Diabetes – What is Diabetes?
Diabetes is a terribly debilitating disease that affects millions of people each year. It occurs when your body isn’t producing enough insulin, or when it’s unable to utilize 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 symptoms to be able to tell whether something is wrong and get treatment.
What is diabetes?
Diabetes is a chronic illness (long-lasting), which impacts the way your body converts food into energy. It occurs when your pancreas stops making enough insulin or doesn’t utilize it as efficiently as it should.
Insulin is a hormone that helps cells absorb and utilize sugar, which is called glucose. Type 2 diabetics aren’t producing enough insulin or their bodies aren’t able to utilize it in a proper way.
In both forms of diabetes, the blood sugar levels can become excessively high over time. This can lead to issues in the kidneys, eyes and feet. It may also damage your brain and heart arteries.
Type 1 diabetes
Type 1 diabetes is a disease caused by an autoimmune reaction, which means that your immune system attacks the pancreatic cells that produce insulin, and destroys them. The destruction can happen over months or even for years until it leads to the absence of insulin completely.
Insulin is a requirement for people with type 1 diabetes all day. They also have to keep track of their blood sugar levels and adjust their the levels of insulin, food and activity levels in order to keep their blood sugar within a healthy range.
Type 2 diabetes
If you have type 2 diabetes the body does not utilize insulin in the way it should. Insulin is a hormone that aids your cells in moving glucose (blood sugar) from your blood into your cells which is then utilized to generate energy.
People suffering from type 2 diabetes must treat their condition with a healthy diet and regular exercise. They may also have to take medications to control their blood sugar levels.
Signs of diabetes in women
Diabetes is a chronic condition that affects people from all races, ethnicities and genders. Women are at greater risk than men.
Women with diabetes have a greater chance of developing complications than men, including heart disease (the most frequent complication of diabetes) and loss of vision.
One early warning sign of women with diabetes is increased thirst and urinary frequency, also known as polydipsia. This is because diabetes causes excessive sugar to accumulate in the bloodstream and your kidneys aren’t equipped to filter it out correctly.
Men with diabetes: Symptoms
In diabetes it is when cells are unable make use of blood sugar (glucose) for energy. This is usually because the pancreas stops producing enough insulin.
This causes high blood sugar levels. Your body attempts to lower these levels by flushing the excess glucose from your bloodstream through urine.
People with diabetes are typically thirsty, and they have to drink a lot of fluids.
Men can also experience weight loss since their bodies break down muscle for energy instead of fat. This is due to the fact that their blood sugar level remains high for prolonged periods of time.
Diabetes diet
A balanced diet for diabetes can be an essential part of managing the condition. It can help you control blood sugar levels, reduce your weight and risk factors for heart disease.
Include whole foods in your diet, like fruits, vegetables and whole grains. Also, low-fat dairy products as well as legumes, beans and beans are a good choice. It should be low in saturated fats and sugars as well as added sugars (unhealthy).
You may also want to limit the amount of drinks that contain sugar you consume. These drinks are typically packed with sugar and can cause blood sugar levels to rise.
Diabetes medications
Your doctor might recommend diabetic medications to help keep your blood glucose (blood sugar) levels within a normal range. These medications are typically used with lifestyle changes such as eating habits and exercise to manage your diabetes.
If your blood sugar is not well controlled with one medication, you may need to add a second medication. Your doctor will guide you to select the right medicine to meet your needs and preferences.
Newer medications such as glucagon-like receptor agonists for peptide-1 as well as sodium-glucose COtransporter-2 inhibitors decrease blood sugar levels, offer kidney and cardiovascular benefits and lower the risk of complications. They are also beneficial for weight loss and are available in injectable and tablet forms.