Adult diabetes is another name for type 2 diabetes or non insulin dependent diabetes. The name was probably given to differentiate it from juvenile diabetes that tended to occur in young people. Juvenile diabetes is now called type 1 diabetes or insulin dependent diabetes. The names of these diseases have changed because it is not really the case that children only get type 1 diabetes and people in their 30's can acquire type 1 diabetes.

Type 1 and type 2 diabetes differ in one crucial aspect. In type 1 diabetes the pancreas does not produce insulin, in type 2 it does, but it is not effective and the body is said to be insulin resistant. Insulin is needed to help convert glucose in the bloodstream into energy and in the process reduce the level of sugar in the blood. When somebody has diabetes they can't do this. High levels of blood sugar for any length of time can result in serious health problems.

Gestational diabetes is a condition in which a pregnant woman suffers from higher then normal blood glucose levels. Medical science does not know the exact cause of this form of diabetes but many think it is linked to the stress of pregnancy on the woman's body. For the majority of women there are no noticeable symptoms of gestational diabetes and they are unaware that they have this condition until they are tested.

It is believed that the placenta and how it works during a pregnancy is the main cause for gestational diabetes. The placenta is the life support system for the baby in the uterus. During a pregnancy the placenta produces a multitude of different hormones, many of which negatively affect the effectiveness of the mother insulin. This results in high blood glucose levels because the insulin is unable to move the glucose out of the blood and into the cells. The mother may produce up to three times her normal amount of insulin to effectively deal with the effects of the placental hormones. This is known as insulin resistance.

Glucose is the body's fuel. Our brains require it to function properly and our muscles require it to move. It is the food for all of our cells. Therefore, it is important to maintain normal blood glucose levels for our bodies to function properly.

A normal blood sugar level is between 60-100 mg/dl. Your level raises some after a meal and it is lower in the morning when you first awaken. But your blood sugar level should never go below 60 mg/dl if you are not a diabetic. If you have a problem with your blood sugar dropping, commonly called hypoglycemia, you should see your doctor.

A coma caused through diabetes is relatively rare provided the proper care and monitoring of the the condition is followed. This said, it is important to understand how a diabetic coma can occur, what symptoms to look out for and general guidelines to ensure that it does not happen.

Diabetic comas occur when the blood sugar level is extremely low or extremely high.

Hypoglycemia or low blood sugar can cause a diabetic to become unconscious or have a seizure if it continues for any length of time. A diabetic could become hypoglycemic if they :

The amount of sugar in our body is sometime known as blood glucose level. When foods are eaten, the body will break it down into the simplest form, namely glucose. Glucose is the fuel for our body where it is the primary source of energy for the cells. The cell extract glucose from the blood stream by using insulin. Diabetes Type I occurs when the body loses its ability to produce insulin making the extraction of glucose from the blood stream impossible. As a result the sugar content in the blood increases.

The symptoms for diabetes type 1 may vary for each individual, but these are the more common symptoms.

Often diabetic type 1 occurs without any signs or symptoms.

Diabetes type 2 also known as non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus is a chronic disease which appears when the insulin produced by the pancreas can not reduce the blood level of glucose. Sometimes diabetes appears when insulin is not produced in a sufficient quantity by the pancreas. The role of insulin is to take the glucose from the blood and lead it inside the body cells which use it to produce energy. If the level of glucose is too high in blood it will be eliminated by the kidneys in urine.

Diabetes type 1 is known to occur during childhood and was named as insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus. The pancreas is not able to produce the insulin any more as the cells responsible to this process have been destroyed by the body. These patients require insulin injections permanently.

Diabetes type 2 occurs mostly during adulthood and is found in 90% of the diabetic patients. In this case the insulin is not produced in sufficient quantities or it is not effective on the body cells. This type of diabetes occurs mostly in obese people and in those who have high levels of cholesterol in blood. Elder people can get affected of this type of diabetes too.

There are known three types of diabetes: type 1, type 2 and gestational diabetes. In this affection the glucose can not be used properly by the body and so, energy can not be produced in enough quantities. All this is due to a lack of insulin or a malfunctioning of insulin, which leads to an accumulation of glucose in blood instead of an accumulation of glucose in the cells of the body. Insulin is produced by the pancreas and its role is to take the glucose from the blood and lead it into the cells of the body where energy will be produced.

Diabetes type 1 is known to occur during childhood and was named as insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus. The pancreas is not able to produce the insulin any more as the cells responsible to this process have been destroyed by the body. These patients require insulin injections permanently.

In diabetes, the symptoms can vary depending on whether a person has type one or type two diabetes.

Before diagnosis the symptoms may be more obvious, but after treatment and the glucose levels are more stabilized, diabetic symptoms will often reduce or go away.

However, type 2 diabetes can be sometimes so subtle that there are no noticeable symptoms, and hence is only diagnosed with a blood test.

In this article, let's look at the symptoms can be present in diabetes, both type 1 (insulin dependent) and type 2 (non insulin dependent) diabetes.

How soon do you want discover if you have diabetes mellitus? My guess is the sooner the better. Taking diabetes mellitus lightly will not be in your best interest.

Occasionally the signs and symptoms of diabetes mellitus have been undiagnosed because there have been no great changes seen by the individual. Many people are amazed at the physician's diagnosis. While you may not have the symbols that cause pain, diabetes mellitus is a disease that is working in the background. Serious consequences can erupt if left undetected.