injections are necessary. For most people with diabetes, however, a proper diet and regular exercise are sufficient. Recognizing the early signs of diabetes is crucial to finding out the risk of getting this disease. Unfortunately, as many as 5 million people in the US have diabetes and do not know it. Diabetes is divided into two main types: insulin dependent and non-insulin dependent. They are sometimes mistakenly called “sugar diabetes”. Insulin-dependent diabetes or Insulin Dependent Diabetes Mellitus (IDDM) is called Type I diabetes. In the past it was called juvenile-onset diabetes because it seemed to appear only during childhood or adolescence. Now doctors know that it can appear at any time in life. It is an auto immune disorder that stems from the destruction of the insulin-producing cells in the pancreas. The body produces little or no insulin, and is unable to lower the level of glucagon. The glucagon accumulates in the blood, raising a person’s blood sugar level. This is called hyperglycemia or high blood sugar. When the blood sugar level gets too high, glucose is removed from the body in urine as waste. Because most waste is removed from the body in urine, a person with high blood sugar may go to the bathroom as often as his or her body gets rid of the extra glucose. Frequent urination can result in loss of water, because water is the main component of urine. This may cause a person to feel very thirsty or experience a dry mouth. Dehydration can cause dry skin and blurry vision. Also if the cells cannot get the glucose they need, they “starve”. This may make a person feel very hungry even when he or she has just finished eating. Diabetics do not get the fuel that their body needs. That person may often feel weak and tired. Weight loss may also occur as the body’s demand for fuel force the breakdown of fat cells. High glucose levels also damage nerves, which may result a tingling feeling ...
