What is Diabetes?
By Jane McClain
Diabetes is a disease in which the body stops or slows production
of insulin. In Type I diabetes, insulin production has totally stopped
and the person must rely on insulin injections. Otherwise, his blood
sugars would be too high and his energy sapped.
People with Type II
diabetes still produce some insulin. The amount of insulin produced,
however, is either not enough to handle the sugar intake, or it
is not getting into the body’s cells correctly.
Before getting Type II diabetes, people often have a condition called
pre-diabetes. A doctor or a nutritionist can help a person learn
how to eat to postpone the onset of diabetes.
To control the blood
sugars, amounts of insulin, food intake, and exercise must be balanced.
If an imbalance leaves the blood sugars too low, a diabetic coma
can occur. If the sugars are too high, eventually other problems
develop, such as heart attacks, kidney failure, loss of eyesight,
or troubles with the feet, such as diabetic neuropathy, where the
feet lose their ability to feel.
