Diabetes – What is Diabetes?
Diabetes is a serious disease that affects millions of people every year. It happens when your body isn’t producing enough insulin, or it’s not able to use the insulin it does produce effectively.
Exercise, diet and medication can help to prevent or delay the disease. It is important to understand the symptoms to determine if there is a problem and seek treatment.
What is diabetes?
Diabetes is a chronic health problem (long-lasting), which impacts the way your body converts food into energy. It occurs when your pancreas isn’t producing enough insulin, or fails to use it as well 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 their bodies are unable to use it in a proper way.
The blood sugar levels increase as time passes in both types of diabetes. This can cause issues with the eyes, kidneys and feet. It may also cause damage to the coronary arteries 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 process can take months or years and eventually lead to the total absence of insulin.
Insulin is needed by people with type 1 diabetes all day. They also need to monitor their blood sugar levels and adjust their the insulin, food and activity levels in order to keep their blood glucose within an acceptable range.
Type 2 diabetes
If you suffer from type 2 diabetes, your body is not making the insulin it needs to. Insulin is a hormone that assists your cells in moving glucose (blood sugar) from your blood into your cells which can then be utilized to generate energy.
Type 2 diabetes sufferers need to treat their diabetes with a healthy diet and regular exercise. They may also have to take medication to manage their blood sugar levels.
Symptoms of diabetes in women
It is a chronic illness that affects people from all races, ethnicities, ages and genders. Women are at greater risk than males.
Women with diabetes are more likely to develop complications, including heart disease (the most frequent diabetes-related complication), and vision loss.
Polydipsia is one of the warning signs for women who suffer from diabetes. This is because diabetes causes excessive sugar to accumulate in the bloodstream and your kidneys don’t have the capacity to eliminate it properly.
Men with symptoms of diabetes
In diabetes, cells are unable to use blood sugar (glucose) for energy. This is usually due to the pancreas stops producing enough insulin.
This can lead to high blood glucose levels. Your body then tries to lower these levels by flushing the excess glucose from your bloodstream via urine.
Patients with diabetes typically have a thirsty feeling and must drink large quantities of fluids. It can be as much as four liters a day.
Men can also lose weight as their bodies rely on muscles to generate energy, not fat. This is due to the fact that their blood sugar levels stay high for prolonged periods of time.
Diabetes diet
A healthy diabetes diet can be a key part of managing the condition. It can help you control blood sugar levels, manage your weight and reduce heart disease risk factors.
You should include whole food items 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 be free of saturated fats and sugars as well as added sugars (unhealthy).
You may need to limit your consumption of beverages sweetened with sugar. These drinks often have a lot of sugar in them which can result in elevated blood sugar levels.
Diabetes medications
Your doctor may suggest diabetes medications to keep your blood glucose (blood sugar) levels in the normal range. These medications are typically combined with lifestyle changes, like exercise and diet to help manage diabetes.
If your blood sugar levels aren’t being well controlled on one medicine then a second medication could be added. Your doctor will assist you to determine the best medication for your needs and preferences.
Newer medicines like glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists and sodium-glucose inhibitors that lower blood sugar, have kidney and cardiovascular benefits and lower the risk of complications. They also aid in weight loss, and they come in both tablet and injection forms.