In the past eighteen years diagnosed cases of diabetes has increased by more than fifty percent in the United

States of America. Although diabetes can be prevented, an increased number of people are diagnosed with this disease because they choose to live an unhealthy lifestyle. This research paper will discuss diabetes and its effects on the human body, valuable information on how to prevent diabetes, the different types of diabetes, and the repercussions of leaving this disease untreated. Diabetes is a group of diseases that are marked by high levels or low levels of blood glucose resulting from defects in the insulin production, insulin action, or both. Insulin is a hormone that regulates the level of sugar also known as glucose in the blood and it is produced by the beta cells in the pancreas. Type diabetes develops when the body!s immune system destroys pancreatic beta cells, the only cells in the body that make the hormone insulin and regulates blood glucose. This form of diabetes usually affects children and young adults, although the disease onset can occur at any age. Symptoms of Type diabetes are fre"uent urination, unusual thirst, e#treme hunger, unusual weight loss, e#treme fatigue and irritability. $esearch shows that Type diabetes covers about five percent of all diagnosed cases of diabetes in adults. Type %

diabetes in adults accounts for roughly ninety to ninety&five percent of all diagnosed cases of diabetes. Type % usually begins as insulin resistance, a disorder in which the cells do not use insulin properly. The pancreas gradually loses its ability to produce sufficient amounts of insulin to regulate blood sugar, as the need for insulin "uickly increases. Symptoms of Type % diabetes include fre"uent urination, unusual thirst, e#treme hunger, unusual weight loss, e#treme fatigue, irritability, fre"uent infections, blurred vision, in'uries that are slow to heal, tingling(numbness of the hands and feet, and recurring gum(bladder infections. )hen diabetes first occurs during pregnancy it is called gestational diabetes. The e#tra glucose in the blood can cross to the baby.

*auses that contribute to gestational diabetes are, e#cess maternal weight increases insulin resistance, hormones needed for the baby!s growth interferes with insulin, and insulin resistance prevents the body from effectively using insulin. This condition can cause problems for the mother and baby. Symptoms of gestational include fre"uent urination, thirst, hunger, urinary tract infections +UTI,, and weakness. In --. eight million adults had type % diabetes, in %//0 eighteen point three million adults had diabetes, in %/ twenty&five point eight million adults

had diabetes, in --. one hundred and fifty one thousand people twenty years of age and younger, and in %/ two hundred and fifteen thousand people twenty years of age and younger

had type % diabetes. The amount of Americans being diagnosed with diabetes has risen by more than fifteen million diagnoses over the course of seventeen years. That is about nine hundred and fifty thousand new cases of diabetes every year1 this is a diabetes epidemic a ma'or rapid increase of diabetics in the United States of America over the past %/ years. Diabetes is the seventh cause of death in the United States of America. 2ou can blame the increase in diabetes on obesity. 3ost people don!t reali4e that you actually can control how high or how low your blood sugar is. Diabetes is a common disease, yet every individual needs uni"ue care. To survive, people with Type diabetes must have insulin delivered by in'ection to the stomach, arm, or thigh. 5eople

with Type % diabetes have to take oral medication. 3edication for every single individual with diabetes will often change many times during thee course of the disease. Some diabetics with Type % diabetes may also need shots of insulin to control their blood glucose. 6eing more active is one of the best things you can do to control your blood sugar levels. 2our A * hemoglobin is a blood test that shows your average blood sugar levels over a two to three month time period. A diabetics A * hemoglobin level is 7 or higher. A non&diabetics hemoglobin level is 8.9 or less

meanwhile a pre&diabetics A * level is between 8.8 and 8.-. 3oving more can help you lose weight and keep it off, gain more energy, feel upbeat, lower your blood glucose, lower blood pressure, raise good cholesterol and lower bad cholesterol, take less medication or stop all together, lower risk of other health problems, sleep better, build stronger bones and muscles, become more fle#ible reduce stress, an#iety and depression. :#perts suggest thirty minutes of e#ercise five days a week or ;/ minutes in one day, broke down into three increments of ten minutes. 2ou can do everyday household chores such as, sweeping, mopping, vacuuming, mowing the lawn, walking the dog or working in your garden. I do activities everyday like climbing the stairs at home and walking to the bus stop. :ating right is the most important way to control your blood sugar. 2our blood sugar is affected by what you eat, when you eat, how much of it you consume, and how often you en'oy it. If you have diabetes eating smaller portions and consuming fewer carbohydrates and cutting back on sodium like sweets and starches will make you feel better, lower your blood sugar, and may even help you lose weight. )atch out for foods that are high in carbohydrates and starches such as peas, corn, potatoes, pinto beans, black eyed peas, rice, pasta, tortillas, deserts, and even milk these foods can "uickly make your blood sugar elevate. A ma'ority of vegetables are low in carbohydrates, so you can eat as many of these as you want. These include but are not limited to broccoli, cabbage, spinach, carrots, celery, peppers, artichokes, cucumbers, onions, asparagus, s"uash, tomatoes, lettuce, 6russels sprouts, and cauliflower. Another solution is cinnamon even though more research is being conducted. *innamon in capsule form or powder form has been shown to drastically reduce blood sugar levels. <ust ask Dr. <oseph 3ercola who says, =$esearchers have been investigating a number of powerful natural agents that can help you stabili4e your blood sugar, and once again, cinnamon has proven itself as a viable contender in the fight against diabetes, as the study in Diabetic

3edicine reveals. >or e#ample, 'ust half a teaspoon of cinnamon a day has previously been shown to significantly reduce blood sugar levels, triglycerides, ?D? +bad, cholesterol, and total cholesterol levels in people with Type % diabetes.@ Treatment for gestational diabetes include but are not limited to, eating a balanced diet, eat plenty of vegetables and fiber, eat moderate portions, do light to moderate e#ercises regularly, and do not gain more than the recommended amount of weight during pregnancy. $isk factors for Type diabetes may be autoimmune, genetic, or environmental. 2ou can not prevent Type from happening. Type % diabetes is associated with older age, obesity, family

history of diabetes, history of gestational diabetes, impaired glucose metabolism, physical inactivity, and ethnic background. African&Americans, Aispanic(?atino Americans, American Indians, and some Asian Americans and Bative Aawaiians or other 5acific Islanders are at particularly high risk for Type % and its complications. Type % in children and adolescents, although still rare, is being diagnosed more fre"uently among American Indians, Aispanic(?atino Americans, African&Americans, and Asian(5acific Islanders. Cestational diabetes risks include obesity, family with history of diabetes, twenty five years of age and older, race(ethnicity, gestational diabetes in a previous pregnancy, previous delivery of a large baby, previous stillbirth, too much amniotic fluid surrounding the fetus during pregnancy, and too much glucose in urine. 2ou might be surprised to learn that medical e#penses for people with diabetes are more than % times higher than for people with out diabetes. In %/ / two hundred and eighteen billion dollars were spent on diabetic medical costs. The disease if treated or left untreated could cause serious complications that can me e#tremely costly to pay for. Diabetes is the new cause of new cases of blindness. The longer you!ve had diabetes, the more likely you are to have some form of

retinopathy, a disorder of the retina. There are two ma'or types of retinopathyD nonproliferative and proliferative. In nonproliferative retinopathy, the most common form, capillaries in the back of the eye balloon and form pouches. Bonproliferative can move through three stages +mild, moderate, and severe,. $etinopathy progresses after several years to a more serious form called proliferative retinopathy. 3any people without diabetes get cataracts, but people with diabetes are si#ty percent more likely to develop this eye condition. Diabetics also tend to get cataracts at a younger age and have them progress even faster. *ataracts form when the eye!s clear lens becomes cloudy eventually blocking sight. 5eople with diabetes are fort percent more likely to suffer from glaucoma the people without diabetes. Claucoma occurs when pressure builds up in the eye. The pressure causes drainage of the a"ueous humor to slow down so that it builds up in the anterior chamber. The pressure then pinches the blood vessel that carries blood to the retina and optic nerve causing vision to gradually become lost. About si#ty to seventy percent of diabetics have some sort of nervous system damage. Diabetics can develop many different foot problems. >oot complications most often happen when there is nerve damage also called neuropathy, which results in loss of feeling in your feet. Although it can hurt, diabetic nerve damage can also lessen your ability to feel pain, heat, and cold. This means if you accidently stepped on a piece of glass, you might not notice the in'ury until the skin breaks down and the wound becomes infected. The skin on your feet can also change because of diabetes. At times your feet will become very dry. The skin may begin to peel and crack. )hat causes the dryness is that the nerves that control

the oil and moisture in your foot no longer work. To keep your skin moisturi4ed, after bathing, dry your feet and seal in the moisture with petroleum 'elly or a moisturi4er. *alluses occur more often and build up faster on the feet of diabetics. This is because there are high&pressure areas under the foot. Too much callus may mean that you need therapeutic shoes. If calluses are not trimmed, they get very thick and turn into ulcers +open sores,. Ulcers appear mainly n the ball of the foot or on the bottom of the big toe. :ven though ulcers do not hurt, every ulcer should be seen by a health care provider. Beglecting ulcers can result in infections which can lead to an amputation of a toe, a foot, or even a leg. $isks factors of developing diabetic foot ulcers are neuropathy, peripheral vascular disease, improperly fitted shoes, a foot deformity, and a history of smoking. 3ore than one&third of patients with Type % diabetes also suffer from obstructive sleep apnea +ESA,. Ebstructive sleep apnea is a common sleep disorder that causes a person to repeatedly stop breathing during sleep due to a collapsed airway. The most common treatment is continuous positive airway pressure +*5A5, therapy, is when a machine sends air through a mask as a person sleeps, which keeps the airway from collapsing. Studies have shown that Type % diabetics who suffer from ESA can dramatically reduce their glucose levels by using *5A5 treatment. 5oor circulation can make your body less able to fight infection and take longer to heal. Diabetes causes blood vessels of the foot and leg to narrow and harden. Some people feel pain in their calves when walking fast, up a hill, or on a hard surface. Stopping to ne#t for a few moments should end any sudden pains. 5eople with diabetes are far more likely to have a leg or foot amputated than other people. 3ore than si#ty percent of non&traumatic lower limb amputations occur in people with diabetes. 3any

diabetics have artery disease, which reduces the blood flow to the legs and feet. These problems make it easier to get ulcers and infections that may lead to an amputation. As many as thirty three percent of Americans with diabetes will have a skin disorder caused or affected by diabetes at some time in their lives. Such problems are sometimes the first sign that a person is pre&diabetic or has diabetes. ?uckily, most skin conditions can be prevented or easily treated if caught early on. The transgressor in fungal infections of people with diabetes is often *andida Albicans. This yeast&like fungus can create itchy rashes of moist, red areas surrounded by tiny blisters and scales. This infection often occurs in warm, moist folds of the skin. 5roblem areas are under the breasts, around the nails, between fingers and toes, in the corners of the mouth, under the foreskin +in uncircumcised men,, in the armpits, and the groin. :ruptive Fanthomatosis is another condition caused by diabetes that!s out of control. It consists of firm, yellow, pea&like enlargements in the skin. :ach bump has a red halo and may itch. This appears most often on the backs of hands, feet, arms, legs, and buttocks. This disorder usually occurs in young men with Type diabetes. The person may often have high levels of cholesterol and fat in the blood. ?ike diabetic blisters, these bumps disappear when blood glucose is under control. Acanthosis Bigricans is a condition in which tan or brown raised areas appear on the sides of the neck, back, armpits, and groin. Sometimes they also occur on the hands, elbows, and knees. Acanthosis usually strikes people who are very overweight. The best treatment is to lose weight. Some creams like :ucerin can help achieve results by making the spots look better. As many as two out of three adults with diabetes have high blood pressure. Aigh blood pressure& also called hypertension& raises your risk for heart attack, stroke, eye problems, and kidney

disease. 6lood pressure can be controlled with lifestyle changes, such as diet, e#ercise, and medication. Adults with diabetes have heart disease and stroke risk about two to four times higher than adults without diabetes. Aearing loss is twice as common in people with diabetes as it is in those who don!t have the disease, of the eighty&one million people thought to have pre&diabetes, the rate of hearing loss is thirty percent higher than in those with normal blood glucose levels. If your blood glucose levels are poorly controlled, you are more likely to develop serious gum disease and lose more teeth than no&diabetics. Severe gum disease is when your gums begin to pull away from your teeth. 5ockets form between your teeth and gums, and then germs and pus deepen into the pocket. 2ou may need to have gum surgery or your teeth will fall out. Aigh blood sugar can overwork the kidneys, causing them to stop working properly. )hen diagnosed early, kidney disease can be slowed with treatment. If diagnosed later, kidney failure is usually the end result. Inside the kidneys there are millions of tiny blood vessels that act as filters. Their 'ob is to remove waste products from the blood. Diabetes can damage the kidneys, causing the filtering system to break down and the kidneys fail resulting in kidney disease. Bot everyone with diabetes develops kidney disease. >actors that can increase your chance of kidney disease include genetics, blood glucose control, and blood pressure levels. A stroke, sometimes called a =brain attack@, happens when the blood supply to part of your brain is interrupted and brain tissue is damaged. The most common cause of a stroke is a blocked blood vessel. Strokes can cause physical problems such as paralysis, problems with thinking or speaking, and emotional problems. If you have diabetes, you!re much more likely to have a stroke, heart disease, or a heart attack. Two out of three people with diabetes will die from stroke or heart disease. If diabetes goes untreated and uncontrolled it can result in an untimely demise.

A poor diet, not e#ercising enough, and even age can increase the likelihood of getting diabetes. 3a'or diet and e#ercise changes reduce risks for fifty&eight percent of people with pre&diabetes, according to a /&year Diabetes 5revention 5rogram +D55, by the Bational Institutes of Aealth. 5hysical activity lowers blood sugar and boosts your sensitivity to insulin. $esearch shows both aerobic e#ercise and resistance training can help control diabetes, but you!ll get the best benefits if you do various types of e#ercise. Switch to whole grains instead of white flour and sugar because whole grains don!t have the refined carbohydrates that increase your risk of diabetes. )hole&grain bread, pasta and cereals G but not the sugary kinds G are all good when it comes to diabetes prevention, because they slow down carbohydrate absorption. This ne#t preventive tip is something I do myself to lower my blood sugar. Two tablespoons of apple cider vinegar a day lowers the blood sugar you get from eating carbohydrates, thereby lowering your blood sugar. The Aarvard School of 5ublic Aealth conducted a study that showed women who drank si# or more cups of coffee per day reduced the risk of type % diabetes by nearly thirty percent. If red meat is your source of protein switch to soy. Soy protein helps regulate glucose and insulin levels, promotes weight loss because its low calorie, has no saturated fat, and lowers high cholesterol. Drinking large "uantities of sugar in a few "uick gulps creates a blast your body may not be able to handle, so skip the sugary drinks including diet soda because it makes you hungrier and leaves you craving sugar. Bot getting enough sleep increases hunger, which leads to weight gain and, raises your risk of getting diabetes. 2ou need an average of at least seven hours of sleep a night. Smokers are about fifty percent more likely to develop diabetes than nonsmokers G and heavy smokers have an even higher risk. Bow that I have informatively e#plained to you firstly what diabetes is, secondly how the disease can be controlled, thirdly how you get diabetes, fourthly serious complications that can

come along with the disease, and last but not least what we Americans can do ourselves to prevent it. I hope you walk away with more knowledge and a different perspective on this issue than you had prior to reading my research paper.