Diabetes – What is Diabetes?
Diabetes is a serious condition that affects millions each year. It occurs when your body doesn’t produce enough insulin or it’s unable to utilize the insulin it does produce effectively.
The good news is that it is curable and treated or delayed through diet, exercise and medications. It is also crucial to know the symptoms, to determine if there is a problem and seek treatment.
What is diabetes?
Diabetes is a chronic health problem (long-lasting), which alters the way your body converts food into energy. It happens when the pancreas doesn’t make enough insulin or fails to properly use it.
Insulin is a hormone that helps your cells absorb and use sugar, which is called glucose. Type 2 diabetics don’t produce enough insulin, or their bodies cannot use it correctly.
The blood sugar levels rise with time in both forms of diabetes. This can cause issues with your eyes, feet and kidneys. It can also cause damage to your brain and heart arteries.
Type 1 diabetes
Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disorder, meaning that your body’s immune system attacks and destroys insulin-producing cell in the pancreas. This destruction can occur over months or even for years and eventually lead to the complete absence of insulin.
Insulin is required by people with type 1 diabetes every day. They must also monitor their blood sugar levels and adjust their the insulin, food and activity levels in order to keep their blood sugar within the healthy range.
Type 2 diabetes
If you suffer from type 2 diabetes the body does not use insulin the way it should. Insulin is a hormone that assists your cells take blood sugar (glucose) out of your blood and into your cells where it can be used to create energy.
Type 2 diabetes sufferers must treat their condition by consuming a balanced diet and regular exercise. They also may need to take medications to manage their blood sugar levels.
Signs of women having diabetes
Diabetes is a chronic illness that affects people of all races and ethnicities, ages, and genders. Women are more susceptible than males.
Women with diabetes have a higher chance of developing complications than men, such as heart disease (the most frequent complication of diabetes) and loss of vision.
One of the early signs of diabetes in women is a higher thirst and increased urination, called polydipsia. This is due to diabetes causing excessive sugar to accumulate in your blood and the kidneys aren’t able remove it correctly.
Men with symptoms of diabetes
In the case of diabetes, cells are unable to use blood sugar (glucose) to produce energy. This is typically due to the fact that the pancreas produces too little insulin.
This can lead to elevated blood sugar levels. The body then attempts to lower these levels by flushing out the excess glucose in your bloodstream via urine.
Diabetes patients are frequently thirsty, and they need to drink a lot of fluids.
Men also may lose weight because their bodies make use of muscles to generate energy, not fat. This is due to the fact that their blood sugar levels stay high for extended periods.
Diabetes diet
A healthy diet with a low-carbohydrate diet can be a key part of managing the condition. It can help control blood sugar levels, manage weight and decrease risk factors for heart disease.
Your diet should consist of a wide range of whole foods like fruits whole grains, vegetables beans, and low-fat dairy. It should be free of added sugars and saturated fats (unhealthy).
You may also consider limiting the amount of sugar-sweetened drinks you consume. These drinks usually contain a lot of sugar and can cause elevated blood sugar levels.
Diabetes medication
Your doctor might prescribe diabetes medication to keep your blood sugar (glucose) levels within a normal range. These medications are typically paired with lifestyle changes, such as exercise and diet to help control your diabetes.
If your blood sugar levels aren’t controlled on one medicine, a second medicine might be added. Your doctor will work with you to determine the most appropriate medicine to meet your needs and preferences.
Newer medications, like sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors and glucagon-like antagonists of the peptide-1 receptors, lower blood sugar levels and are beneficial for the kidneys and cardiovascular system, while decreasing the chance of developing complications. They can also be beneficial for weight loss, and they are available in tablets and injections.