Diabetes – What is Diabetes?
Diabetes is a terribly debilitating disease that affects millions of people each year. It happens because the body doesn’t produce enough insulin or utilize the insulin it does have effectively.
Diet, exercise and medication can aid in preventing or reducing the onset of the disease. It is also important to recognize the signs to determine if there is a problem and seek treatment.
What is diabetes?
Diabetes is an ongoing (long-lasting) health condition that affects the way your body transforms food into energy. It occurs when your pancreas doesn’t produce enough insulin or can’t use it as efficiently as it should.
Insulin is a hormone that helps your cells absorb and use sugar, which is known as glucose. Type 2 diabetics do not produce enough insulin or cannot use it in a proper way.
In both forms of diabetes, the blood sugar levels can become excessively high over time. This can cause issues with your eyes, kidneys and feet. It may also damage your brain and heart arteries.
Type 1 diabetes
Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune condition, meaning that the body’s immune system attacks and destroys insulin-producing cells inside the pancreas. This destruction can happen over several years or even decades before eventually resulting in a total lack of insulin.
Type 1 diabetics require insulin every 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 have type 2 diabetes your body may not use insulin the way it should. Insulin is a hormonal substance that aids in the movement of glucose (blood sugar) from your blood into your cells where it is used as energy.
Type 2 diabetics must exercise and eat a balanced diet. They may also have to take medication to control their blood glucose levels.
The signs of diabetes in women
Diabetes is a chronic disease that affects all races and ethnic groups as well as ages and genders. Women are at greater risk than men.
Women with diabetes are at a greater risk chance of developing complications compared to men, such as heart disease (the most commonly reported diabetes complication) and vision loss.
Polydipsia is a warning sign for diabetes in women. This is because diabetes can result in excess sugar accumulation in your blood and your kidneys are not able to filter it out.
Diabetes in men The signs and symptoms
Diabetes is a condition that occurs when cells are unable use glucose (blood sugar) to generate energy. This is usually because the pancreas produces insufficient insulin.
This can lead to high blood glucose levels. The body tries to lower these levels by flushing the excess glucose from your bloodstream through urine.
Diabetes patients are frequently thirsty and require to drink lots of fluids.
Men may be able to experience weight loss too as their bodies break down muscle to make energy, instead of fat. This is due to the fact that their blood sugar levels remain high for prolonged periods of time.
Diabetes diet
A healthy diabetes diet is a crucial aspect of managing the condition. It can help you control blood sugar, manage your weight, and lower the risk of heart disease by reducing risk factors.
Your diet should comprise plenty of whole foods like fruits, whole grains, vegetables as well as beans and dairy that is low in fat. It should be low in added sugars and saturated fats (unhealthy).
You may consider limiting your consumption of sweetened drinks with sugar. These drinks are often high in sugar which can cause blood sugar levels to increase.
Diabetes medication
Your doctor might prescribe diabetes medications to help keep your blood sugar (glucose) levels within a normal range. These medications are typically used with lifestyle changes like exercising and diet to help control your diabetes.
If your blood sugar levels are not being managed well with one medication, you might need to add a second medication. Your doctor will help you determine the most appropriate medicine for your preferences and needs.
Newer medications, like sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors and glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor antagonists, lower blood sugar and have benefits for the kidneys and cardiovascular system, as well as reducing the chance of developing complications. They also aid in weight loss, and they come in both tablets and injections.