People who do not know much about diabetes may look for a diabetes definition. While reading about diabetes, they may find other diabetes terms that they don’t recognize.
A definition for diabetes is a medical condition that causes elevated levels of glucose in the blood due to a lack of insulin or a resistance to the insulin that is produced by the pancreas. Diabetes is also called diabetes mellitus.
The resistance to insulin occurs when the insulin is no longer effective in metabolizing glucose which the body needs for energy. The pancreas may be producing insulin but the body is ignoring the insulin.
Without insulin working to deliver glucose to the cells for energy, the levels of glucose in the blood rises to unhealthy levels. High levels of glucose in the blood can damage organs, nerves, tissues, and blood vessels.
Glucose is the simplest form of sugar. Many foods we eat contain glucose or are broken down into glucose by the body. When people with diabetes check their blood sugar levels, they are taking a measure of the amount of glucose in the blood.
Insulin is a hormone that retrieves the glucose from the blood and delivers it to the cells of muscles and organs for energy. Diabetics may need to take insulin injections to compensate for the body’s lack of insulin or insulin that isn’t able to metabolize glucose.
There are three types of diabetes. Type 1 diabetes is sometimes called juvenile diabetes or insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM). Type 1 diabetes occurs when the body does not produce enough insulin.
Type 2 diabetes is characterized by insulin that no longer works the way it should. The body produces insulin, but the insulin isn’t metabolizing enough glucose. Type 2 diabetes is often referred to as adult-onset diabetes, but children and adolescents can develop this disorder.
The third type of diabetes is gestational diabetes. This type of diabetes occurs only during pregnancy and usually goes away after the birth of the child.
Hyperglycemia describes the condition of having too much glucose in the blood. Hypoglycemia is having a blood sugar level that is lower than normal. Hypoglycemia can occur if the diabetic takes too much insulin.
Hypoglycemia can cause dizziness, confusion, sweating, hunger, and nervousness. The person may be shaky and disoriented. The person may lose consciousness. If left untreated, hypoglycemia can lead to coma or even death.
Diabetes complications is a term used to describe some of the negative effects that diabetes can have on the body. The diabetes complications are often more severe if the person is not managing diabetes effectively with diet, exercise, and insulin if necessary.
Insulin can be delivered into the body by traditional syringes, an insulin pen, or an insulin pump. An insulin pen resembles a large pen but it holds a dose of insulin which it injects through the skin. An insulin pump is worn by the diabetic person and has a small tube that is inserted through the skin to deliver doses of insulin.