Dealing with Diabetes - Essay Example

Diabetes For optimal health, your blood sugar needs to stay within a relatively narrow range of values. The chemicals your body produces called insulin and glucagon are involved in keeping blood surgar within that range. Both chemicals are produced by the pancreas in response to changing blood sugar levels. Glucagon is produced when blood sugar is low, and insulin is produced when blood sugar is high. Glucagon stimulates the liver to release glucose, a form of sugar, thereby increasing your blood sugar.

Insulin, conversely, triggers the fat cells in the body to absorb glucose out of the bloodstream, resulting in a decrease in blood sugar levels. In the case of diabetes, your body is unable to keep blood sugar within those levels. Instead, your blood sugar consistently runs higher than normal. In Type 2 diabetes, your bodys insulin is unable to lower blood sugar because the fat cells in your body are immune to the effects of the insulin. Theres plenty of insulin in the body but your body isnt responding to it by absorbing the glucose out of your bloodstream.

Type 2 diabetics often dont require insulin injections; instead, it may be controllable with diet, weight loss, and exercise. The symptoms of Type 2 diabetes can often be controlled by reaching your “ideal body weight” and by following a low-carbohydrate and low-fat diet. Cortisol is a stress hormone that is produced by your body. It lowers your bodys ability to metabolize sugars, while increasing the metabolism of fats. This means that your blood sugar will rise faster, reach higher levels, and stay at those higher levels longer.

With higher levels of cortisol, insulin will no longer have an effect on blood sugar levels. If you have a condition that causes chronic stress, then, managing your diabetes becomes much more difficult. You should have regular medical checkups to ensure that you do not have other conditions besides the diabetes.