Diabetes – What is Diabetes?
Diabetes is a terribly debilitating disease that affects millions of people each year. It happens when the body is unable to produce enough insulin or cannot utilize the insulin it produces effectively.
Diet, exercise and medication can help to prevent or delay the onset of the disease. It’s important to be aware of the symptoms to determine the signs of a problem and seek treatment.
What is diabetes?
Diabetes is an ongoing (long-lasting) health issue that affects how your body converts food into energy. It occurs when the pancreas doesn’t make enough insulin or isn’t able to use it correctly.
Insulin is a hormone that assists your cells absorb and use sugar, also known as glucose. People with type 2 diabetes aren’t able to make enough insulin, or their bodies can’t make it in a proper way.
In both types of diabetes, blood sugar levels become too high in time. This can cause issues with the kidneys, eyes and feet. It can also cause damage to your heart arteries 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 happen over many years or months and eventually lead to an inability to produce insulin.
People suffering from type 1 diabetes must take insulin each day. They must also keep an eye on their blood sugar levels and adjust their insulin, food, and activity levels to keep their blood sugar levels within the healthy range.
Type 2 diabetes
If you have type 2, your body is not producing 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 eat a healthy diet. They may also need to take medication to manage their blood glucose levels.
Signs of women having diabetes
Diabetes is a chronic condition that affects all races, ethnic groups and ages as well as genders. However women are at higher risk than men.
Women with diabetes have a higher likelihood of developing complications than men, including heart disease (the most frequent complication of diabetes) and vision loss.
Polydipsia can be a warning sign for women with diabetes. This is because diabetes causes excessive sugar to accumulate in the blood and the kidneys aren’t able get rid of it correctly.
Men with diabetes The signs and symptoms
Diabetes is a condition that occurs when cells are unable use glucose (blood sugar) for energy. This is typically because the pancreas stops producing enough insulin.
This can lead to high blood glucose levels. Your body then tries to lower these levels by flushing excess glucose from your bloodstream through urine.
Diabetes patients are often thirsty and require to drink a lot of fluids.
Men can also lose weight because their bodies make use of muscles for energy instead of fat. This is because blood sugar levels remain elevated for long periods.
Diabetes diet
A healthy diabetes diet is a crucial aspect of managing the condition. It can help you manage your blood sugar levels, control your weight, and reduce the risk of developing heart disease.
Your diet should comprise plenty of whole foods like fruits vegetables, whole grains beans, low-fat dairy and legumes. It should be free of saturated (unhealthy) fats and added sugars.
You may also want to limit the amount of sugar-sweetened drinks you consume. These drinks typically contain high levels of sugar that can cause elevated blood sugar levels.
Diabetes medication
Your doctor may prescribe diabetes medications to help keep your blood sugar (glucose) levels within the normal range. These medications are usually combined with lifestyle changes, like eating habits and physical activity to help manage diabetes.
If your blood sugar levels aren’t controlled by one medicine another medicine could be added. Your doctor will assist you to select the best medication for your needs and preferences.
Newer medicines, such as sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors and glucagon-like antagonists for the peptide-1 receptor, decrease blood sugar levels and are beneficial for the kidneys and cardiovascular system, while decreasing the risk of developing complications. They’re also helpful for weight loss and are available in injectable and tablet forms.