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A group of diseases that result in too much sugar in the blood (high blood glucose).

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Type 2 Diabetes - A chronic condition that affects the way the body processes blood sugar (glucose).

Type 1 Diabetes - A chronic condition in which the pancreas produces little or no insulin.

Prediabetes - A condition in which blood sugar is high, but not high enough to be type 2 diabetes.

Gestational Diabetes - A form of high blood sugar affecting pregnant women.

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All forms of diabetes are non-communicable, which means they cannot spread from one person to another.

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Excessive thirst and hunger

Frequent Urination

Weight loss or gain

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Viral or bacterial infection

Chemical toxins within food

Unidentified component causing autoimmune reaction

An autoimmune reaction is when the immune system destroys the cells in the pancreas that make insulin. This causes diabetes by leaving the body without enough insulin to function normally.

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National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases

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What are the symptoms of diabetes?

Symptoms of diabetes include

increased thirst and urination

increased hunger

fatigue

blurred vision

numbness or tingling in the feet or hands

sores that do not heal

unexplained weight loss

Symptoms of type 1 diabetes can start quickly, in a matter of weeks. Symptoms of type 2 diabetes often develop slowly-over the course of several years-and can be so mild that you might not even notice them. Many people with type 2 diabetes have no symptoms. Some people do not find out they have the disease until they have diabetes-related health problems, such as blurred vision or heart trouble.

What causes type 1 diabetes?

Type 1 diabetes occurs when your immune system, the body's system for fighting infection, attacks and destroys the insulin-producing beta cells of the pancreas. Scientists think type 1 diabetes is caused by genes and environmental factors, such as viruses, that might trigger the disease. Studies such as TrialNet are working to pinpoint causes of type 1 diabetes and possible ways to prevent or slow the disease.

What causes type 2 diabetes?

Type 2 diabetes -the most common form of diabetes-is caused by several factors, including lifestyle factors and genes.

Overweight, obesity, and physical inactivity

You are more likely to develop type 2 diabetes if you are not physically active and are overweight or have obesity. Extra weight sometimes causes insulin resistance and is common in people with type 2 diabetes. The location of body fat also makes a difference. Extra belly fat is linked to insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes, and heart and blood vessel disease. To see if your weight puts you at risk for type 2 diabetes, check out these Body Mass Index (BMI) charts.

Insulin resistance

Type 2 diabetes usually begins with insulin resistance, a condition in which muscle, liver, and fat cells do not use insulin well. As a result, your body needs more insulin to help glucose enter cells. At first, the pancreas makes more insulin to keep up with the added demand. Over time, the pancreas can't make enough insulin, and blood glucose levels rise.

Genes and family history

As in type 1 diabetes, certain genes may make you more likely to develop type 2 diabetes. The disease tends to run in families and occurs more often in these racial/ethnic groups:

African Americans

Alaska Natives

American Indians

Asian Americans

Hispanics/Latinos

Native Hawaiians

Pacific Islanders

Genes also can increase the risk of type 2 diabetes by increasing a person's tendency to become overweight or have obesity.

What causes gestational diabetes?

Scientists believe gestational diabetes, a type of diabetes that develops during pregnancy, is caused by the hormonal changes of pregnancy along with genetic and lifestyle factors.

Insulin resistance

Hormones produced by the placenta contribute to insulin resistance, which occurs in all women during late pregnancy. Most pregnant women can produce enough insulin to overcome insulin resistance, but some cannot. Gestational diabetes occurs when the pancreas can't make enough insulin.

As with type 2 diabetes, extra weight is linked to gestational diabetes. Women who are overweight or have obesity may already have insulin resistance when they become pregnant. Gaining too much weight during pregnancy may also be a factor.

Hormonal changes, extra weight, and family history can contribute to gestational diabetes.

Genes and family history

Having a family history of diabetes makes it more likely that a woman will develop gestational diabetes, which suggests that genes play a role. Genes may also explain why the disorder occurs more often in African Americans, American Indians, Asians, and Hispanics/Latinas.

What else can cause diabetes?

Genetic mutations, other diseases, damage to the pancreas, and certain medicines may also cause diabetes.

Genetic mutations

Monogenic diabetes is caused by mutations, or changes, in a single gene. These changes are usually passed through families, but sometimes the gene mutation happens on its own. Most of these gene mutations cause diabetes by making the pancreas less able to make insulin. The most common types of monogenic diabetes are neonatal diabetes and maturity-onset diabetes of the young (MODY). Neonatal diabetes occurs in the first 6 months of life. Doctors usually diagnose MODY during adolescence or early adulthood, but sometimes the disease is not diagnosed until later in life.

Cystic fibrosis produces thick mucus that causes scarring in the pancreas. This scarring can prevent the pancreas from making enough insulin.

Hemochromatosis causes the body to store too much iron. If the disease is not treated, iron can build up in and damage the pancreas and other organs.

Hormonal diseases

Some hormonal diseases cause the body to produce too much of certain hormones, which sometimes cause insulin resistance and diabetes.

Damage to or removal of the pancreas

Pancreatitis, pancreatic cancer, and trauma can all harm the beta cells or make them less able to produce insulin, resulting in diabetes. If the damaged pancreas is removed, diabetes will occur due to the loss of the beta cells.

Medicines

Sometimes certain medicines can harm beta cells or disrupt the way insulin works. These include

niacin, a type of vitamin B3

certain types of diuretics, also called water pills

anti-seizure drugs

psychiatric drugs

drugs to treat human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)

pentamidine, a drug used to treat a type of pneumonia

glucocorticoids-medicines used to treat inflammatory illnesses such as rheumatoid arthritis, asthma, lupus, and ulcerative colitis

anti-rejection medicines, used to help stop the body from rejecting a transplanted organ

Statins, which are medicines to reduce LDL ("bad") cholesterol levels, can slightly increase the chance that you'll develop diabetes. However, statins help protect you from heart disease and stroke. For this reason, the strong benefits of taking statins outweigh the small chance that you could develop diabetes.

If you take any of these medicines and are concerned about their side effects, talk with your doctor.

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Many types of diabetes have similar symptoms, but types 1 and 2 and gestational diabetes have different causes. Less common types of diabetes have other causes.

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Obesity

Living a sedentary lifestyle - a lifestyle involving little to no physical activity

Increasing age

Bad diet

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Family history of gestational diabetes

Overweight or Obese

Suffer from polycystic ovary syndrome - A hormonal disorder causing enlarged ovaries with small cysts on the outer edges.

Have had a large baby weighing over 9lb

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Pancreatitis or pancreatectomy as a cause of diabetes. Pancreatitis is known to increase the risk of developing diabetes, as is a pancreatectomy.

Cushing’s syndrome. This syndrome increases production of the cortisol hormone, which serves to increased blood glucose levels. An over-abundance of cortisol can cause diabetes.

Glucagonoma. Patients with glucagonoma may experience diabetes because of a lack of equilibrium between levels of insulin production and glucagon production.

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About 422 million people worldwide have some form of diabetes

Diabetes is one of the leading causes of death in the world

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Cut sugar and refined carbs from your diet

Work out regularly

Drink water as your primary beverage

Lose weight if you're overweight/obese

Avoid Sedentary behaviors

Follow a low carb diet

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Most minorities are more susceptible to diabetes. African Americans, Mexican Americans, American Indians, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific islanders all have higher risks of getting diabetes.

Men and women of ages 45 to 64 are more likely to be diagnosed with diabetes.

There's no significant distinction of diabetes population between men and women .

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Type 1 Diabetes: diet, exercise, medication, and insulin therapy.
Type 2 Diabetes:  maintaining normal blood sugar levels through regular monitoring, insulin therapy, diet, and exercise.
Prediabetes: lifestyle changes, weight loss, and medications
Gestational Diabetes:  daily blood sugar monitoring, a healthy diet, exercise, and monitoring the baby.