What Are The Causes Of Diabetes?
While scientists haven’t pinpointed the exact causes of Diabetes, they do know some of the factors putting people at risk for getting the disease. Since this can be one of the most crippling chronic illnesses if not managed correctly, it is important to understand how to take care of your health to lessen your risk of contracting the disease. If you already have diabetes, it is also important to understand everything your doctor does about it so that you can mitigate the disease’s effects. What are the causes of diabetes?
There are also special risk factors for children, especially those whose mothers already have diabetes. A mother who has contracted diabetes prior to conception or suffers from gestational diabetes while pregnant seems more likely to bear children who suffer from juvenile diabetes than a mother who is free of the disease. Children whose fathers have diabetes are also at risk for contracting it in childhood, but the risk is far less.
For this reason, mothers should take special care while pregnant to ensure she does not inadvertently pass diabetes on to her child. Her blood sugar should be monitored regularly, and she should follow her doctor’s advice to make sure it remains under control throughout her pregnancy. A diabetic mother whose blood sugar remains at normal levels is significantly less likely to pass the diabetes on to her child than one who has a difficult pregnancy due to the condition.
While none of these factors is an absolute cause of diabetes, it is especially important to monitor the mother during pregnancy. If the mother’s blood sugar is kept at proper levels throughout the pregnancy, she is far less likely to pass diabetes on to her unborn child.
Scientists around the world are working on isolating the genes that cause diabetes. No single cause has been determined yet, nor has a cure been found. However, studies show that diabetes can be effectively controlled so that it does not significantly affect your life or the lives of your loved ones.
In addition to studying genetics, scientists are currently examining the effect of diabetes medication on those at risk for the disease, especially immediate family members of those who already have diabetes. Equally important as genetics is the type of food a person eats. Diabetes is known to be the “disease of prosperity” because studies have shown a link between chronic overeating and the onset of the disease. Over the course of a lifetime, excessive amounts of sugar, fat, and protein appear to cause the body to become diabetic.
Excessive eating overworks the pancreas, the organ responsible for secreting insulin to keep blood sugar at tolerable levels. When the pancreas is overtaxed for years, it becomes paralyzed and ceases to produce insulin.. Interestingly, people in poor countries where overeating is very uncommon rarely contract diabetes.
There are many causes of diabetes, mostly linked to diet and genetics. It is important to be aware of your family history, especially if there are many diabetics in your family. However, it is just as important to follow nutritional guidelines and change your lifestyle to include healthy exercise in order to reduce the risk of diabetes.
Extras: Can you die from diabetes
