Diabetes FAQ » General Information » Causes of Diabetes

Causes of Diabetes

There are different opinions on the causes of diabetes. They have all been things that have seen as possible contributors to onset of diabetes in a person’s life. Naturally one’s family history will always be a factor that increases the risk of developing diabetes. That is an aspect, which if know will also increase the motivation one would have to be checked for diabetes more often. And then too also be more careful in observing any possible symptoms at they occur in one’s body. Which is something that is very critical if many members of one’s family already suffer from diabetes. And is it also important if the family members are so inflicted that one be aware of what were the cause that lead to their becoming a diabetic. This will be a matter of discussing the information with the person and so that one can know if those same causes my be present in one’s life. However, that is all part of making oneself informed if the situation is such that there is a high risk in one’s family for diabetes.

With Type 1 diabetes the body’s pancreas has become dysfunctional in such a way that it can not produce either enough insulin or the type that will work properly in the blood stream. The opinions on why this happen in a child’s life vary. Some feel it is the result of an infection from a specific virus or bacteria. Others have thought it could be exposure to a food that has some chemical toxins that affect the body. Another view is that an infant was given cow’s milk that in some way affected the body’s immune system. That it in some component in the milk caused a reaction to the milk. And that would have a consequence that later cause some dysfunction in the pancreas. These are all just opinions that so far have not been proven so they are not regarded as the verified causes, just commonly held views. And until other information is available they will remain the most often advanced opinions.

In the case of Type 2 diabetes it is a case that at some point the pancreas stops working efficiently. The insulin it produces just no longer is able to do what is needed in terms of letting the cells absorb the blood sugar. And there are several causes that are risks with Type 2 diabetes that can be factors the disease occurred in a person. These include the problem of getting older, obesity and having a lack of physical activity. In addition on a lesser possible level are things such as the effects of certain medications, pregnancy and some illness. Each may play a part in contributing to why a person develops diabetes as an adult. They all are better understood as they apply to a person’s situation. Some will find the risks and cause easy to identify than others.

Regardless of the causes the one thing that must not be ignored is when one knows there is a family history of diabetes in the family. If ones father or mother have diabetes, grandparents, aunts or uncles then it increases the likelihood that it will be a risk in one’s life. And if a given cause was a factor in that family member then it is very possible it might be a cause in ones life. So those related to Type 2 diabetes will be needed to dealt with as risk factors such as with the problem of being overweight. Those will be things the person at risk will wish to be very aware of and not forget.

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