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Have you have recently been feeling irritable, fatigued and extremely thirsty while also experiencing blurred vision and unusual weight loss? You may be among the 7% of Americans suffering from the disease diabetes mellitus (ADA). Diabetes mellitus, also known as diabetes for short, is at the highest level ever in America, and the growing rate of this epidemic is continuing to rise. A less active and more obese America has contributed to the drastic increase from 1.6 million people with diabetes in 1958 to an astounding 16 million today (CDC).
Type II diabetes, also known as adult-onset diabetes, accounts for 90% of the diabetic population (ADA). This type of diabetes can take the blame for the growing rate of diabetes in America. Type I diabetes, which was previously known as juvenile diabetes, is a form that is more likely to present itself in children or young adults. Type I diabetes occurs when your body does not produce the essential hormone insulin. Another additional type of diabetes is gestational diabetes. Gestational diabetes is easily forgotten about because it only occurs in pregnant women. Nearly 4% of pregnant women get gestational diabetes during pregnancy.
Diabetes can be a complicated disease to understand. A concrete cause for the onset of diabetes continues to be a mystery. But genetic and environmental factors have been proven to play large roles in triggering diabetes.
The mechanics of what causes type I diabetes is not yet well understood. As mentioned, it is believed that genetic and environmental factors, such as viruses, play a role. Insulin, a hormone that is produced in the pancreas, is essential for converting sugar, also known as glucose, starches and other foods into energy needed for daily activities. For someone with type I diabetes, the insulin producing cells in the pancreas are attacked and destroyed by the body’s immune system. Because the body cannot function properly without that energy from insulin,...