Reasons to get Diabetes

Inside the pancreas, beta cells make the hormone insulin. Insulin is necessary for the body to be able to use glucose for energy. When you eat food, the body breaks down all of the sugars and starches into glucose, which is the basic fuel for the cells in the body. Insulin takes the sugar from the blood into the cells. When glucose builds up in the blood instead of going into cells, it can lead to diabetes.

In people with type 1 diabetes, the pancreas no longer makes insulin. The beta cells have been destroyed and they need insulin shots to use glucose from meals.

In people with type 2 diabetes, either the body does not produce enough insulin or the cells ignore the insulin. Some people with type 2 diabetes need diabetes pills or insulin shots to help their bodies use glucose for energy.

Diabetes increases your risk for many serious health problems. The good news is, with the correct treatment and recommended lifestyle changes, many people with diabetes are able to prevent or delay the onset of complications.

No one knows why people get diabetes. Among the causes of diabetes are genetic or hereditary factors and the environment.