Diabetes – What is Diabetes?
Diabetes is a serious disease that affects millions each year. It is caused when your body isn’t producing enough insulin, or when it’s not able to use the insulin it does have effectively.
The good news is that it can be cured and treated or delayed through diet, exercise and medication. It is also important to understand the symptoms so you can tell whether there is a problem and seek treatment.
What is diabetes?
Diabetes is a chronic illness (long-lasting) that alters the way your body converts food into energy. It occurs when your pancreas does not produce enough insulin or fails to utilize it in a proper manner.
Insulin is a hormone that assists cells absorb and utilize sugar, which is called glucose. People suffering from type 2 diabetes don’t make enough insulin or their bodies aren’t able to make it work properly.
The blood sugar levels increase as time passes in both types of diabetes. This can cause problems with your eyes, kidneys and feet. It can also damage your heart arteries and brain.
Type 1 diabetes
Type 1 diabetes is caused by an autoimmune reaction, which means that your immune system attacks the insulin-producing pancreatic cells and destroys them. The destruction can take place over many months or even years, eventually resulting in the absence of insulin completely.
Insulin is required by people with type 1 diabetes every day. They also need to monitor their blood sugar levels and adjust their insulin, food and levels of activity to keep their blood sugar levels within a healthy range.
Type 2 diabetes
If you have type 2, your body is not 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 so that it can be used for energy.
Type 2 diabetics have to exercise and follow a healthy diet. They may also need to take medications to manage their blood sugar levels.
Women with diabetes are afflicted with symptoms
Diabetes is a chronic illness that affects people of all races, ethnicities, and genders. However women are at higher risk than males.
Women with diabetes are more prone to suffer from complications, such as heart disease (the most frequent diabetes-related complication), and vision loss.
Polydipsia is a warning sign for women who suffer from diabetes. This is due to diabetes causing excess sugar to build up in your blood and your kidneys aren’t able to remove it correctly.
Men with diabetes: Symptoms
In diabetes, cells are unable to make use of blood sugar (glucose) to generate energy. This is usually due to the pancreas doesn’t produce enough insulin.
This can lead to high blood glucose levels. Your body then tries to lower these levels by flushing excess glucose from your bloodstream through urine.
People with diabetes are typically thirsty, and need to drink lots of fluids.
Men can also shed weight as their bodies rely on muscle for energy rather than fat. This is because their blood sugar levels are elevated for long periods.
Diabetes diet
A healthy diet with a low-carbohydrate diet can be an essential part of managing the condition. It can help you control blood sugar levels, control your weight, and reduce the risk of heart disease by reducing risk factors.
It is important to include whole foods in your diet, including fruits, vegetables and whole grains. Also, low-fat dairy products as well as legumes, beans and beans are excellent choices. It should also be low in saturated (unhealthy) fat and added sugars.
You might also be able to reduce the amount of drinks that contain sugar you consume. These drinks are often high in sugar and can cause blood sugar levels to rise.
Diabetes medications
Your doctor might recommend diabetes medications to help keep your blood glucose (blood sugar) levels in a normal range. These medications are typically combined with lifestyle changes such as exercising and diet to manage your diabetes.
If your blood sugar levels aren’t well managed on one medication, a second medicine might be added. Your doctor can help you choose the best medicine for your preferences and needs.
The latest medications, including sodium-glucose-cotransporter-2 inhibitors as well as glucagon antagonists of the peptide-1 receptor, reduce blood sugar and offer benefits for the kidneys and cardiovascular system, while decreasing the risk of complications. They also help with weight loss, and they come in both tablet and injection forms.