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 when it isn’t able to use the insulin it does produce effectively.
Exercise, diet and medications can help prevent or delay the disease. It is also essential to know the symptoms, so you can tell whether you have a problem and seek treatment.
What is diabetes?
Diabetes is an ongoing (long-lasting) disease that affects the way your body turns food into energy. It happens when your pancreas doesn’t produce enough insulin or isn’t able to properly use it.
Insulin is a hormone that assists cells absorb and utilize sugar, which is known as glucose. Type 2 diabetics aren’t producing enough insulin or aren’t able to utilize it correctly.
The blood sugar levels increase as time passes in both types of diabetes. This can lead to problems with the eyes, kidneys and feet. It could also cause damage to blood vessels in your heart as well as the brain.
Type 1 diabetes
Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease which means that the body’s immune system attacks and destroys insulin-producing cells inside the pancreas. The process of destruction can last for months or years and eventually lead to the complete absence of insulin.
People with type 1 diabetes must take insulin each day. They must also monitor their blood glucose levels and adjust the levels of insulin, food and activity levels to keep their blood glucose within an acceptable range.
Type 2 diabetes
If you suffer from type 2 diabetes your body doesn’t make insulin as it should. Insulin is a hormone that aids in the movement of glucose (blood sugar) from your blood into your cells, which can then be used to create energy.
People with type 2 diabetes need to treat their diabetes by consuming a balanced diet and regular exercise. They may also have to take medications to control their blood glucose levels.
Symptoms of diabetes in women
Diabetes is a chronic disease that affects people from all races, ethnicities, ages and genders. However women are at higher risk than males.
Women with diabetes have a greater likelihood of developing complications than men, including heart disease (the most commonly reported diabetes complication) and loss of vision.
One early warning sign of women with diabetes is a higher thirst and increased urinary frequency, also known as polydipsia. This is because diabetes causes excessive sugar to accumulate in the blood and the kidneys aren’t able remove it in a proper manner.
Diabetes in men: Symptoms
In diabetes the cells are unable to use blood sugar (glucose) for energy. This is typically because the pancreas produces insufficient insulin.
This can lead to high blood glucose levels. Your body will then try to lower these levels by flushing the excess glucose from your bloodstream through urine.
People with diabetes are typically thirsty and require to drink plenty of fluids.
The men may also shed weight as their bodies use muscles to generate energy, not fat. This is due to the fact that the blood sugar level stays high for extended periods of time.
Diabetes diet
A healthy diet for diabetes is a key element in managing your condition. It can help you control blood sugar levels, manage your weight, and lower risk factors for heart disease.
Include whole foods in your diet, including fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. Also, low-fat dairy products as well as legumes, beans and beans are a good choice. It should be free of saturated fats and sugars as well as added sugars (unhealthy).
You might be advised to limit your consumption of drinks that are sweetened with sugar. These drinks are often packed with sugar and can cause blood sugar levels to increase.
Diabetes medication
Your doctor may prescribe diabetes medications to help keep your blood glucose (blood sugar) levels in the 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 aren’t managed by one medication it is possible that a different medicine will be added. Your doctor will assist you to pick the most appropriate medicine to meet your needs and preferences.
Newer medications, such as sodium-glucose-cotransporter-2 inhibitors and glucagon like antagonists for the peptide-1 receptor, decrease blood sugar and have benefits for the kidneys and cardiovascular system, as well as decreasing the risk of complications. They are also useful for weight loss, and come in both tablet and injection forms.