Diabetes – What is Diabetes?
Diabetes is a serious condition that affects millions of people each year. It occurs when your body doesn’t produce enough insulin, or it isn’t able to use the insulin it does have effectively.
Exercise, diet and medications can help prevent or delay the onset of the disease. It’s important to be aware of the symptoms to be able to tell what’s wrong and get treatment.
What is diabetes?
Diabetes is a chronic health condition (long-lasting), which impacts the way your body converts food into energy. It happens when your pancreas doesn’t produce enough insulin or doesn’t utilize it as well as it should.
Insulin is the hormone that aids your body absorb and use glucose, also known as sugar. People with type 2 diabetes don’t make enough insulin or their bodies don’t use it properly.
The blood sugar levels increase with time in both forms of diabetes. This can lead to problems with your eyes, feet and kidneys. 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 the pancreatic insulin-producing cells and destroys them. This destruction can occur over months or even for years, eventually resulting in a complete lack of insulin.
Type 1 diabetics require insulin every day. They also must monitor their blood glucose levels and adjust their the levels of insulin, food and activity levels in order to keep their blood glucose within the healthy range.
Type 2 diabetes
If you have type 2 diabetes your body doesn’t make insulin as it should. Insulin is a hormone that helps your cells remove blood sugar (glucose) out of your blood and into your cells so that it can be used for energy.
Type 2 diabetics must exercise and follow a healthy diet. They may also need to take medications to manage their blood sugar levels.
Women with diabetes are more likely to experience symptoms
Diabetes is a chronic illness that affects people of all races and ethnic groups age, genders, and ages. However women are at a greater risk than men.
Women with diabetes have a higher chance of developing complications compared to men, including heart disease (the most commonly reported diabetes complication) and vision loss.
Polydipsia can be a warning sign for women who suffer from diabetes. This is because diabetes can cause excess sugar to accumulate in your bloodstream and kidneys are unable to remove it.
Diabetes in men The signs and symptoms
Diabetes is a condition that occurs when cells are unable to use glucose (blood sugar) as energy. This is typically because the pancreas does not produce enough insulin.
This leads to elevated blood sugar levels. Your body will then try to lower these levels by flushing out the excess glucose from your bloodstream via urine.
People suffering from diabetes frequently experience thirst and require to drink large amounts of fluids, as much as four liters daily.
Men can also lose weight since their bodies use muscles to generate energy, not fat. This is due to the fact that the blood sugar level stays high for prolonged periods of time.
Diabetes diet
A healthy diet with a low-carbohydrate diet can be a key part of managing the condition. It can help control blood sugar levels control weight and reduce risk factors for heart disease.
Your diet should include plenty of whole food items, including fruits vegetables, whole grains beans, low-fat dairy and legumes. It should also be low in saturated (unhealthy) fats and added sugars.
You might also want to limit the amount of sugar-sweetened beverages you consume. These drinks typically contain lots of sugar which can result in high blood sugar levels.
Diabetes medications
Your doctor might prescribe diabetes-related medications to keep your blood sugar (glucose) levels within an acceptable range. These drugs are often paired with lifestyle changes, such as exercise and diet to help manage the condition.
If your blood sugar is not being managed well with one medication, you may need to take a different medication. Your doctor will assist you determine the most appropriate medicine for your preferences and needs.
Newer medications, like sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors and glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor antagonists, lower blood sugar and have benefits for the kidneys and cardiovascular system, while decreasing the chance of developing complications. They can also be beneficial for weight loss and are available in injectable and tablet forms.