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Type Two Diabetes

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Diabetes is a disease caused by a lack of insulin, resulting in high blood glucose levels and many health issues. Type two diabetes is becoming an increasing issue in Australia due to poor health, obesity and poor eating habits. Fast food industries and repackaged food are playing an increasingly larger role in people's diets, and with it, the number of people with type two diabetes is also increasing.
Type two diabetes is a crippling disease. After food is eaten the pancreas releases a hormone called insulin into the blood stream. The purpose of insulin is to keep blood sugar levels stable by causing the liver to store any glucose not needed by the body, as glycogen (S Preet, 2013). In a person with diabetes, not enough insulin is made resulting …show more content…

Type one diabetes is caused by a problem with the immune system, where it attacks the cells that create insulin (Bowers, 2015). Type two diabetes is much more prominent in adults, however it can occur in children. It is often brought on by obesity or an unhealthy lifestyle. This form of diabetes often begins with a resistance to insulin due to the liver not using insulin to provide energy for the body’s cells. Because of this, the body requires more insulin. The pancreas will try to compensate by producing more insulin, however it will eventually stop when the blood sugar levels increase (after eating). Two common symptoms are frequent dehydration sue to water trying to compensate for the high glucose levels and keep an even amount of water and glucose through a process called osmosis (Charlotte Eng, 2015). This, in turn causes frequent urination because of the need for more water. Another symptom is blurry eyesight. High blood sugar can cause the lens of the eye to swell which will impair the vision (William Hehn, …show more content…

The body must keep a healthy blood glucose level so that there is a continuous supply of energy to the cells. If the blood sugar levels fall too low (hypoglycaemia) it can cause harmful complications such as fatigue and even loss of consciousness. If blood sugar levels raise too high (hyperglycaemia) it can lead to many difficulties such as cardiovascular disease, nerve damage and kidney damage (S Preet, 2013). This is why is important for the body to regulate its glucose levels. It does this by the pancreatic islets detecting a change in blood glucose levels, they then release the hormone insulin into the blood stream. Muscle cells are prompted by the insulin, to absorb glucose. The way insulin does this is by binding itself to receptors on the cell membrane, thuds increasing the amount of transporters and allowing more glucose to be transported into the cells. If glucose levels fall then another hormone is released by the pancreas called glucagon. Glucagon allows stored glucose (glycogen) to be released from the liver into the blood stream and raises blood glucose levels (Amis, 2011). This process of keeping blood glucose levels constant is an example of ‘homoeostatic control’ where the rise and fall of glucose levels allows each different hormone to be used in a constant

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