Diabetes – What is Diabetes?
Diabetes is a terribly debilitating disease that affects millions of people each year. It occurs when your body isn’t producing enough insulin or it’s not able to use the insulin it does have effectively.
Exercise, diet and medication can help prevent or delay the development of the disease. It is also essential to know the symptoms, so you can determine if there is a problem and seek treatment.
What is diabetes?
Diabetes is a chronic (long-lasting) disease that affects how your body transforms food into energy. It occurs when the pancreas stops making enough insulin or doesn’t utilize it as effectively as it should.
Insulin is the hormone that helps your body to absorb and utilize glucose, also known as sugar. People with type 2 diabetes aren’t able to make enough insulin or their bodies aren’t able to make it in a proper way.
In both forms of diabetes, blood sugar levels get too high in time. This can cause issues with your eyes, kidneys and feet. It could also cause damage to blood vessels in your heart and brain.
Type 1 diabetes
Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune condition which means that your body’s immune system attacks and destroys insulin-producing cell in the pancreas. This destruction can occur over many months or even years before resulting in an absence of insulin.
Insulin is required by people who suffer from type 1 diabetes each day. They also have to keep track of their blood glucose levels and adjust the insulin, food and activity levels to keep their blood sugar within an acceptable range.
Type 2 diabetes
If you have type 2 diabetes your body doesn’t use insulin the way it should. Insulin is a hormone that assists your cells remove blood sugar (glucose) out of your blood and into your cells so that it can be used to create energy.
Type 2 diabetics have to exercise and eat a healthy diet. They may also have to take medication to regulate their blood glucose levels.
Women with diabetes are more likely to experience symptoms
Diabetes is a chronic illness that affects people from all races, ethnicities and genders. Women are at greater risk than men.
Women who suffer from diabetes have a higher likelihood of developing complications than men, such as heart disease (the most frequent diabetes complication) and vision loss.
One of the early warning signs of women suffering from diabetes is a rise in thirst and the frequency of urination, which is known as polydipsia. This is because diabetes causes excessive sugar to accumulate in the bloodstream and your kidneys aren’t equipped to eliminate it in a proper manner.
Men with symptoms of diabetes
In diabetes the cells are unable make use of blood sugar (glucose) for energy. This is typically because the pancreas ceases to produce enough insulin.
This can result in high blood glucose levels. Your body then tries to lower these levels by flushing out the excess glucose in your bloodstream via urine.
People with diabetes are typically thirsty, and need to drink lots of fluids.
Men also may lose weight since their bodies use muscles for energy instead of fat. This is due to the fact that their blood sugar levels stay high for extended periods of time.
Diabetes diet
Making a balanced diabetes diet is a vital aspect of managing your diabetes. It can help you control blood sugar levels and weight, as well as reduce the risk factors that can lead to heart disease.
You should include whole food items in your diet, such as fruits, vegetables and whole grains. Also, low-fat dairy products, beans, and legumes are great choices. It should also be low in saturated (unhealthy) fats and added sugars.
You might be advised to limit your consumption of drinks that are sweetened with sugar. These drinks often have high levels of sugar in them and can cause high blood sugar levels.
Diabetes medications
Your doctor may prescribe diabetes medications to keep your blood glucose (blood sugar) levels within a normal range. These medications are often combined with lifestyle changes, such as eating habits and physical activity to help manage diabetes.
If your blood sugar levels aren’t well managed by one medication it is possible that a different medicine will be added. Your doctor will assist you to select the most appropriate medication for your needs and preferences.
Newer medicines like glucagon-like receptor agonists, peptide-1, and sodium-glucose inhibitors that lower blood sugar levels, have cardiovascular and kidney benefits, and lower the risk of complications. They also help with weight loss, and come in both tablets and injections.