Approximately 21 million people are affected by diabetes in the United States alone.
This disease is related to lack of insulin in the body or the inability of the body to use the existing insulin.
Insulin is a hormone responsible for maintaining the glucose in the body under acceptable levels; if blood glucose levels rise, our body is in great danger.
People of any age, from children to elders, can be diagnosed with diabetes.
A frequent type of diabetes is Type 2 diabetes, which people aged between 35 and 50 are diagnosed with.
It is believed that there are over 14 million people diagnosed with diabetes in the U.
S.
and another 6 million which are suffering from the disease but have not yet been diagnosed.
The symptoms of diabetes vary and are quite numerous, but a person suffering from the disease will not necessarily experience all of them.
Even so, as soon as they experience any of these symptoms, patients need to contact their doctor right away and get a check-up as soon as possible.
Some of the most common symptoms for diabetes are frequent urination,.
extreme hunger or thirst, sudden weight loss, numbness or tingling at the level of the hands or feet, excessively dry skin, an increase in infections, blurred vision; Type 1 diabetes symptoms include nausea or vomiting, stomach pains of other dysfunctions.
There are two main types of diabetes people suffer from, called Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes.
Type 1 diabetes is less common and stands for around 10% of the entire number of diabetes patients; it occurs when the immune system actually destroys the cells that produce insulin for the body.
That is why this type is also called insulin-dependent diabetes, as the patient needs to ingest insulin at certain intervals of time, otherwise they would not be able to survive.
Type 2 diabetes is the most frequent and involves the body's resistance to insulin.
Even though it is more frequent, it is still a very dangerous disease.
A third type of diabetes is known as "gestational diabetes" and affects pregnant women; up to 5% of pregnant women experience this disease, which could harm both the mother and child if not diagnosed and treated in time.
Besides proper medication, a patient suffering from diabetes should also get into a routine of exercise and have a proper diet.
Diabetes patients need to have a diet based on the right combination between carbohydrates, protein and fats.
Fruit, vegetables, whole grains, lean meat and low-fat milk could help ease the symptoms and make the patient's life a lot better.
Fried foods, sweets or fat-food are to be strictly avoided as they could bring a lot of harm.
The most important thing to remember is that if you are experiencing any of the symptoms or for whatever reason you suspect you may have diabetes, you should seek medical attention immediately.
Diabetes is a difficult and dangerous disease on its own, but without proper treatment and care it could also lead to numerous other health problems, ranging from stomach problems to loss of eyesight, kidney failure, heart disease or even amputation of certain members.
Diabetes and the complications arising from the disease represent one of the leading causes of death in the U.
S.
and worldwide.