Diabetes 101
Educate yourself:
Complications
Eyes:
Diabetic eye disease or retinopathy is one of the most common complication of a diabetic patient. About half of all people who have had diabetes for a decade will develop this complication.
Kidney:
The most common type of kidney problem, called nephropathy, will develop in about 35 to 40 percent of people with Type 1 diabetes. This condition is a result of hyperglycemia, or high amounts of free glucose in their blood.
Feet:
Someone who has had diabetes for many years can develop foot problems because of poor blood flow in the feet as a result of nerve damage from the high amounts of free glucose in their blood.
What is diabetes?
Diabetes, or high blood glucose occurs when your body cannot make enough insulin, or if the insulin being produced isn't functioning properly.
There are two different types of diabetes:
Type 1 diabetes:
An autoimmune disease where the body tissues are attacked by its own immune system. The person's own body destroys the insulin-producing beta cells in the pancreas and these cells can no longer produce insulin. WIthout insulin, the body can not properly store glucse, leading to a multitude of problems.
Type 2 diabetes:
1. Not enough insulin is being produced.
2. The insulin is not working properly - this is known as insulin resistance.