Diabetes: Symptoms, Causes, Treatment, and Prevention.
                     DIABETES:  SYMPTOMS,  
CAUSES, TREATMENT, AND 
PREVENTION
What is diabetes?
• Diabetes happens when your body isn't able to 
take up sugar (glucose) into its cells and use it for 
energy. This results in a build up of extra sugar in 
your bloodstream.
Source: my.clevelandclinic.org
Diabetes Types
• Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease. The 
immune system attacks and destroys cells in the 
pancreas, where insulin is made. 
• Type 2 diabetes occurs when your body becomes 
resistant to insulin, and sugar builds up in your 
blood.
Source: www.healthline.com
Symptoms of diabetes
• The general symptoms of diabetes include:
– increased hunger
– increased thirst
– weight loss
– frequent urination
– blurry vision
– extreme fatigue
– sores that don’t heal
Source: www.healthline.com
Type 1 diabetes
• Symptoms of type 1 diabetes can include:
– extreme hunger
– increased thirst
– unintentional weight loss
– frequent urination
– blurry vision
– tiredness
Source: www.healthline.com
Causes of Type 1 diabetes
• Doctors don’t know exactly what causes type 1 
diabetes. 
• For some reason, the immune system mistakenly 
attacks and destroys insulin-producing beta cells 
in the pancreas.
• Genes may play a role in some people. It’s also 
possible that a virus sets off the immune system 
attack.
Source: www.healthline.com
Type 2 diabetes
• Symptoms of type 2 diabetes can include:
– increased hunger
– increased thirst
– increased urination
– blurry vision
– tiredness
– sores that are slow to heal
Source: www.healthline.com
Causes of Type 2 diabetes
• Type 2 diabetes stems from a combination of 
genetics and lifestyle factors. Being overweight or 
obese increases your risk too. 
• Carrying extra weight, especially in your belly, 
makes your cells more resistant to the effects of 
insulin on your blood sugar.
Source: www.healthline.com
Gestational diabetes
• Most women with gestational diabetes don’t have 
any symptoms. 
• The condition is often detected during a routine 
blood sugar test or oral glucose tolerance test 
that is usually performed between the 24th and 
28th weeks of gestation.
Source: www.healthline.com
Causes of Gestational diabetes
• Gestational diabetes is the result of hormonal 
changes during pregnancy. 
• The placenta produces hormones that make a 
pregnant woman’s cells less sensitive to the 
effects of insulin. This can cause high blood sugar 
during pregnancy.
Source: www.healthline.com
Treatment of diabetes
• Doctors treat diabetes with a few different 
medications. Some of these drugs are taken by 
mouth, while others are available as injections.
• Insulin is the main treatment for type 1 diabetes. 
It replaces the hormone your body isn’t able to 
produce.
Source: www.healthline.com
Diabetes prevention
• Type 1 diabetes isn’t preventable because it’s 
caused by a problem with the immune system. 
• Some causes of type 2 diabetes, such as your 
genes or age, aren’t under your control either.
Source: www.healthline.com