Diabetes is an ailment that is formed when there is an abnormal production of glucose in the blood. The glucose in our blood needs nutrients to sustain the body needs. These nutrients are formed when the food that we eat has been digested. As a result, the food nutrients become sugar. That is what we call glucose. This glucose will be carried into our body cells through our blood.

Furthermore, this glucose works with insulin as produced by the pancreas. Insulin is a pancreatic juice. Your body cells work with insulin. And that is how energy is produced upon the conversion of blood glucose into energy.

But how does diabetes take place?

Diabetes is only possible when either one of these two situations or both is occurring:

• There is an insufficient supply of insulin
• The insulin consumers such as muscle cells and liver misuse insulin

Consequently, the supply of glucose increases but cannot be converted into energy because there is a problem in the supply of insulin. Hyperglycemia is the term used when there is an oversupply of blood glucose to the body cells.

However, there are three different types of diabetes that you should know. These are listed below.

• Type 1
This type of diabetes is present among children and the young ones. This one happens when the immune system destroys the pancreatic cells that must produce enough insulin.

• Type 2
Type 2 is the most popular diabetes. Sometimes, they call it “adult-onset diabetes”. Normally, your pancreas may supply enough insulin as the need increases, but in the long run, the supply may decrease when the insulin-consuming cells have problems in the use of insulin.

• Gestational
This usually happens among women who are pregnant. Though this sickness may occur at the latter part of their pregnancy period, it may also diminish after giving birth. Gestational diabetes is a result of insufficient supply of insulin because of pregnancy.

But whatever type of diabetes you have, still, you are open to the danger of being blind. Yes, blindness is one of the consequences of having diabetes. But don’t panic yet because it is curable for as long it is diagnosed earlier in time and you are taking preventive measures for this illness.

According to the press release news of the EARTHtimes.org, dated October 9, 2006, San Francisco, California, there is an overwhelming number of Americans, in terms of million people, who are inflected with the Type 1 and 2 of diabetes. Exactly, 28.8 million people of America or seven percent of America’s population is suffering from the havoc of diabetes. The bad side of it is that 24, 000 people are vulnerable to permanent blindness. That is because of diabetic retinopathy. Diabetic retinopathy attacks the retina which is at the back of the eye. The worst of it, over 5.3 million of the American population with age 18 above may suffer with this undesirable ailment all because of diabetes.

Now, the good news: The American Academy of Ophthalmology is planting new seeds of hope for the numerous victims of blindness due to diabetes. This coming November of the year 2006, the Diabetic Eye Disease Awareness Month will be launched to open the eyes of these victims about the truth behind this blindness. The truth is that blindness can still be cured!

But how can we prevent blindness due to diabetic retinopathy? Here’s how.

Dr. Jose S. Pulido, MD, a professor of ophthalmology at Rochester, Minn said that an annual dilated eye exam may reduce the risk of blindness by up to 94 percent. And that is how great it is!

As a piece of advice by this respected doctor, blindness is prevented through these:

• Find out if you really have diabetes
• For those who are once young, with the age of 45 and above, have an examination of your blood sugar once within three years.

So, as a lesson to learn, don’t let diabetes lingers in your body system. The longer it lingers, the greater the risk of permanent vision loss.

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Charlene J. Nuble

For All the things you need to know about diabetes, please go to: Types of Diabetes

Source: www.isnare.com