Diabetes – What is Diabetes?
Diabetes is a serious illness that affects millions of people each year. It is caused when your body doesn’t produce enough insulin, or when it’s unable to utilize the insulin it does have effectively.
Exercise, diet and medication can help prevent or delay the disease. It’s also crucial to be aware of symptoms to be able to tell what’s wrong and get 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 stops producing enough insulin, or fails to use it as well as it should.
Insulin is the hormone that aids your body to absorb and utilize glucose, also known as sugar. Type 2 diabetics don’t produce enough insulin, or their bodies aren’t able to use it correctly.
The blood sugar levels increase over time in both kinds of diabetes. This can cause issues with your feet, eyes and kidneys. It can also damage your heart arteries and brain.
Type 1 diabetes
Type 1 diabetes is caused by an autoimmune reaction which means that your immune system attacks the insulin-producing pancreatic cells and destroys them. The destruction can happen over several months or even years until it leads to a complete lack of insulin.
Insulin is required by people who suffer from type 1 diabetes each day. They also must monitor their blood glucose levels and adjust food, insulin and activity levels to keep their blood sugar within a healthy range.
Type 2 diabetes
If you have type 2, your body is not making the insulin it needs to. Insulin is a hormone that assists your cells get blood sugar (glucose) out of your blood and into your cells where it can be used as energy.
People with type 2 diabetes need to treat their diabetes by consuming a balanced diet and regular exercise. They may also need to take medication to manage their blood glucose levels.
Women with diabetes are more likely to experience symptoms
Diabetes is a chronic illness that affects people of all races and ethnicities, ages, and genders. Women are at greater risk than men.
Women with diabetes are more prone to develop complications, including heart disease (the most common complication associated with diabetes) and loss of vision.
One of the early signs of women with diabetes is a rise in thirst and the frequency of urination, which is known as polydipsia. This is because diabetes can cause excess sugar to build up in your blood and your kidneys are not able to eliminate it.
The signs of diabetes in men
Diabetes is a condition in which cells are unable use glucose (blood sugar) as energy. This is typically because the pancreas produces too little insulin.
This causes elevated blood sugar levels. Your body then tries to lower these levels by flushing out the excess glucose from your bloodstream through urine.
People with diabetes are typically thirsty, and they need to drink a lot of fluids.
The men may also lose weight because their bodies make use of muscles to generate energy, not fat. This is due to the fact that their blood sugar levels remain high for long periods of time.
Diabetes diet
A healthy diet for diabetes can be an essential part of managing the condition. It can help you control blood sugar, reduce your weight and heart disease risk factors.
You should include whole foods in your diet, like fruits, vegetables and whole grains. Also, dairy products that are low in fat products such as beans, legumes, and beans are great choices. It should be low in added sugars and saturated fats (unhealthy).
You may also consider limiting the amount of sugar-sweetened beverages you consume. These drinks often have plenty of sugar in them which can result in high blood sugar levels.
Diabetes medication
Your doctor may prescribe diabetes medication to keep your blood glucose (blood sugar) levels within an acceptable range. These medications are typically paired with lifestyle changes such as exercise and diet to help control your diabetes.
If your blood sugar levels are not well controlled with one medication, you may need to take a different medication. Your doctor will work with you to determine the most appropriate medicine for your specific needs and preferences.
Newer medications such as glucagon-like receptor agonists, peptide-1, and sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors lower blood sugar, have cardiovascular and kidney benefits, and reduce the risk of complications. They are also beneficial for weight loss and are available in injectable and tablet forms.