Diabetes – What is Diabetes?
Diabetes is a serious condition that affects millions of people every year. It is caused when your body doesn’t produce enough insulin or it’s not able to use the insulin it does have effectively.
Exercise, diet and medications can help prevent or delay the progression of the disease. It’s important to be aware of the symptoms to know the signs of a problem and seek treatment.
What is diabetes?
Diabetes is a chronic (long-lasting) disease that affects how your body turns food into energy. It occurs when your pancreas isn’t producing enough insulin or is unable to utilize it in a proper manner.
Insulin is the hormone that helps your body to absorb and utilize glucose, also known as sugar. People suffering from type 2 diabetes don’t produce enough insulin or their bodies don’t utilize it correctly.
In both types of diabetes, blood sugar levels can become too high in time. This can lead to problems in the kidneys, eyes and feet. It could also cause damage to arteries in your heart and brain.
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. This destruction can occur over several months or even years, eventually resulting in the complete absence of insulin.
Insulin is required by people who suffer from type 1 diabetes each day. They must also monitor their blood sugar levels and adjust their food, insulin and activity levels to keep their blood sugar within a healthy range.
Type 2 diabetes
If you suffer from type 2 diabetes your body isn’t using insulin as it should. Insulin is a hormonal substance that aids in the movement of glucose (blood sugar) from your blood into your cells where it is utilized to generate energy.
Type 2 diabetics need to exercise and adhere to a healthy diet. They might also need to take medication to control their blood sugar levels.
Signs of women having diabetes
Diabetes is a chronic illness that affects people of all races as well as ethnic groups and ages as well as genders. However women are at higher risk than men.
Women who suffer from diabetes have a higher chance of developing complications than men, such as heart disease (the most frequent complication of diabetes) and loss of vision.
One early warning sign of diabetes in women is increased thirst and urine, a condition known as polydipsia. This is because diabetes can create excess sugar in your blood, and your kidneys cannot eliminate it.
Men with diabetes: Symptoms
In diabetes the cells are unable use blood sugar (glucose) for energy. This usually happens because the pancreas doesn’t produce enough insulin.
This causes high blood sugar levels. The body tries to lower these levels by flushing the excess glucose out of your bloodstream via urine.
Patients with diabetes typically feel thirsty and need to drink large amounts of fluids. This can be up to four liters daily.
Men can be able to experience weight loss too as their bodies break down muscle to make energy instead of fat. This is because blood sugar levels stay high for extended periods.
Diabetes diet
Making a balanced diabetes diet is a crucial aspect of managing your diabetes. It can help you control blood sugar levels, manage weight and reduce risk factors for heart disease.
It is important to include whole foods in your diet, including fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. Also, low-fat dairy products and legumes are a good choice. It should also be low in saturated (unhealthy) fat and added sugars.
You may consider limiting your consumption of beverages sweetened with sugar. These drinks often have plenty of sugar in them, which can lead to high blood sugar levels.
Diabetes medications
Your doctor may prescribe diabetes medications to help keep your blood sugar (glucose) levels within an acceptable range. These medications are usually combined with changes in lifestyle, like exercise and diet to help manage diabetes.
If your blood sugar is not being controlled by one medicine, you may need to take a different medication. Your doctor will assist you to select the best medication for your needs and preferences.
The latest medications, including sodium-glucose-cotransporter-2 inhibitors and glucagon like antagonists for the peptide-1 receptor, decrease blood sugar levels and provide benefits for the kidneys and cardiovascular system, as well as decreasing the risk of complications. They also aid in weight loss and are available in tablet and injectable forms.