WHAT IS DIABETES?

Diabetes is a condition in which the body produces too little or ineffective insulin. Insulin is a hormone that comes from a gland below the stomach, called the pancreas.
When the food you eat is digested, most of it breaks down into a sugar called glucose, which is absorbed into the blood.

In a normal person, insulin helps the blood glucose enter the body cells to be used for energy.
In a person with diabetes, the insulin is lacking or ineffective and the glucose cannot enter the body cells. It builds up in the blood, giving rise to a high blood glucose level, which is the main indicator of untreated or uncontrolled diabetes.

Diabetes is becoming increasingly common in Singapore. This increase is partly due to an ageing population and the adoption of unhealthy diets and sedentary (inactive) lifestles.


TYPE OF DIABETES - THERE ARE MANY TYPES OF DIABETES.

The 3 most common types are :

TYPE 1

5-10% of all diabetics.

This types of diabetes is usually found in children and young adults.

The insulin-producing cells in the pancreas are destroyed resulting in practically no insulin production.

TYPE 2

90-95% of all diabetics.

This form of diabetes usually develops in adults aged 40 years and older and is most common in adults over age 55. Unfortunately, as more children and adolescents become overweight, Type 2 diabetes is becoming more common in young people.

The body produces insulin but it may not be enough or it may not work effectively.

GESTATIONAL DIABETES

2-5% of all pregnancies.

This refers to diabetes first detected during pregnancy.

Though it usually disappears after delivery, the mother is at increased risk of getting Type 2 diabetes later in life.


Hopefully useful
Source:Health promotion board