Diabetes – What is Diabetes?
Diabetes is a serious disease that affects millions of people every year. It is caused when the body fails to produce enough insulin or use the insulin that it does have effectively.
The good news is that it is curable and prevented or delayed with diet, exercise and medications. It’s also important to be aware of the symptoms to know whether something is 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 does not produce enough insulin or isn’t able to utilize it in a proper manner.
Insulin is a hormone that helps your cells absorb and use sugar, which is called glucose. Type 2 diabetics do not produce enough insulin or their bodies aren’t able to utilize it properly.
In both types of diabetes, blood sugar levels get too high over time. This can cause problems with your feet, eyes, and kidneys. It could also cause damage to blood vessels in your heart and brain.
Type 1 diabetes
Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disorder which means that the body’s immune system attacks and destroys insulin-producing cells inside the pancreas. The process of destruction can last for months or years until it eventually leads to an inability to produce insulin.
Insulin is required by people with type 1 diabetes all day. They must also monitor their blood sugar levels and adjust their insulin, food, and levels of exercise to keep their blood sugar in an acceptable range.
Type 2 diabetes
If you suffer from type 2 diabetes the body does not utilize insulin in the way it should. Insulin is a hormone that helps your cells get blood sugar (glucose) out of your blood and into your cells, where it can be used as energy.
Type 2 diabetics have to exercise and adhere to a healthy diet. They may also need to take medication to control their blood glucose levels.
Signs of diabetes in women
Diabetes is a chronic illness that affects people of all races, ethnic groups, ages, and genders. However women are at a higher risk than men.
Women with diabetes have a higher chance of developing complications compared to men, including heart disease (the most frequent complication of diabetes) and loss of vision.
Polydipsia is one of the warning signs for women with diabetes. This is because diabetes can cause excess sugar to accumulate in your blood and kidneys are unable to remove it.
Diabetes in men Men: Symptoms
In diabetes the cells are unable use blood sugar (glucose) to produce energy. This is typically due to the fact that the pancreas produces insufficient insulin.
This can lead to high blood glucose levels. Your body attempts to reduce these levels by flushing excess glucose out of your bloodstream through urine.
Diabetes patients are frequently thirsty, and they have to drink lots of fluids.
Men may also experience weight loss as their muscles are broken down by their bodies for energy, instead of fat. This is due to their blood sugar levels stay high for prolonged periods of time.
Diabetes diet
Developing a healthy diabetes diet is a crucial aspect of managing your condition. It can help you control blood sugar levels, reduce your weight and heart disease risk factors.
Your diet should consist of a wide range of whole food items, including fruits whole grains, vegetables, beans and low-fat dairy. It should also be low in saturated (unhealthy) fats and added sugars.
You might consider limiting your consumption of sweetened drinks with sugar. These drinks often have plenty of sugar which can result in elevated blood sugar levels.
Diabetes medications
Your doctor may prescribe diabetes-related medications to keep your blood sugar (glucose) levels within the normal range. These medications are typically combined with lifestyle changes such as eating habits and exercise to help manage your diabetes.
If your blood sugar levels are not well controlled with one medicine, you may need to add a second medication. Your doctor will work with you to select the most appropriate medication for your specific needs and preferences.
Newer medicines, such as sodium-glucose -cotransporter-2 inhibitors, and glucagon antagonists of the peptide-1 receptors, lower blood sugar levels and provide benefits for the kidneys and cardiovascular system, as well as reducing the risk of developing complications. They can also be beneficial for weight loss and are available in injectable and tablet forms.