Diabetes – What is Diabetes?
Diabetes is a serious disease which affects millions of people every year. It is caused when your body doesn’t produce enough insulin, or it isn’t able to use the insulin it does produce effectively.
Exercise, diet and medication can help prevent or delay the disease. It’s also crucial to be aware of symptoms to determine what’s wrong and get treatment.
What is diabetes?
Diabetes is a chronic health condition (long-lasting), which impacts the way your body converts food into energy. It occurs when your pancreas isn’t producing enough insulin or can’t use it as efficiently as it should.
Insulin is a hormone that helps cells absorb and utilize sugar, which is known as glucose. People with type 2 diabetes aren’t able to make enough insulin or their bodies don’t use it properly.
The blood sugar levels rise over time in both types of diabetes. This can cause issues in the kidneys, eyes and feet. It may also cause damage to the blood vessels in your heart and brain.
Type 1 diabetes
Type 1 diabetes is an auto-immune disease, meaning that the body’s immune system attacks and destroys insulin-producing cell in the pancreas. This destruction can occur over months or even for years until it leads to the complete absence of insulin.
People with type 1 diabetes must take insulin each day. They also have to keep track of their blood glucose levels and adjust the levels of insulin, food and activity levels to keep their blood glucose within a healthy range.
Type 2 diabetes
If you suffer from type 2 diabetes your body isn’t making the insulin it needs to. Insulin is a hormone that helps your cells to remove blood sugar (glucose) out of your blood and into your cells, where it can be used as energy.
Type 2 diabetics must exercise and adhere to a healthy diet. They may also have to take medications to manage their blood sugar levels.
Women with diabetes are afflicted with symptoms
Diabetes is a chronic disease that affects people of all races and ethnicities age, genders, and ages. However women are at a greater risk than men.
Women with diabetes are more prone to develop complications, including heart disease (the most frequent diabetes-related complication) and loss of vision.
Polydipsia is one of the warning signs for diabetes in women. This is due to diabetes causing excess sugar to build up in the blood, and your kidneys aren’t able to eliminate it properly.
Diabetes in men Men: Symptoms
Diabetes is a condition where cells are not able to use glucose (blood sugar) for energy. This is typically because the pancreas produces too little insulin.
This can lead to high blood glucose levels. Your body attempts to lower these levels by flushing excess glucose from your bloodstream through urine.
People with diabetes frequently are thirsty and have to drink large quantities of fluids, up to four liters per day.
Men can also shed weight as their bodies make use of muscle for energy rather than fat. This is due to the fact that the blood sugar level stays high for prolonged periods of time.
Diabetes diet
A healthy diet for diabetes is a key element in managing your condition. It can help manage blood sugar levels, manage weight and decrease the risk factors for heart disease.
Your diet should consist of plenty of whole foods, including fruits, whole grains, vegetables beans, and low-fat dairy. It should be free of saturated (unhealthy) fat and added sugars.
You may consider limiting your consumption of sweetened drinks with sugar. These drinks typically contain high levels of sugar, which can lead to high blood sugar levels.
Diabetes medications
Your doctor might recommend diabetes medication to keep your blood glucose (blood sugar) levels in an acceptable range. These medications are often combined with lifestyle changes, like diet and physical activity, to manage diabetes.
If your blood sugar is not being adequately controlled with one medicine, you may need to take a different medication. Your doctor will assist you to select the most appropriate medication to meet your needs and preferences.
Newer medications, like sodium-glucose-cotransporter-2 inhibitors as well as glucagon antagonists of the peptide-1 receptor, reduce blood sugar levels and provide benefits for the kidneys and cardiovascular system, while decreasing the chance of developing complications. They can also be beneficial for weight loss and are available in injectable and tablet forms.