Our pancreas produces a natural hormone called insulin to control how our body utilizes and stores blood sugar. It lets glucose enter the cells in our body. Insulin is quite important for metabolism, and your body will stop functioning without it.
The pancreas of patients having type 1 diabetes cannot produce insulin. Similarly, the pancreas of patients with type 2 diabetes can initially produce insulin, but the body cells cannot properly use insulin which is known as insulin resistance.
Unmanaged diabetes prevents glucose from being distributed to cells. Instead, it is built up in the blood, which can cause serious complications such as stomach problems, eye issues, heart disease, nerve damage, and kidney problems.
Diabetic patients need insulin therapy to survive. Insulin can be injected in thighs, upper arms, or buttocks but usually injected into the abdomen. Some people also use a pump instead of injections that provide short insulin doses at different times during the day.
So, how does insulin keep us healthy? Let’s take a look.
Insulin’s role is to transform glucose into energy and then supplying it to your body through proper distribution. The cardiovascular system and the central nervous system need this energy to function. Less insulin means energy starvation for cells which leads to life-threatening circumstances. Moreover, a lower amount of glucose makes you feel confused, tired, or irritable. Also, you can lose consciousness due to low blood sugar.
Our liver, due to insulin, takes in extra glucose from the bloodstream and stores it for later usage. It later releases small amounts of glucose in the bloodstream when needed to maintain blood sugar.
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Fat cells and muscles also store extra glucose because of insulin. This prevents the overwhelming of the bloodstream with glucose. To stabilize the blood sugar level, insulin signals these cells to stop breaking down glucose. The cells then create glycogen, which provides the body with energy when needed.
When insulin is providing the cells with energy, it is keeping them healthy. Without insulin, glucose will remain in the bloodstream causing severe complications such as hyperglycemia. This can result in serious complications such as eye problems, kidney damage, or nerve damage. Frequent urination and excessive thirst are symptoms of high blood glucose.
To help build muscle mass, insulin assists the amino acids in entering your body’s cells. Moreover, insulin maintains bodily fluids by helping the cells to take in electrolytes like potassium.
When the cells in your body cannot use the extra glucose, they start burning fat to get energy. During this procedure, dangerous chemicals known as ketones build up. Although your body tries to get rid of ketones when you pass urine, occasionally, it cannot keep up. This results in a severe condition known as diabetic ketoacidosis. The symptoms of this condition are vomiting, nausea, dry mouth, and sweet-smelling breath.
Until Next Time,
Team Doctor ASKY!