The Truth about Diabetes(a)|虽然糖尿病会一辈子缠身

by Rebecca A. Fratzke

Diabetes may last a lifetime, but it doesn't have to hold one back.

You cannot tell who has it simply by looking at a person. Nothing about the way someone walks or talks would tell you he or she is sick. However, diabetes is becoming more and more common, and it is one of the oldest-known diseases in the world.

Diabetes is a metabolic disorder with no cure. The disorder affects how the body uses the food one eats. In a healthy person, the food is turned into glucose, which is transferred into one's blood and then moved to all the cells in the body. At the same time, the pancreas creates and puts insulin into the bloodstream, which gets the glucose out of the blood and into the cells. The amount of insulin released is perfectly measured for how much glucose is in the blood. A person with diabetes does not produce enough insulin to transfer glucose from the blood. Therefore, the glucose is filtered out and leaves the body through the urine. If glucose cannot get into the cells, they cannot stay healthy or grow.

There are three main types of diabetes known today. The first, Type 1, is when a person does not make any insulin at all. Type 1 diabetes is genetic, can occur at any age but is most often seen in children, and is a condition people must learn to live with their whole lives. Type 2 diabetes is when a person's fat, liver, and muscle cells don't respond correctly to insulin, resulting in resistance. This form of diabetes can develop at any time during a person's life but is more commonly found in those older than 40 and those overweight. The final type is gestational diabetes, which is a temporary condition that affects some pregnant women. Of all the types, Type 2 diabetes is on the rise.

虽然糖尿病会一辈子缠身，但不一定会阻碍一个人的发展。

　　你无法光用看的就知道谁是患者。他∕她走路或说话的方式亦无法让你辨别他∕她身体有病。然而，糖尿病变得愈来愈普遍，是世界上历史最久的已知疾病之一。

　　糖尿病是一种新陈代谢失调且无治疗方法的疾病。这种失调会影响人体运用吃下肚的食物的方式。健康的人体会将食物转变成葡萄糖运送到血液，再送到全身的细胞。同时胰脏会制造胰岛素，随血液流动全身，把血液中的葡萄糖转移到细胞中。释出的胰岛素量按照血液中有多少葡萄糖来精准计算。有糖尿病的人制造的胰岛素不足，而无法转移血液中的葡萄糖。因此，葡萄糖从血液中滤出，透过尿液排出体外。如果葡萄糖无法进入细胞，细胞就无法维持健康或成长。

　　当今已知的糖尿病主要分 3 型。第一型是人体完全无法制造胰岛素。第一型糖尿病是遗传的，没有一定的发病年龄，但好发于儿童时期，病人必须学着与这种病况共处一辈子。第二型糖尿病是病患的脂肪、肝脏与肌肉细胞对胰岛素无法正确反应而造成排斥。人一生中任何时候都有可能罹患此种糖尿病，但较常发生在 40 岁以上及体重过重的人。最后一种是妊娠型糖尿病，这是一种会暂时影响某些怀孕女性的疾病。在这 3 者中，第二型糖尿病有逐渐增加的趋势。