diet and exercise habits can quicken the onset of the disease.
Type 1 diabetes is a condition that affects people at a young age when the pancreas stops producing a satisfactory amount of insulin. When insulin levels dip below normal, the body begins to use fat cells as an energy source – a catastrophic development that cannot be sustained for long without serious health risks. It’s therefore important to recognize the symptoms of diabetes in children and to seek immediate treatment.
Signs of diabetes may include fatigue as the cells become deprived of sugar, blurred vision as the body pulls liquid from any available tissue source and hunger resulting in a loss of energy. Without a way to rid itself of excess sugar, the body will also seek moisture to dilute it. That means increased thirst and an increased frequency of urination. The sooner diabetes is diagnosed, the sooner it can be treated and the child can return to a happy, normal life.