What is Diabetes
Considering that the causes of this condition are not completely clear for the medical world, it is only fair that a person experiencing sign and symptoms of the illness is asking himself “What is diabetes?” The short answer to this question is that diabetes is part of the metabolic conditions and implies the presence of high glucose levels in the bloodstream (meaning high blood sugar levels). The illness is very closely related to the incapacity of the pancreas to produce sufficient insulin, the hormone that the body uses to distribute the glucose across the body. The reaction of the body towards insulin is the main criterion used in classifying diabetes in type 1 and 2.
What is Diabetes: Borderline Diabetes
The borderline diabetes is most common across the United States and it is the result of bad eating habits and a sedentary life. In general, the condition is difficult to diagnose as the glucose levels after eating are between 100 and 125. Sadly, many people that have borderline or pre-existing diabetes are unaware of the condition, until it fully develops to a type 2 diabetes. At this point, it is important to provide some details regarding what is diabetes type 2. In a nutshell, even though this is not an inherited condition, it can be triggered by genetic factors as well as environmental causes.
Keep in mind that while type 1 means the body cannot produce the hormone, diabetes type 2 results from insulin resistance or improper use of insulin. The most common genetic reasons why a person can susceptible to developing pre-diabetes include: the genetic defects in insulin processing, action or of the β-cell function, defects of the pancreas, certain infections, medication, drugs and endocrinopathies. Similar to type 2 diabetes, the borderline diabetes does not appear over night. In fact, one of the reasons why it is so hard to spot during medical tests is that the symptoms evolve very slowly.
What is Diabetes: Gestational Diabetes
As the name suggests, the gestational diabetes is a specific condition of women that develop this condition while they are with child. The main problem with this type of diabetes is that, more often than not, the first symptoms of diabetes appear during the third semester of pregnancy. However, once she delivers the baby, all traces of the illness will be gone. A further piece of good news is that this condition usually affects a low percentage of pregnant women and it is completely treatable.
In order to prevent the gestational diabetes, women need to be tested regularly starting with the 28 week of pregnancy. In the United States, all expecting mothers are asked to take a one hour test and, if the results are inconclusive or there are signs of diabetes, then they will have to undergo a three-hour test for concise results. Usually, the females that have the condition were already predisposed or very like to get develop signs of diabetes during pregnancy. Women that are interested in learning more about what is diabetes during pregnancy and the risks it involves are highly advised to discuss this with their gynecologist.
