Why is that diabetes is caused by high levels of sugar?
98391
Diabetes is not caused by high sugar.  A person is diagnosed diabetic when you have abnormally high levels in your blood because your body can't metabolize the sugar (glucose)you do have effectively.  When you eat your body breaks down the food, and glucose is absorbed into your cells by something called insulin.  If your body is not producing enough insulin or if the insulin you have is ineffective the glucose stays in your blood stream and your cells starve.  To compensate your body breaksdown fat.  There are two types of diabetics.  Type 1 where the pancreas is not making any insulin.  Most children and young adults get this type. It said to be cause by a virus that kill insulin producing cells in the pancreas called the islet cells.  These patients must take insulin shots because if they take it in a pill the stomach would absorb the insulin and it wouldn't work.  Type 2 is where you have insulin in your body but you are either not making enough or your body isn't using it effectively.  These people can take oral diabetic medication because it is not insulin.  It helps the pancreas to produce more insulin or help the insulin get the glucose in the cell.  Diet and exercise help because your not adding glucose that your body doesn't need and helps you burn off excess and sometimes will force the the glucose into the cell.  Complications from diabetes include blindness, kidney disease, slow healing wounds and loss of feeling to extremities (also called neuropathy).  Symptoms include increased thirst, increased hunger (remember your cells are starving) and increased urination. You can also lose weight because the body is breaking down fat for energy. This mostly happens in Type 1.   I hope this helps.  Remember you can't cause diabetes by eating too much candy but if you are diabetic you can be adding to the problem if you do.  Only a blood test and your doctor can diagnosis diabetes.
300023
Food with too much sugar (food with a high GI, glycemic index) will raise the blood sugar levels. At first, students will be on a sugar rush and will be lively and high for a while. After that, they will become more quiet because there levels are falling drastically down again. Not only will they become very passive, but might also become cranky because they need some more sugar to raise their sugar levels.\n\nThis applies for all other people as well, of course.\n\nRead about GI.
19031
Hyperglycemia isn't a "form" of Diabetes, but instead is a symptom of the condition. \nSigns / symptoms of hyperglycemia (high blood sugar) include: extreme thirst, frequent urination, dry skin, hunger, blurred vision, drowsiness, and decreased healing. If you haven't yet been diagnosed by your doctor as diabetic and you are expriencing these symptoms, definitely go get checked out. \n\nIf you have already been diagnosed as being a diabetic, check your BG regularly and watch out for high levels. Most information that I have came across has said that anything over 200 for more than 2 days in a row warrants a call to your doctor. I have also been told (by those more educated and experienced than myself) that anything over 300 is cosidered dangerously high and should be a cause for concern (and probably a trip to the ER).
429134
The tests are to determine how much glucose there is a person's blood. Since this glucose level can change a lot in a short time, frequent testing is needed.\n\nIf glucose levels are too high or too low (hypERglycemia and  hypOglycemia, respectively) this can lead directly to problems like diabetic coma or indirectly contribute to things like microvascular damage to the eyes, the cause of eventual blindness in so many diabetics.\n\nAfter the blood glucose level is measured, usually with a home device called a glucometer, the person takes steps to bring to blood glucose level up or down so that it falls within normal range; that is, they act to restore normoglycemia. If it's too low, they can have a little snack, or in extreme cases, take a dose of concentrated sugar. If it's too high, they take a shot of insulin, a natural substance, manufactured by a healthy pancreas. Using insulin, the body can get the glucose out of the bloodstream by converting it glycogen, which is stored in the liver.
589127
Teh most common sorts of diabetes are quite different, have different causes, and only share (confusingly) complications. I'll take them one at a time. \n\n=================\nType 1\n\nType 1 at 5-10% of all diabetics in the developed world. It is an auto-immune disease, somewhat in the manner of some kinds of artritis or lupus. The susceptibility to it is inherited and is associated with some kinds of HLA antigens. But it also seems to require, in most cases, an environmental trigger as well. This is most often an infection: one of the Coxsackie viruses, or German measles, for instance. it is the infection which triggers the immune system to attack and destory the Beta cells in the pancreas. it is often seen in children and so has been called juvenile diabetes.  \n\n============\nType 2\n\nType 2 has a very different origin. It is much more stongly inherited, and yet it is also associated with environmental conditions. About 2/3 of all cells in the body require insluin to absorb glucose (ie, fuel) fromthe blood. Type 2 is characterized by resistance to this insulin action to a greater or lesser degree. It often starts slow, with only somewhat elevated blood sugar levels, and sometimes progresses from there. It's most common in adults (hence the obsolete term, 'adult-onset diabetes'), and it's associated with overweight (hence the obsolete term, 'obesity related diabetes'). It is clear that environment is an important part of the causation since the 'Western diet' is clearly indicated. What exactly it is not clear. Most Type 2 diabetes can be adequately controlled by diet, exercies, and sometimes oral medications. A portion of type 2 diabetics eventually fail to respond to the oral medications, and they generally end up using insulin. \n\nGestational diabetes seems to be the result of the hormonal changes of pregnancy combined with an inheritied tendency toward Type 2. It generally ends with the pregnancy, though a portion of the women go on to develop Type 2 later on.
817866
Low sugar level.\nMay be worth having a diabetes check with the doctor, but this can be hormonal.
631020
I have the same problem . I recently found out that my sugar is a lot of my problem. I am controling my sugar with diet. Seek advice from your doctor about this "problem" you are having!
785649
Absolutely not!  Eating sugar does not induce/cause diabetes.  I'm surprised at the number of 'so-called' professionals who go on about how sugar and eating sweets can cause diabetes.  It's only because the person becomes obese, and their pancreas can't produce enough insulin, or the insulin that they do produce isn't able to be used effectively, that they become diabetic.\n\nHaving said that, diabetes is caused by a combination of genetic and environmental factors.  Eating a diet high in fat and sugar can cause you to become overweight.  Being overweight increases your risk of developing Type 2 diabetes, so if you have a history of diabetes in your family, a healthy diet and regular exercise are recommended to control your weight.\n\nAs for your second question about sugar substitutes, too much of them can have a laxative effect on people, so be careful how much of those you take.  (You are aware that sugar substitutes are actually sweeter than sugar, aren't you?  This means that you wouldn't need anywhere near as much to get the same effect.)\n\nBest of luck.
1103184
Any person can get diabetes, regardless of body size or shape. Life sty can increase your chances of getting it if you eat a diet with a lot of refined sugar and/or are physically inactive. With diabetes, your body simply loses it's ability to process insulin correctly and your sugar levels rise dangerously.
169086
In medical school, they never told us that eating too much sugar brings on diabetes, but I do think there is some truth to what you say, that eating alot of sugar contributes to causing Type II diabetes.  (Right, type I diabetes, which is very severe insulin dependent diabetes, is caused by failure of the insulin producing pancreatic beta cells.  it isn't dietary at all)  In type II diabetes, your pancreas is still producing insulin, it just gets "tired" and isn't producing enough insulin, and/or the cell receptors for the insulin, where the insulin has to do its thing, get resistant to the insulin.  In a sense, you wear the system out eating too much sugar.  Also, many type II diabetics are too fat.  Getting too fat does something to make the insulin receptors resistant, and also causes a huge demand for more and more insulin.  Certainly eating alot of "sweet" foods contributes to being fat.  Also, chromium is a known cofactor required for insulin to act correctly.  Refined sugar has no chromium in it, neither does refined flour.  (whole wheat flour does have chromium in it).  So you are eating sugar and refined flour, which requires insulin and chromium to metabolize, but you aren't getting any chromium with it.  \n\nWhat does "junk food" have in it?  It is all high in sugar and/or refined flour.  I think these are the modern foods, which contribute to poor health, including diabetes.  Also these junk foods are high in fat, esp. the evil trans fat.
230593
If you have good kidneys it gets rid of some of that glucose but it isn't as simple as that and it takes awhile for the sugar to get out of your system. It takes vitamin B1 out of your body to metabolize the sugar too and as diabetics can tell you, the high sugar levels though temporary can be harmful. It can also depress your immune system to eat a lot of sugar. Still, we all need some sugar just not too much.
793087
The higher the amount of insulin, the greater the amount of glucose receptors that most cells will have.  This means the cells will take in more glucose and reduce blood glucose levels.  This is up to a certain point, though.  If too much insulin is present, the cells will downregulate their glucose importers and actually take in less glucose.
477773
If by high blood sugar, you mean to say Diabetes, it will affect the following systems (chronic raised Blood sugar will cause these) :\n\n1.Central Nervous Syatem: Diabetic Ketoacidosis and or Coma\n\n2.Eyes: Cataracts, Retinopathy (can eventually cause blindness), Glaucoma (raised Intra-ocular Pressure)\n\n3.Kidneys: Diabetic Nephropathy, which if not taken care of in the early stages may result in Renal Failure\n\n4.Neuropathy: It affects the peripheral nerves (the ones in the limbs) producing burning pain, muscle weakness, loss of sensation in the limbs or hypersensitivity, loss of function of the cranial nerves etc. It may also cause  involvement of the autonomic nerves which may result in erectile dysfuntion and delayed emptying of the stomach(causing the oft-seen fullness of stomach in diabetics)\n\n5.Feet: Loss of sensation results in multiple injuries to the feet which go unnoticed, eventually leading to the formation of an ulcer (Diabetic foot) which can prove difficult to heal. Occasionally it may also cause gangrene of the limb and an amputation may become necessary.\n\n6.Predisposition to Infections in any part of the body. Some kind of infections are more common in diabetics, especially fungal infections.\n\nMost of these complications are preventable or can be delayed by ensuring proper control of the blood sugar. Certain complications can also be treated, for example:\n\nRetinopathy: treated with laser\nNeuropathy: Treated with Carbamazepine\nEarly Nephropathy: ACE Inhibitors (a class of drugs) delay its progression\n\nHowever, the most important aspect still is the control of Blood Sugar.
659546
yes it is possible. diabetes is when the body cannot regulate blood glucose level automatically.diabetes is hereditary although they do have a chance of not getting it. it would be a good thing to talk to your doctor and see what age you should get them tested at. people that continuously drink and drink more than normal is a sign that they may have diabetes. search through the link i have given you to find out more.
824817
Type 2 diabetes is caused by being overweight. If you maintain a healthy weight, exercise regularly and eat right, your chances of developing Type 2 diabetes are very, very small.
802707
you may have high blood pressure or maby diabetes.
1017892
Diabetes comes in 2 forms....Type 1 which is insulin dependant and occurs in young children and cant be cured.......Its caused by the bodies ammune system attacking the part of the pancreas that makes insulin......The symtoms are thirst, excessive drinking due to the dody trying to rid itself of sugar, lethargy and a general feeling of unwellness......\n\nType 2 diabetes is usually due to incorrect lifestyle and is known to be hereditary......Lack of excercise, bad diet and weight gain are the general cause of this disease......Treatment maybe a change in diet and excercise, some people require tablets and in certain cases may require insulin injections......But if managed properly this is only required in extreme circumstances.....\n\nAs the mother of a child with type 1 diabetes and the relative of parents with type 2 diabetes, i hope this is helpful.....