Pancreas and How it Works

Complications

• kidney
• Diabetes is leading cause of kidney failure
• In first few years patients kidneys could have higher than normal filtering functions.
• feet
• Loss of feeling in the feet, usually cause of nerve damage.
• eyes
• Diabetic Retinopathy
• Most common diabetic eye disease
• Leading cause of blindness
• Caused by changes in the blood vessels of the retina

Symptoms

• increased thirst and urination:  caused by excess sugar building up in the bloodstream, fluids are also pulled from tissues.
• extreme hunger:  without enough insulin to move sugar into your cells, muscles, and organs they become depleted of energy triggering intense hunger.
• fatigue, feeling tired:  as cells become deprived of sugar your body will start to feel tired and irritable.
• irritability, mood swings
• blurred vision:  when sugar levels are too high fluid can be pulled from your tissues including the lense of the eye effecting your ability to focus resulting in blurred vision.
• numbness in hands and feet

Main Focus, Type 1

4 types of diabetes

Type 1: also know as juvenile diabetes or insulin dependent diabetes.

Type 2: opposite of type 1 because the body simply does not respond normally to the insulin that is made. Type 2 is typically developed in obese individuals and can be reduced or prevented if adequate diet and exercise is implemented.

Gestational: develops during pregnancy, hormones can block insulin from doing it job, which increases glucose levels in the blood stream causing complications during pregnancy and larger babies. In most cases gestational diabetes disappears after the baby is born.

Metabolic Syndrome: is linked to type 2, causes extra weight gain in middle and upper portion of body, resulting in a resistance to insulin. Factors include aging, genes, hormone changes, and lack of exercise.

World Diabetes Day Video