My child was recently diagnosed with diabetes and I want to understand more about it.
In order to understand diabetes, we must know the role of insulin in the body.
Insulin is a hormone secreted by the pancreas; a small organ located behind the stomach. A normal pancreas secretes the required amount of insulin precisely to maintain normal blood sugar levels. We liken the action of insulin to the key – it allows glucose (a type of sugar) from the blood to enter the cell to supply the cell with energy.
If the pancreas is unable to secrete insulin, secrete it in a smaller amount or there is an obstacle that does not allow insulin to work efficiently, sugar begins to accumulate in the blood and rises above normal levels and this is called diabetes.
Diabetes is a chronic medical condition, characterized by high blood sugar levels, there are two main types of diabetes: type 1 diabetes and type 2 diabetes and there are also other types that we will talk about.
