Diabetes mellitus, or diabetes, is a metabolic disease which precipitates high blood sugar.

With diabetes, the body either does not make insulin or cannot use it effectively, which it usually does. It is pertinent to mention here that insulin moves sugar from the blood into your cells, which is later used for energy.

High blood sugar, when not treated on time, can cost the deterioration of your nerves, eyes, kidneys, and other organs.

Types of Diabetes

Before we move to its causes and treatment, it is important to see the different types of diabetes which a common person may have.

Type 1 diabetes: It is an autoimmune disease. In this, a man’s immune system attacks and destroys all the cells that are residing in the pancreas. Thus, the pancreas is unable to make insulin. Although the immune system certainly attacks cells, the causes of this attack are still unknown. This type is less common, and only 10 percent of people with diabetes have this type.

Type 2 diabetes: This type of diabetes occurs when the human body acts as a resistant to insulin. Resultantly, sugar builds up in the blood.

Prediabetes: This type of diabetes occurs when blood sugar is higher than normal. However, it is not high enough for a diagnosis of type 2 diabetes.

Gestational diabetes: It is a diabetes of high blood sugar during pregnancy. This is caused by the placenta by producing hormones that block insulin.

Symptoms

It is imperative to know that each type of diabetes has unique symptoms, causes, and treatments. Let us look at symptoms of diabetes, which are caused by rising blood sugar. The general symptoms of diabetes are:

• increased hunger
• increased thirst
• weight loss
• increased urination
• blurry vision
• extreme fatigue
• no healing of sores

In addition to this, men have some general symptoms of diabetes, which include decreased sex drive, erectile dysfunction, and weak muscle strength, to name a few.

Causes

Once you have understood the symptoms, let us move to the factors that cause diabetes.

Type 1 diabetes
The causes of type 1 diabetes are still unknown. However, for some reason, the immune system attacks and destroys insulin cells in the pancreas. One obvious cause maybe the gene for some people, and others, it might be a virus that sets the immune attack.

Type 2 diabetes
It usually stems from a combination of genetics and lifestyle factors. The major cause of this type of diabetes is being overweight or obese. The extra weight, especially of the belly, can make cells more resistant to insulin and increase blood sugar.

This type of problem is common within families as family members share the same gene that makes them more likely to get type 2 diabetes.

Gestational diabetes
This type of diabetes is caused by hormonal change during pregnancy. The placenta produces hormones that make a pregnant woman’s cells less sensitive to the effects of insulin. This drives high blood sugar during pregnancy.

Women who are overweight are more prone to this type of diabetes.

Treatment

After discussing the causes, it is imperative to see the treatment of these types of diabetes. Although doctors treat diabetes with a few different medications, some of these drugs are taken by mouth, while others are available as injections.

Type 1 diabetes
The most effective and useful treatment of the type of diabetes is insulin. It renders the hormone that the body is not able to produce. However, there are different types of insulin too, which are differentiated by how quickly they start to work and how long their effects stay. Rapid-acting insulin and short-acting insulin are the two major types of it.

Type 2 diabetes
The best treatment for type 2 diabetes is diet and exercise. If lifestyle changes are not enough to lower the blood sugar, then you will need the medication.
However, for this, you should consult your doctor and seek advice from him. Some people with type 2 also take and survives on insulin.

Gestational diabetes
You will need to monitor your blood sugar level several times a day during pregnancy. If it is high, dietary changes and exercises may or may not be enough to bring it down.
According to a rough estimate, about 10 to 20 percent of women need insulin in gestational diabetes. However, insulin is safe for the growing baby.

It is essential to mention here that healthy eating is pivotal to manage diabetes. That is, changing your diet may be enough to control the disease. For example, in type 1 diabetes, blood sugar level rises and falls based on the type of foods you eat. The starchy and sugary foods make sugar level rise rapidly. By the same token, protein, and fat cause more gradual increases.

The bottom line is the drug or combination of drugs that are prescribed for a diabetic patient depends on the type of diabetes that he has.