Diabetes

Diabetes is a disease in which your body has trouble regulating the amount of sugar (glucose) in your blood properly. This is because your body does not make enough of the hormone insulin, or because your body does not respond well to insulin. As a result, sugars accumulate in the blood.

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What is diabetes?

Our body needs sugar or glucose as a source of energy. We take this sugar from the carbohydrates in our diet, after which it then enters the blood. The glucose must be able to
enter all of our cells to be used there as a source of energy. The hormone that makes this possible is insulin, which is produced by the pancreas.

When you have diabetes, your body makes too little or no insulin, or your body does not respond properly to this action. As a result, sugar cannot enter the body's cells and thus cannot be used as a source of energy and the sugars accumulate in the blood.

For more information on living with diabetes, visit the diabetes league website: www.diabetes.be

Types of diabetes

Diabetes can come in different forms:

Type 1 diabetes: With type 1 diabetes, the body no longer produces its own insulin, which means you have to inject insulin every day to control your blood sugar. This form of diabetes occurs mainly, but not exclusively, in children and young adults.
Type 2 diabetes: This is the most common form of diabetes. The body does not respond adequately to the insulin produced, causing your blood sugar levels to rise. In addition to the blood sugar problem, cholesterol and blood pressure are often too high. This form of diabetes is most common in people who are overweight. A healthy lifestyle is essential here, paying attention to healthy diet as well as adequate exercise. Numerous medications exist to treat this condition.
Secondary diabetes: This form of diabetes occurs as a consequence of another medical condition, e.g., due to disease of the pancreas or the use of certain medications (e.g., corticosteroids).
MODY (hereditary diabetes): MODY or Maturity Onset Diabetes of Young is an inherited form of diabetes usually diagnosed at a young age, often before the age of 25. MODY results from a mutation in a single gene that leads to problems with insulin production. There are different forms of MODY with each form having its own specific characteristics and treatment approaches.
Gestational diabetes: This form of diabetes occurs during pregnancy. It usually occurs in the second half of pregnancy and is caused by pregnancy hormones that are produced by the placenta.These hormones cause the body to be less sensitive to the action of insulin, causing blood sugar levels to rise. A healthy diet and exercise are the first step to treat this. Sometimes we also need to administer insulin. This type of diabetes usually disappears after childbirth. Women who develop gestational diabetes are more likely to develop type 2 diabetes later in life.