The causes of diabetes are not totally known by medical science. There are still many questions about it that haven’t been answered. Scientists are still at a loss as to why some people get it while others do not. It is known however, that having certain risk factors leads to diabetes. Some of these factors (lifestyle) are controllable while others (genetic) are not.
With type 1 the cause of diabetes is not having enough insulin to control blood glucose levels. This occurs because the body stops making insulin entirely or doesn’t generate enough. Type 1 is typically diagnosed in the young. Children and adolescents being at the most risk and this form of the disease used to be called juvenile onset or insulin dependent diabetes. Adults of all ages can get type 1 as well with damage or removal of the pancreas being the usual cause. In the United States about 1 out of 10 people who get diabetes have type 1.
Type 2 is the most common type of diabetes accounting for about 90% of all cases. Insulin resistance is the cause of diabetes type 2. A person with type 2 diabetes continues to produce insulin but the body doesn’t respond to it in the normal way. Glucose loses its ability to enter the cells and provide energy. This makes the blood sugar level rise, which in turn makes the pancreas produce even more insulin. The pancreas can become damaged from the extra work load. The organ may then be no longer be able to make sufficient insulin to keep blood sugar levels within a normal range.
Gestational diabetes is caused by pregnancy. Gestational diabetes is a type of diabetes that can occur while a woman is pregnant. Three to five percent of women who are pregnant develop the disease. Like the other types of diabetes, gestational diabetes makes it difficult to manage the blood sugar levels.
The cause of pre-diabetes: Pre-diabetes occurs when the body’s blood sugar levels are higher than normal but not necessarily high enough for a type 2 diagnosis. There are approximately 50 million Americans who have pre-diabetes.
The cause of diabetes varies from one form of the disease to the next. Of all diseases diabetes is the sixth leading killer in the U.S. Talk to your doctor about any symptoms that you may have so that he or she can make a diagnosis. Many symptoms related to diabetes are symptoms of other serious diseases as well so see your doctor at least once a year.
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When looking for the cause of diabetes or anything else in relation to diabetes go to www.YourDiabetesInfo.com where John Richmond is a contributing writer and has several other articles there as well.
