DigiNepal · preventive
Diabetes
What is diabetes ? Diabetes , also known as diabetes mellitus , is a disease in which your blood glucose, or blood sugar, levels are too high. Glucose is your body's main source of energy. Your body can make glucose, but it also comes from the food you eat. Insulin is a hormone made by your pancreas. Insulin helps move glucose from your bloodstream into your cells, where it can be used for energy. If you have diabetes , your body can't make insulin, can't use insulin as well as it should, or both. Too much glucose stays in your blood and doesn't reach your cells. This can cause glucose levels to get too high. Over time, high blood glucose levels can lead to serious health conditions. But you can take steps to manage your diabetes and try to prevent these health problems. What are the types of diabetes ? There are different types of diabetes : Type 1 diabetes . If you have type 1 diabetes , your body makes little or no insulin. It happens when your immune system attacks and destroys the cells that produce insulin. Type 2 diabetes . This is the most common form of diabetes . If you have type 2 diabetes , your body may still be able to make insulin, but your cells don't respond well to insulin. They can't easily take up enough glucose from your blood. Gestational diabetes . This is a form of diabetes that develops during pregnancy. It happens when your body can't make the extra insulin it needs during pregnancy. What causes diabetes ? The different types of diabetes have different causes: Researchers think type 1 diabetes is caused by genes and factors in the environment that might trigger the disease. Type 2 diabetes is caused by several factors, including lifestyle factors and genes. The lifestyle factors include not being physically acti Source: MedlinePlus, U.S. National Library of Medicine, https://medlineplus.gov/diabetes.html (public domain NLM text). General information, not medical advice; consult a clinician.