The occurrence of diabetes of any kind is due to the fact that glucose is not fully or partially absorbed in the human body, which leads to many unpleasant and sometimes irreversible consequences. Under normal conditions, the pancreas (PZH) automatically releases the hormone insulin into the bloodstream as soon as glucose appears in the blood, and the cells of the body use it to "absorb" the sugar. In diabetics, this process is interrupted for various reasons.
Diabetes type 1
Type 1 diabetes usually occurs in early childhood and adolescence. The pancreas stops producing insulin because the beta cells of the "Islets of Langerhans" in which it is produced die totally or partially. Sometimes clinical type 1 diabetes begins after serious viral infections, according to scientists, the failure of the immune system is to blame for this "failure".
Some dangerous viruses are very similar in structure to the beta cells of the pancreas, and are destroyed along with foreign viruses by the immune system. It is impossible to restore insulin-producing cells, so for a diabetic, the only way to improve metabolism is lifelong control of blood sugar levels and timely administration of insulin.
type 2 diabetes
Type 2 diabetes usually develops in adulthood and in old age. Very often, its appearance is associated with obesity, although sometimes it also occurs with a hereditary predisposition, as well as after taking certain medications. Type 2 diabetes can develop against the background of chronic diseases of the pancreas or during pregnancy. Even if the pancreas of such patients produces enough insulin, it is slower than necessary. Therefore, the cells do not have time to use all the glucose, and its level increases.
The second reason for low blood glucose in type 2 diabetes is a decreased sensitivity of tissues to the hormone insulin. Doctors call this disorder "insulin resistance. "Simply put, they lack the normal amount, which is primarily associated with obesity.
Gestational diabetes
One type of type 2 diabetes is diabetes of pregnancy or gestational diabetes. The pancreas of a pregnant woman produces a normal amount of insulin, but the sensitivity of the tissues is reduced due to the presence of "pregnancy hormones" in the blood. It usually occurs at 20-24 weeks and continues until delivery, and after them the metabolism improves on its own. However, sometimes, under the guise of gestational diabetes, DM 1 begins, and it also happens that, against the background of pregnancy, DM 2 appears, the presence of which the woman did not suspect.