Diabetes – What is Diabetes?
Diabetes is a serious disease that affects millions of people every year. It happens when your body isn’t producing enough insulin, or when it can’t use the insulin it does have effectively.
Exercise, diet and medications can help prevent or delay the progression of the disease. It is also crucial to know the symptoms, so you can determine whether you have a problem and seek treatment.
What is diabetes?
Diabetes is a chronic health issue (long-lasting), which alters how your body converts food into energy. It occurs when the pancreas stops producing enough insulin or can’t use it as well as it should.
Insulin is the hormone that helps your body absorb and utilize glucose, also known as sugar. Type 2 diabetics aren’t producing enough insulin, or their bodies aren’t able to use it effectively.
In both forms of diabetes, the blood sugar levels are too high in time. This can cause issues in the feet, eyes, and kidneys. It may also damage your heart arteries and brain.
Type 1 diabetes
Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune condition in which the body’s immune system attacks and destroys insulin-producing cells within the pancreas. This process can last for months or even for years until it leads to a complete lack of insulin.
People with type 1 diabetes must take insulin each day. They also need to monitor their blood sugar levels and adjust their insulin, food and activity levels to maintain their blood sugar within a healthy range.
Type 2 diabetes
If you suffer from type 2 diabetes, your body is not producing insulin as it should. Insulin is a hormone 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 have to exercise and eat a balanced diet. They may also need to take medication to control their blood sugar levels.
Symptoms of diabetes in women
Diabetes is a chronic condition that affects all races, ethnic groups and ages as well as genders. Women are more at risk than males.
Women with diabetes are at a greater risk chance of developing complications than men, such as heart disease (the most frequent diabetes complication) and vision loss.
Polydipsia is one of the warning signs for women with diabetes. This is because diabetes causes excessive sugar to accumulate in the blood and your kidneys aren’t equipped to filter it out properly.
Symptoms of diabetes in men
In the case of diabetes it is when cells are unable make use of blood sugar (glucose) to produce energy. This usually happens because the pancreas produces too little insulin.
This leads to elevated blood sugar levels. Your body then attempts to reduce these levels by flushing the excess glucose from your bloodstream through urine.
Diabetes patients are frequently thirsty, and need to drink plenty of fluids.
Men may be able to experience weight loss too as their bodies break down muscle for energy instead of fat. This is due to the fact that the blood sugar level stays high for prolonged periods of time.
Diabetes diet
A healthy diet for diabetes is a vital aspect of managing your 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, whole grains, vegetables, beans and low-fat dairy. It should be low in saturated fats and sugars as well as added sugars (unhealthy).
You may be advised to limit your consumption of sweetened drinks with sugar. These drinks typically contain plenty of sugar which can result in high blood sugar levels.
Diabetes medications
Your doctor might recommend diabetic medications to help keep your blood glucose (blood sugar) levels within normal levels. These medications are typically paired with lifestyle changes like diet and exercise to help control your diabetes.
If your blood sugar is not being managed well with one medication, you might need to add a second medication. Your doctor will work with you to choose the most appropriate medication for your needs and preferences.
Newer medicines like glucagon-like receptor agonists, peptide-1, and sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors lower blood sugar levels, provide kidney and cardiovascular benefits and reduce the risk of complications. They can also be beneficial for weight loss, and they are available in tablet and injection forms.