Diabetes is a disease that occurs when your blood glucose, also called blood sugar, is too high. Blood glucose is your main source of energy and comes from the food you eat. Insulin, a hormone made by the pancreas, helps glucose from food get into your cells to be used for energy.
Diabetes occurs when the body either doesn't produce enough insulin or when the body's cells don't respond properly to insulin. Insulin is a hormone produced by the pancreas that helps glucose (a type of sugar) get into cells to be used for energy. When there's not enough insulin or the cells don't respond, glucose builds up in the bloodstream, leading to high blood sugar levels.
Here's a more detailed explanation:
Type 1 Diabetes:
In type 1 diabetes, the body's immune system mistakenly attacks and destroys the insulin-producing cells in the pancreas.
This leads to a complete or near-complete lack of insulin, causing blood sugar levels to rise.
The exact cause of type 1 diabetes is unknown, but genetics and environmental factors are believed to play a role.
Type 2 Diabetes:
Type 2 diabetes is characterized by insulin resistance, where the body's cells don't respond well to insulin, and the pancreas doesn't produce enough insulin to compensate.
Several factors can contribute to insulin resistance, including genetics, obesity, inactivity, and unhealthy eating habits.
As insulin resistance progresses, blood sugar levels rise, eventually leading to type 2 diabetes.
Other Types of Diabetes:
Gestational diabetes:
This occurs during pregnancy and usually resolves after childbirth, but increases the risk of type 2 diabetes later in life.
LADA (Latent Autoimmune Diabetes in Adults):
This is a form of type 1 diabetes that develops more slowly and often in adults.
MODY (Maturity-Onset Diabetes of the Young):
This is a rare form of diabetes caused by a genetic mutation that affects insulin production.
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