Diabetes – What is Diabetes?
Diabetes is a terribly debilitating disease that is affecting millions of people each year. It happens when your body doesn’t produce enough insulin, or when it isn’t able to use the insulin it does produce effectively.
Exercise, diet and medications can help prevent or delay the onset of the disease. It is important to know the symptoms, so you can identify if there is a problem and seek treatment.
What is diabetes?
Diabetes is a chronic illness (long-lasting), which impacts the way your body converts food into energy. It happens when your pancreas isn’t producing enough insulin or isn’t able to use it as well as it should.
Insulin is a hormone that helps cells absorb and utilize sugar, also known as glucose. Type 2 diabetics don’t produce enough insulin, or their bodies aren’t able to use it effectively.
In both types of diabetes, the blood sugar levels become excessively high over time. This can cause problems with your eyes, feet, and kidneys. It can also cause damage to your heart arteries and brain.
Type 1 diabetes
Type 1 diabetes is caused by an autoimmune reaction, which means that your immune system attacks the pancreatic cells that produce insulin and destroys them. This destruction can occur over several months or even years until it leads to a complete lack of insulin.
People with type 1 diabetes need to take insulin every day. They also have to keep track of their blood sugar levels and adjust their insulin, food and activity levels in order to keep their blood sugar within 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 hormonal substance that helps your cells move glucose (blood sugar) from your blood into your cells where it is used to create energy.
Type 2 diabetics should exercise and follow a healthy diet. They might also need to take medications to manage their blood sugar levels.
Signs of women having diabetes
Diabetes is a chronic disease that affects all races as well as ethnic groups as well as ages and genders. However, women are at a higher risk than men.
Women who suffer from diabetes have a higher chance of developing complications than men, such as heart disease (the most common diabetes complication) and vision loss.
Polydipsia is a sign of warning for women suffering from diabetes. This is due to diabetes causing excess sugar to build up in the blood and your kidneys aren’t able to remove it in a proper manner.
Diabetes in men The signs and symptoms
Diabetes is a condition in which cells are not able to use glucose (blood sugar) to generate energy. This is typically due to the fact that the pancreas is producing too little insulin.
This causes high blood sugar levels. The body then attempts to lower these levels by flushing out the excess glucose from your bloodstream via urine.
People suffering from diabetes frequently experience thirst and require to drink large amounts of fluids, up to 4 liters a day.
Men may be able to experience weight loss too as their bodies break down muscle to make energy instead of fat. This is due to the fact that their blood sugar levels stay high for extended periods of time.
Diabetes diet
A healthy diet with a low-carbohydrate diet is an important aspect of managing the condition. It can help regulate blood sugar levels, manage weight and decrease the risk factors for heart disease.
Your diet should comprise plenty of whole food items, including fruits whole grains, vegetables, beans and low-fat dairy. It should be free of saturated fats and sugars as well as added sugars (unhealthy).
You may want to limit your intake of sweetened drinks with sugar. These drinks are often high in sugar and can cause blood sugar levels to increase.
Diabetes medication
Your doctor might prescribe diabetes medications to help keep your blood sugar (glucose) levels within an acceptable range. These medications are typically used with lifestyle changes like exercise and diet to help manage your diabetes.
If your blood sugar levels aren’t controlled by one medicine, a second medicine might be added. Your doctor can help you choose the best medicine to meet your needs and preferences.
The latest medications, including sodium-glucose -cotransporter-2 inhibitors, and glucagon antagonists of the peptide-1 receptor, reduce blood sugar levels and provide benefits for the kidneys and cardiovascular system, while reducing the chance of developing complications. They also aid in weight loss, and are available in tablet and injection forms.