Diabetes – What is Diabetes?
Diabetes is a terribly debilitating disease that is affecting millions of people each year. It occurs when your body isn’t producing enough insulin, or it can’t use the insulin it does have effectively.
The good news is that it can be treated and prevented or delayed with diet, exercise and medications. It is also essential to be aware of the signs, so you can determine whether you have a problem and seek treatment.
What is diabetes?
Diabetes is a chronic illness (long-lasting), which alters how your body converts food into energy. It occurs when your pancreas doesn’t produce enough insulin or isn’t able to utilize it in a proper manner.
Insulin is the hormone that helps your body absorb and use glucose, also referred to as sugar. People with type 2 diabetes do not produce enough insulin, or their bodies can’t make it work properly.
In both types of diabetes, blood sugar levels are too high over time. This can cause issues in the feet, eyes and kidneys. It may also cause damage to the arteries in your heart and brain.
Type 1 diabetes
Type 1 diabetes is an auto-immune disease, meaning that your body’s immune system attacks and destroys insulin-producing cell in the pancreas. The destruction can happen over many months or even years before resulting in the absence of insulin completely.
Type 1 diabetics must take insulin each day. They also need to monitor their blood glucose levels and adjust their food, insulin and activity levels in order to keep their blood glucose within a healthy range.
Type 2 diabetes
If you suffer from type 2 diabetes, your body is not using insulin as it should. Insulin is a hormone that assists your cells in moving glucose (blood sugar) from your blood into your cells, which is then used as energy.
People suffering from type 2 diabetes have to manage their condition by consuming a balanced diet and regular exercise. They may also need to take medication to regulate their blood glucose levels.
Women with diabetes are afflicted with symptoms
It is a chronic illness that affects people from all races, ethnicities and genders. Women are more susceptible than males.
Women with diabetes are more prone to suffer from complications, such as heart disease (the most frequent diabetes-related complication) and loss of vision.
One early warning sign of women with diabetes is increased thirst and urinary frequency, also known as polydipsia. This is due to diabetes causing excess sugar to build up in the bloodstream and the kidneys aren’t able get rid of it correctly.
Symptoms of diabetes in men
Diabetes is a condition where cells are unable to utilize glucose (blood sugar) as energy. This is usually due to the pancreas doesn’t produce enough insulin.
This can lead to high blood glucose levels. The body tries to reduce these levels by flushing excess glucose out of your bloodstream through urine.
Diabetes patients are frequently thirsty, and need to drink a lot of fluids.
Men also may lose weight because their bodies make use of muscle for energy rather than fat. This is due to the fact that their blood sugar level remains high for long periods of time.
Diabetes diet
A healthy diet for diabetes is a vital aspect of managing your diabetes. It can help control blood sugar levels and weight, as well as reduce the risk factors that can lead to heart disease.
Include whole foods in your diet, like fruits, vegetables and whole grains. Also, dairy products that are low in fat products such as beans, legumes, and beans are excellent choices. It should be free of saturated fats and sugars as well as added sugars (unhealthy).
You might need to limit your consumption of drinks that are sweetened with sugar. These drinks usually contain high levels of sugar, which can lead to elevated blood sugar levels.
Diabetes medications
Your doctor may suggest diabetes medication to keep your blood glucose (blood sugar) levels within the normal range. These drugs are often paired with lifestyle changes, like physical activity and diet, to manage diabetes.
If your blood sugar levels are not well controlled with one medication, you might require a second medication. Your doctor will work with you to choose the most appropriate medicine for your needs and preferences.
The latest medications, including sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors and glucagon-like antagonists of the peptide-1 receptors, lower blood sugar and offer benefits for the kidneys and cardiovascular system, while decreasing the risk of complications. They also aid in weight loss, and come in both tablet and injection forms.