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You have diabetes when your body is unable to control the sugar levels in your blood stream. There are two types of diabetes that people suffer from. Type 1 diabetes is called insulin-dependent diabetes and results from the inability of the body to produce insulin, a hormone produced by the pancreas to control the sugar levels in the blood. The reason for this lack of insulin production is because of auto-immune cell damage to the pancreas either due to genetic factors or because of viral infection. Type 2 diabetes is diabetes where the body can produce insulin but it does not work properly as it should or it cannot produce adequate insulin to control blood sugar.

Type 1 diabetes mostly affects children and people under the age of 40. The onset of this disease can be quite sudden and because of the increase in the blood sugar levels due to the lack of correct function of insulin the following symptoms can occur.

- There is increased thirst

- Tiredness in the body

- Skin infections

- Itchy and yeast infections like thrush

- Sudden weight loss

- Need to urinate frequently

If you experience these symptoms see your doctor who will either take a urine test or a blood test to check for the increased glucose levels and confirm that you do have diabetes. Once detected the doctor will prescribe injections of insulin which can the patient can learn to give to himself. Regular visits to the doctor are then advised to keep the heart, kidneys, eyes and feet in check as these are the organs that can be affected by diabetes. It is therefore important to get treatment the moment you find out that you have diabetes as complications including blindness can arise if it is left untreated for a long time.

Monitoring of blood sugar levels at home can also be easily done using blood checking diabetes devices from the chemist. Results can be noted down both for yourself and for your doctor to keep a regular check and also to avoid cases of low blood sugar which can sometimes result too.

The sufferer is advised to follow a healthy low carbohydrate diet and incorporate exercise in his daily life. It is best to cut out smoking to reduce any further negative stress on the body. There is no known cure for this form of diabetes but learning to keep a check on your blood sugar levels regularly using insulin is essential as this will keep it in control. In addition, regular visits to your doctor will ensure a normal quality of life.

Learn more about this author, Shaheen Darr.
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