Diabetes – What is Diabetes?
Diabetes is a serious condition which affects millions of people every year. It happens when your body isn’t producing enough insulin or it’s unable to utilize the insulin it does produce effectively.
Exercise, diet and medications can aid in preventing or reducing the development of the disease. It’s important to be aware of the symptoms to be able to tell the signs of 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 occurs when your pancreas doesn’t produce enough insulin, or fails to use it as efficiently as it should.
Insulin is a hormone that helps cells absorb and utilize sugar, which is known as glucose. People with type 2 diabetes don’t make enough insulin, or their bodies can’t use it properly.
The blood sugar levels increase as time passes in both types of diabetes. This can lead to issues with the eyes, kidneys and feet. It can also harm the blood vessels in your heart as well as the brain.
Type 1 diabetes
Type 1 diabetes is a disease caused by an autoimmune reaction which means that your immune system attacks the pancreatic insulin-producing cells and destroys them. The destruction can take place over several months or even years and eventually lead to the absence of insulin completely.
Insulin is a requirement for people with type 1 diabetes all day. They must also keep an eye on their blood sugar levels and adjust their insulin, food, and levels of exercise to keep their blood sugar in a healthy range.
Type 2 diabetes
If you suffer from type 2 diabetes your body may not utilize insulin in the way it should. Insulin is a hormone that helps your cells move glucose (blood sugar) from your blood into your cells, where it can be utilized to generate energy.
Type 2 diabetics have to exercise and eat a balanced diet. They may also have to take medication to regulate their blood sugar levels.
Symptoms of diabetes in women
Diabetes is a chronic disease that affects people from all races, ethnicities, and genders. Women are at higher risk than men.
Women with diabetes are more prone to suffer from complications, like heart disease (the most common complication associated with diabetes) and loss of vision.
Polydipsia is one of the warning signs for women with diabetes. This is because diabetes causes excessive sugar to accumulate in the blood, and your kidneys don’t have the capacity to filter it out correctly.
Men with symptoms of diabetes
Diabetes is a condition that occurs when cells are unable to utilize glucose (blood sugar) as energy source. This is usually because the pancreas produces too little insulin.
This leads to elevated blood sugar levels. Your body then tries to lower the levels by flushing the excess glucose from your bloodstream through urine.
Diabetes patients are often thirsty, and need to drink a lot of fluids.
Men may also experience weight loss since their bodies break down muscle to make energy, instead of fat. This is due to the fact that their blood sugar level remains high for prolonged periods of time.
Diabetes diet
Developing a healthy diabetes diet is an important part of managing your diabetes. It can help you manage your blood sugar, control your weight, and reduce heart disease risk factors.
Your diet should comprise plenty of whole foods, including fruits whole grains, vegetables beans, low-fat dairy and legumes. It should be free of saturated (unhealthy) fats and added sugars.
You might need to limit your consumption of beverages sweetened with sugar. These drinks are usually packed with sugar and can cause blood sugar levels in the body to increase.
Diabetes medication
Your doctor might recommend diabetes medication to keep your blood glucose (blood sugar) levels within an acceptable range. These medications are typically combined with lifestyle changes, like eating habits and physical activity to manage the condition.
If your blood sugar levels aren’t managed by one medication it is possible that a different medicine will be added. Your doctor will help you pick the best medication to meet your needs and preferences.
Newer medications, such as sodium-glucose -cotransporter-2 inhibitors, and glucagon antagonists of the peptide-1 receptors, lower blood sugar and offer benefits for the kidneys and cardiovascular system, as well as decreasing the risk of developing complications. They are also useful for weight loss, and come in both tablets and injections.