
How Uncontrolled Diabetes Damages Your Heart, Eyes, Kidneys, Nerves, Teeth and More
Diabetes is a cluster of disorders characterized by high blood sugar levels that persist over a long period. It is one of the most common disorders of our time.
According to the International Diabetes Federation, 387 million people worldwide were living with diabetes by the year 2014.
In the U.S. alone, 29.1 million people have diabetes, out of which 8.1 million remain undiagnosed, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Understanding How Your Body Works
Glucose is a type of simple sugar found in food. It is a major source of energy and is used by every living organism.
When you eat food, your digestive system breaks it down into glucose in the blood so your cells can extract energy from it and recharge themselves. At this point, the glucose is also called blood sugar.
Every cell of every organ in your body, be it the muscles, kidneys or the brain, relies on energy from glucose to perform its functions.
But how does this glucose reach the cells?
Insulin is a hormone secreted by the pancreas that performs the crucial task of delivering glucose to the different cells.
So, how does all this relate to diabetes?
Understanding Diabetes
There are two major types of diabetes.
Type 1 Diabetes
In Type 1 diabetes, the cells of the pancreas responsible for making insulin either fail to do so or create very little.
This keeps the glucose unused in the blood, and can ultimately cause an overload of blood sugar.
It is mostly diagnosed in young adults and children.
Type 2 Diabetes
This is the most common type of diabetes. Ninety percent of the adults suffering from dia
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