Diabetes: Symptoms and Risk Factors

by Jodi Knapp | June 9, 2010 1:00 am

Did you know that 285 million people worldwide have diabetes?

And by 2025, this figure is expected to touch 380 million. Diabetes is nothing short of a modern epidemic – one from which even children and young adults are not safe.

Largely, diabetes (that is type 2 diabetes) is considered as a lifestyle disease, a culmination of various wrong choices related to eating and lifestyle that we make through our life.

Types of diabetes

There are three main types of diabetes:

• Diabetes Type 1 – In this condition, our pancreas stop producing insulin. Diabetes Type 1 is also sometime referred as Insulin Dependent Diabetes, as in this condition the patient needs to daily take insulin injections.
• Diabetes Type 2 - This is the most common type of Diabetes. In this condition, typically, the pancreas produce sufficient amount of insulin, but for some unknown reasons the body cells fail to use insulin properly. This type can often been improved drastically using natural lifestyle changes.
• Gestational Diabetes - This kind of diabetes is acquired by women during pregnancy. Studies show that while gestational diabetes usually disappears after the birth of the baby, nearly 50% of women who had gestational diabetes develop Diabetes 2 within next 5-10 years.

This article in most ways addresses the issue of type 2 diabetes.

Symptoms of diabetes

It is imperative that diabetes is controlled early and for this you need to be aware of its symptoms. Diabetes can be controlled naturally, as well as by using allopathic medications, and often diabetic patients go on to live fairly normal life. Do not make the mistake of taking diabetes lightly, if left untreated for long, diabetes can prove to be fatal.

Here are the common symptoms of diabetes:

• Constant fatigue - In diabetes, body cells fail to metabolize glucose, a food component that provides energy. As a result, diabetics constantly feel tired.
• Constant thirst - As body cells fail to metabolize glucose properly, it enters our bloodstream. Consequently, our brain signals the body to get rid of excessive glucose and the body tries to flush out excessive glucose by passing it through the kidneys with water. Result is the body loses water too fast and the patient feels the need to replenish water all the time.
• Excessive Urination - This too occurs because body needs signal from the brain to remove excessive glucose from the blood, which, in turn, occurs because body cells are not able to metabolize glucose properly.
• Increased Hunger - Body cells fail to metabolize glucose properly, which is required for energy. As a result, the patient feels the need to eat more.
• Weight Fluctuation - Typically, diabetic patients experience weight loss. Loss of water, excretion of glucose into the urine, and metabolism of body fat and protein contribute to weight loss in diabetics. In some cases, diabetic patients may experience weight gain, which occurs due to excessive food intake.

Risk factors for diabetes

There are various risk factors for diabetes; some are in our control, while others are not.

Here are the common risk factors for type 2 diabetes:

• Family History and Genetics - People who have a family history of diabetes are at increased risk to this health condition.
• Age - People who are old are at increased risk to diabetes.
• Obesity - Greater your weight, greater the risk of acquiring diabetes, especially Diabetes Type 2.
• Unhealthy Diet - Those who eat junk and processed food are more likely to develop diabetes.
• Sedentary Lifestyle – Physical inactivity contributes to obesity, which, in turn, is the biggest contributor to diabetes.

Whatever the cause of type 2 diabetes, this health condition can often be effectively controlled using natural health remedies. And if you are someone who is at greater risk to diabetes, or is pre-diabetic (a health condition in which blood sugar levels are high, but not so high to be diagnosed as diabetes) then adopt the natural health remedies to lower the risk of  acquire type 2 diabetes.

Read our  type 2 diabetes[1] guide to learn more on the natural health remedies that have helped thousands of readers.

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Source URL: http://blueheronhealthnews.com/site/2010/06/09/diabetes-warning-signs-and-risk-factors/

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