Diabetes is a chronic disease that is characterized by an excess of blood sugar or hyperglycemia. There are 2 main types of diabetes, due to different dysfunctions. A reliable Family Doctor in Andover Kansas can diagnose and treat this disease.
The general mechanisms of diabetes
Diabetes is a chronic disease characterized by the presence of the excess of sugar in the blood called hyperglycemia. Blood glucose is maintained at a normal rate (around 1g/L) in the blood thanks to insulin. This hormone is manufactured by the pancreas.
It allows the cells of the body to capture the sugar that circulates in the blood and use it to transform it into energy or to store it. When a person’s sugar level rises, for example, after a meal, the pancreas will produce more insulin to bring sugar levels back to normal.
If the insulin is insufficient or ineffective, sugar will accumulate in the blood and will increase excessively: hyperglycemia. In the absence of treatment, hyperglycemia will continue to stay at high levels and chronic hyperglycemia sets in (diabetes).
The two types of diabetes
There are 2 main types of diabetes:
* “Type 1” is due to a lack of insulin secretion by the pancreas
* “Type 2” is due to misuse of insulin by the body’s cells. Its development is very gradual, occurring over many years.
Type 1
Type 1 diabetes occurs most often in children, adolescents, and young adults. It is much less common than type 2 diabetes. In type 1 diabetes, the pancreas does not produce enough insulin. In its absence, the cells can no longer properly use the sugar that circulates in the blood.
Hyperglycemia appears quickly when the insulin level becomes insufficient. Seeing a Family Doctor in Andover Kansas is important before this stage occurs.
Type 2
Type 2 diabetes usually occurs after the age of 20, but can sometimes appear during adolescence. It is the most common and affects about 90% of people with diabetes. It affects 5% of the population in the US but these numbers are increasing every year.
There is talk around the medical world of a true epidemic concerning type 2 diabetes. According to WHO, the number of people with type 2 diabetes worldwide has increased from 108 to 422 million between 1980 and 2014. Contact Wichita Family Medicine Specialists LLC.
