Diabetes is a disease that unfortunately affects one in every seventeen people world- wide, with eighteen hundred people being diagnosed everyday! Although there are a number ofseveral types of diabetes, I will be discussing the two2 main types, e.g.namely type I and type II.

Differentiating between the types:

Type I

Type I diabetes occurs when your the body produces little to or no insulin as a result of auto- immune damage brought upon the beta cells in your Islets of Langerhans (the cells in charge of producing insulin). Because your body starts killing these cells, they can no longer provide the insulin you require to absorb the glucose from your blood stream into your body's organs. This in turn leads to high glucose blood levels, as well as a lack of the necessary sugar your cells require for energy.

The development of typeType I diabetes is far more predominantoccurs far more frequently in young children than in adults, and has farbut there are fewer a number of victimssufferers from type I than type II has (about 10% of diabetes victims in Europe and the U.S). Also (other than genetics) it does notthere don't seem to have be any factors attributed to the probability of its development.

People that suffer fromafflicted with type I experience obvious symptoms of the disease, and do not goare usually diagnosed pretty soon, for long periods of time prior to its diagnosis, as its presence is quite difficult to ignore!

Type II

Type II diabetes occurs due to insulin resistance or reduced insulin sensitivity ( difficulty in sensing the presence of insulin), also bringing about raised levels of glucose in your blood.

The development of type II diabetes is far more predominant in adults (aged 40 plus), though its presence has been increasing recently in children too. Its development is attributed to factors such as obesity, lack of exercise and improper diet. Type II diabetes contains has a much higher genetic incidence than type I does - where as only 10% of type I patients are recorded as having a relative with diabetes, in the case of type II it is 30%. of type II patients have relatives that have been diagnosed with diabetes.

About 50% of the people suffering from type II diabetes have not yet been diagnosed, because, unlike type I, often times symptoms of the disease do not appear, or are unobvious.

Unlike any of the patients with type I, in some type II patients diabetes can be treated with by changes in diet, increased in exercise exercise, and weight loss. in weight.

Symptoms displayed:

The most frequently displayed symptoms in undiagnosed diabetic patients include:

• Unusual thirst
• Increased appetite
• Frequent urination

Other possible symptoms include:

• Dehydration
• Weight loss
• Blurry vision
• Reoccurring skin infections
• Wounds that won't heal

Diagnosing diabetes:

Doctors diagnose diabetes by performing either one or all (if necessary) of the following tests:

Random Glucose Test - This involves checking your blood glucose levels on two different random occasions. You are positive for the diabetes if your glucose levels read above 11mmol/l

1. Fasting Glucose Test - This involves testing your glucose levels after an overnight fast on two separate occasions. You are positive for diabetes if your glucose levels read above 7mmol/l
2. Glucose Tolerance Test - After fasting overnight, the doctor will have you drink glucose. Two hours later, blood samples will be taken to check for the excess presence of glucose in your blood. You are positive for diabetes if your glucose levels read above 11mmol/l

If and when upon receivingyou receive a positive diagnosis, keep in mind that it is not the end of the world! Although diabetes is a chronic disease, it is fully treatable. You will however have to introduce some pretty large changes into your life. To read about some of the different treatment options available, to you check out my next few blogs....