Diabetes – What is Diabetes?
Diabetes is a serious disease that affects millions of people each year. It happens when your body doesn’t produce enough insulin, or when it’s unable to utilize the insulin it does have effectively.
The good news is that it is treatable and can be avoided or delayed with diet, exercise and medications. It is also crucial to know the symptoms, to determine whether you are suffering from a condition and seek treatment.
What is diabetes?
Diabetes is a chronic health condition (long-lasting) that alters the way your body converts food into energy. It occurs when the pancreas doesn’t make enough insulin or fails to utilize it in a proper manner.
Insulin is the hormone that aids your body to absorb and utilize glucose, also known as sugar. People suffering from type 2 diabetes don’t produce enough insulin or their bodies aren’t able to make it in a proper way.
The blood sugar levels rise over time in both kinds of diabetes. This can cause issues with your eyes, feet and kidneys. It can also cause damage to the heart and brain arteries as well as your brain.
Type 1 diabetes
Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune condition in which the body’s immune system attacks and destroys insulin-producing cells in the pancreas. The process of destruction can last for months or years, eventually leading to an inability to produce insulin.
Type 1 diabetics must take insulin each day. They also need to monitor their blood sugar levels and adjust their insulin, food, and levels of activity to keep their blood sugar within the normal range.
Type 2 diabetes
If you suffer from type 2 diabetes, your body is not functioning as insulin should. Insulin is a hormone which helps your cells remove blood sugar (glucose) out of your blood and into your cells where it can be used as energy.
Type 2 diabetics need to exercise and eat a healthy diet. They may also need to take medications to manage their blood sugar levels.
The signs of diabetes in women
Diabetes is a chronic disease that affects people of all races and ethnic groups and ages as well as genders. Women are more susceptible than men.
Women with diabetes have a higher likelihood of developing complications than men, such as heart disease (the most common diabetes complication) and loss of vision.
One early warning sign of women suffering from diabetes is increased thirst and urinary frequency, also known as polydipsia. This is due to diabetes causing excessive sugar to accumulate in your blood and your kidneys don’t have the capacity to filter it out correctly.
The signs of diabetes in men
In the case of diabetes, cells are unable to make use of blood sugar (glucose) for energy. This usually happens because the pancreas produces insufficient insulin.
This results in high blood sugar levels. Your body then attempts to reduce these levels by flushing excess glucose from your bloodstream through urine.
Diabetes patients are often thirsty and require to drink lots of fluids.
Men may also experience weight loss because their muscles are broken down by their bodies for energy, instead of fat. This is due to the fact that their blood sugar level remains high for prolonged periods of time.
Diabetes diet
A healthy diet for diabetes is a crucial aspect of managing your diabetes. It can help control blood sugar levels, manage weight and decrease the risk factors for heart diseases.
You should include whole food items in your diet, such as fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. Also, low-fat dairy products as well as legumes, beans and beans are excellent choices. It should also be low in saturated (unhealthy) fat and added sugars.
You might want to limit your intake of sweetened drinks with sugar. These drinks often have a lot of sugar in them that can cause elevated blood sugar levels.
Diabetes medications
Your doctor might prescribe diabetes medication to keep your blood sugar (glucose) levels within an acceptable range. These medications are typically used with lifestyle changes, such as exercise and diet to manage your diabetes.
If your blood sugar levels are not being adequately controlled with one medication, you might need to take a different medication. Your doctor will assist you select the right medicine for your personal 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, as well as decreasing the chance of developing complications. They also aid in weight loss, and come in both tablets and injections.