Diabetes – What is Diabetes?
Diabetes is a serious condition that affects millions of people each year. It is caused when your body doesn’t produce enough insulin, or it isn’t able to use the insulin it does have effectively.
The good news is that it can be cured and can be avoided or delayed with diet, exercise and medications. It’s also crucial to be aware of the symptoms so you can tell if something is wrong and get treatment.
What is diabetes?
Diabetes is an ongoing (long-lasting) disease that affects how your body transforms food into energy. It happens when your pancreas stops making enough insulin or can’t use it as efficiently as it should.
Insulin is a hormone that assists cells absorb and utilize sugar, which is known as glucose. Type 2 diabetics don’t produce enough insulin or their bodies aren’t able to utilize it in a proper way.
In both forms of diabetes, blood sugar levels can become too high over time. This can lead to issues with your eyes, kidneys and feet. It could also harm the heart and brain arteries as well as your brain.
Type 1 diabetes
Type 1 diabetes is caused by an autoimmune reaction which means that your immune system attacks pancreatic cells that produce insulin and destroys them. This destruction can happen over many years or months before eventually resulting in the complete absence of insulin.
People suffering from type 1 diabetes need to take insulin every day. They must also monitor their blood sugar levels and adjust their food, insulin and activity levels in order to keep their blood glucose within an acceptable range.
Type 2 diabetes
If you have type 2 the body isn’t functioning as insulin should. Insulin is a hormone which helps your cells take blood sugar (glucose) out of your blood and into your cells, where it can be used to create energy.
Type 2 diabetics should exercise and eat a healthy diet. They also may need to take medications to manage their blood sugar levels.
The signs of diabetes in women
Diabetes is a chronic illness that affects all races and ethnic groups and ages as well as genders. However, women are at a higher risk than males.
Women with diabetes are more prone to experience complications, such as heart disease (the most frequent diabetes-related complication) and loss of vision.
One of the early warning signs of women suffering from diabetes is a rise in thirst and urination, called polydipsia. This is because diabetes can cause excess sugar to accumulate in your bloodstream and kidneys can’t eliminate it.
Men with diabetes: Symptoms
In the case of diabetes it is when cells are unable make use of blood sugar (glucose) to generate energy. This is typically because the pancreas ceases to produce enough insulin.
This can lead to elevated blood sugar levels. Your body attempts to lower these levels by flushing excess glucose out of your bloodstream through urine.
People with diabetes are typically thirsty, and they have to drink a lot of fluids.
Men also may shed weight as their bodies utilize muscles to generate energy, not fat. This is due to the fact that their blood sugar levels remain high for prolonged periods of time.
Diabetes diet
A healthy diet for diabetes is a vital aspect of managing your condition. It can help you manage your blood sugar, manage your weight and reduce the risk of heart disease by reducing risk factors.
You should include whole food items in your diet, like fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. Also, low-fat dairy products as well as legumes, beans and beans are great choices. It should be free of saturated fats and sugars as well as added sugars (unhealthy).
You may want to limit your intake of beverages sweetened with sugar. These drinks often have a lot of sugar in them and can cause high blood sugar levels.
Diabetes medication
Your doctor may recommend diabetic medications to help keep your blood glucose (blood sugar) levels within the normal range. These medicines are usually combined with lifestyle changes, such as exercise and diet to manage your diabetes.
If your blood sugar levels are not being controlled by one medication, you might need to add a second medication. Your doctor will work with you to pick the most appropriate medication to meet your needs and preferences.
Newer medicines, such as 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 reducing the chance of developing complications. They can also be beneficial for weight loss and are available in injectable and tablet forms.