Diabetes is an ailment in which there is lack of production and improper utilization of insulin in the body. Insulin is an essential hormone that is produced by the pancreas and is required to transform starch and sugar into energy which the body requires for everyday activities. The definite cause of the ailment still appears to be a mystery though history of families and the environment that people live in are important factors that have a strong bearing on contracting of the disease. In view of the peculiar nature of the disease it becomes meaningful to examine the causes and effects of diabetes.
Essentially diabetes is a metabolic illness due to which metabolic chemical responses do not occur in the body which implies that the conversion of energy is not happening properly in the body. Insulin is not produced which plays the important role of converting proteins, carbohydrates and glucose into energy. Due to diabetes the blood and sugar levels are not maintained in the required range (Food and Drug Administration, 2009).
The ailment can be of type I or type 2. Type I diabetes is referred to as being dependent on insulin because the body is unable to produce insulin due to which it has to be administered to the patient by way of injections. Type 2 diabetes does not entail dependence on insulin because although the body does produce insulin it is not entirely sufficient to perform all the required functions. In such cases one can improve his or her condition by changing lifestyle habits such as reducing weight and changing eating habits (Webindia, 2009).
There are several causes for diabetes. It is widely felt that hereditary and inherited features make some genes to pass across generations thereby increasing the risk of for example, a son to suffer from diabetes if his mother or father suffers from the same. Often, low levels of nutrition, obesity and sedentary lifestyle increase the chances of diabetes. The initial cause of the ailment is believed to be high levels of stress resulting from emotional disturbances or physical injuries. The over administration of some drugs are known to induce the onset of this dangerous ailment and sometimes the disease occurs when the pancreas gets infected. Diabetes is most commonly prevalent in elderly people, especially men, and also in women with numerous pregnancies or those that suffer from Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome. There is a definite relationship between hypertension and diabetes, while high cholesterol levels in the blood result in high blood sugar (Guthrie, 2009).
The adverse impact of diabetes is primarily due to patients allowing their glucose levels to remain high for long time periods. Early detection and treatment is very important in order to avoid the complications arising from the disease. High levels of blood sugar have a lot of horrible effects on the body. Some of the common effects arising due to diabetes relate to problems with vision, damage to kidney, nerve damages, heart ailments and blood circulation complications. Bacteria live on blood and urine that are rich in glucose and patients become prone to infections of the urinary tract. Diabetes can bring about chemical imbalances in the blood resulting in vomiting, nausea and pain in the stomach. A diabetes patient runs the risk of suffering from all these complications and a patient who does not seriously take control over the disease is more likely to contract one or more of the problems (Adams, 2000).
Diabetes is now taking more and more people within its grip and has become a major health problem. Diagnosing the disease early helps a great deal in avoiding the subsequent adversities and the earlier it is detected the easier it becomes to manage in terms of overall health. Diabetes does not have any cure but diagnosing, and controlling it have become easier processes. A diabetes patient can live a healthy life and living with the disease is just a matter of being in control of life and adopting healthy lifestyles so as to avoid medical complications.
Works Cited
Adams Amy, How Does Diabetes Affect My Body? 2000, Genetic Health Food and Drug Administration, Diabetes: Side Effects, Treatment, Blood Glucose Monitoring.
Guthrie Diana W and Guthrie Richard, Causes of Diabetes. Web.
Webindia, Diabetes, Web.