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Blood Sugar Disorders

Author: Sophia

what's covered
In this lesson, you will learn about various disorders that are affected by blood sugar levels. Specifically, this lesson will cover:

Table of Contents

1. Type 1 Diabetes

Normally, homeostatic mechanisms within the body help to regulate our blood glucose levels. However, certain disorders result in dysregulation of blood glucose levels. Type I diabetes is an autoimmune response in which pancreatic cells don't produce insulin.

This disorder can be caused by genetics in combination with a viral infection, but usually, this disorder occurs early in life. A person who has this disorder needs to take insulin injections to regulate their glucose levels. Insulin is a hormone that helps to lower blood sugar levels. If the pancreas isn't producing insulin, the body doesn't have a way to lower blood sugar levels. If blood sugar levels climb too high, they can damage capillaries, leading to nerve damage, blindness, and even death.

term to know
Type I Diabetes
Also called juvenile-onset diabetes or insulin dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM), this is an autoimmune disease in which the immune system destroys the pancreas's beta cells; type I diabetes typically strikes at a young age and since the beta cells are destroyed, a person cannot produce insulin anymore; they must, therefore, take insulin injections.


2. Type 2 Diabetes

Type 2 diabetes is another type of blood sugar disorder in which target cells don't respond to insulin for reasons not well understood. This type of diabetes generally shows up later in life and is often a result of a person's lifestyle and diet.

term to know
Type II Diabetes
Also called adult-onset diabetes or non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM), type II diabetes is more of a lifestyle disease that affects people when they are older; people with type II diabetes produce and secrete insulin but, for reasons which are poorly understood, it doesn’t work well.


3. Prediabetes

Prediabetes is a condition in which there is a slightly high blood sugar level. Think of it more as a warning sign that a person is on track to develop type 2 diabetes. Prediabetes can be reversed with diet and exercise.

term to know
Prediabetes
The signs and symptoms leading up to diabetes.


4. Hypoglycemia

Hypoglycemia is characterized by low blood sugar. A person can develop low blood sugar if they miscalculate an insulin injection and inject too much. Sometimes people develop tumors that secrete insulin, which causes blood sugar levels to decline. If there is too much insulin in the system, too much sugar is being removed from the blood, and then there's not enough fuel left over for proper brain functioning. To fix this, you would need to raise the blood sugar level.

term to know
Hypoglycemia
The clinical term for lower than normal blood glucose levels.

summary
This lesson has been an overview of various disorders associated with blood sugar levels. Specifically, you learned about type 1 diabetes, type 2 diabetes, prediabetes, and hypoglycemia.

Keep up the learning and have a great day!

Source: THIS WORK IS ADAPTED FROM SOPHIA AUTHOR AMANDA SODERLIND

Terms to Know
Hypoglycemia

The clinical term for lower than normal blood glucose levels.

Prediabetes

The signs and symptoms leading up to diabetes.

Type I Diabetes

Also called juvenile-onset diabetes or insulin dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM), this is an autoimmune disease in which the immune system destroys the pancreas's beta cells. Type I diabetes typically strikes at a young age, and since the beta cells are destroyed, a person cannot produce insulin anymore. They must, therefore, take insulin injections.

Type II Diabetes

Also called adult-onset diabetes or non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM), type II diabetes is more of a lifestyle disease that affects people when they are older. People with type II diabetes produce and secrete insulin but, for reasons which are poorly understood, it doesn’t work well at maintaining blood sugar at the appropriate level.