Diabetes – What is Diabetes?
Diabetes is a serious illness that affects millions of people every year. It occurs when your body doesn’t produce enough insulin, or it isn’t able to use the insulin it does have effectively.
The good news is that it is treatable and can be prevented or delayed with diet, exercise and medication. It is also crucial to understand the symptoms to determine whether there is a problem and seek treatment.
What is diabetes?
Diabetes is a chronic (long-lasting) health issue that affects the way your body transforms food into energy. It happens when your pancreas stops producing enough insulin or doesn’t utilize it as efficiently as it should.
Insulin is a hormone that helps cells absorb and utilize sugar, also known as glucose. Type 2 diabetics don’t produce enough insulin or their bodies are unable to use it correctly.
In both forms of diabetes, the blood sugar levels can become excessively high over time. This can cause problems with the kidneys, eyes and feet. It can also damage the blood vessels in your heart as well as the brain.
Type 1 diabetes
Type 1 diabetes is caused by an autoimmune reaction which means that your immune system attacks the pancreatic cells that produce insulin and destroys them. This destruction can occur over months or even years before resulting in an absence of insulin.
Insulin is needed by people who suffer from type 1 diabetes each day. They also need to monitor their blood sugar levels and adjust their insulin, food, and activity levels to keep their blood sugar levels within an acceptable range.
Type 2 diabetes
If you have type 2 diabetes your body doesn’t use insulin the way it should. Insulin is a hormone that assists your cells get blood sugar (glucose) out of your blood and into your cells where it can be used as energy.
Type 2 diabetes sufferers need to treat their diabetes through a healthy diet and exercise. They might also need to take medication to manage their blood sugar levels.
Signs of diabetes in women
Diabetes is a chronic disease that affects people of all races, ethnicities and genders. Women are more susceptible than men.
Women with diabetes have a greater chance of developing complications compared to men, including heart disease (the most frequent complication of diabetes) and vision loss.
One of the early signs of women suffering from diabetes is a higher thirst and increased urine, a condition known as polydipsia. This is because diabetes can create excess sugar in your blood and kidneys can’t filter it out.
Men with diabetes The signs and symptoms
In diabetes it is when cells are unable make use of blood sugar (glucose) to generate energy. This is usually because the pancreas produces too little insulin.
This can lead to high blood glucose levels. Your body then tries to reduce these levels by flushing the excess glucose from your bloodstream via urine.
Patients with diabetes are usually thirsty, and need to drink plenty of fluids.
The men may also lose weight because their bodies use muscles to generate energy, not fat. This is because blood sugar levels stay high for long periods.
Diabetes diet
Making a balanced diabetes diet is a crucial aspect of managing your diabetes. It can help control blood sugar levels and weight, as well as reduce the risk factors for heart diseases.
Your diet should comprise plenty of whole foods, including fruits whole grains, vegetables as well as beans and dairy that is low in fat. It should be low in saturated fats and sugars as well as added sugars (unhealthy).
You might consider limiting your consumption of sweetened drinks with sugar. These drinks usually contain lots of sugar in them that can cause high blood sugar levels.
Diabetes medication
Your doctor may prescribe diabetes medication to keep your blood glucose (blood sugar) levels within a normal range. These medicines are usually combined with lifestyle changes such as diet and exercise to help manage your diabetes.
If your blood sugar levels are not being adequately controlled with one medication, you might need to take a different medication. Your doctor will help you choose the best medicine to meet your needs and preferences.
Newer medicines like glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists and sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors reduce blood sugar, have kidney and cardiovascular benefits and reduce the risk of complications. They can also be beneficial for weight loss, and they come in both tablet and injection forms.