Diabetes – What is Diabetes?
Diabetes is a serious disease that affects millions each year. It happens when the body is unable to produce enough insulin or cannot make use of the insulin it has effectively.
Exercise, diet and medication can all help in preventing or delaying the disease. It’s also important to be aware of the symptoms to know whether something is wrong and seek treatment.
What is diabetes?
Diabetes is a chronic health issue (long-lasting) that impacts the way your body converts food into energy. It occurs when the pancreas doesn’t produce enough insulin or isn’t able to use it as efficiently as it should.
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 use it effectively.
The blood sugar levels rise over time in both types of diabetes. This can cause issues with your eyes, feet and kidneys. It can also harm the arteries in your heart and brain.
Type 1 diabetes
Type 1 diabetes is caused by an autoimmune reaction which means that your immune system attacks pancreatic cells that produce insulin and destroys them. This destruction can happen over many years or months before eventually resulting in an inability to produce insulin.
Type 1 diabetics require insulin every day. They also must monitor their blood glucose levels and adjust their the levels of insulin, food and activity levels to keep their blood glucose within the healthy range.
Type 2 diabetes
If you suffer from type 2 diabetes the body does not make insulin as it should. Insulin is a hormonal substance that aids your cells in moving glucose (blood sugar) from your blood into your cells, where it is used as energy.
Type 2 diabetics need to exercise and follow a healthy diet. They may also need to take medication to manage their blood sugar levels.
Symptoms of diabetes in women
Diabetes is a chronic illness that affects people of all races and ethnic groups age, genders, and ages. Women are at higher risk than men.
Women with diabetes are more prone to develop complications, like heart disease (the most common diabetes-related complication) and loss of vision.
One of the first signs of women suffering from diabetes is a rise in thirst and urinary frequency, also known as polydipsia. This is because diabetes causes excessive sugar to accumulate in the blood and the kidneys aren’t able eliminate it correctly.
Men with symptoms of diabetes
In the case of diabetes the cells are unable to make use of blood sugar (glucose) for energy. This usually happens because the pancreas produces too little insulin.
This can lead to high blood glucose levels. Your body will then try to lower these levels by flushing the excess glucose from your bloodstream via urine.
People with diabetes frequently are thirsty and have to drink large amounts of fluids. This can be up to 4 liters a day.
Men can also experience weight loss because their bodies break down muscle to make energy instead of fat. This is due to the fact that their blood sugar level remains high for prolonged periods of time.
Diabetes diet
Developing a healthy diabetes diet is an important part of managing your diabetes. It can help you control blood sugar levels, manage weight and decrease the risk factors that can lead to heart disease.
Include whole foods in your diet, such as fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. Also, dairy products that are low in fat products, beans, and legumes are a good choice. It should be low in saturated fats and sugars as well as added sugars (unhealthy).
You may also want to limit the amount of drinks that contain sugar you consume. These drinks are typically packed with sugar and can cause blood sugar levels to rise.
Diabetes medication
Your doctor might recommend diabetic medications to help keep your blood glucose (blood sugar) levels in normal levels. These medications are usually combined with changes in lifestyle, like physical activity and diet, to help manage diabetes.
If your blood sugar levels aren’t well controlled on one medicine, a second medicine might be added. Your doctor will guide you to pick the best medication to meet your needs and preferences.
Newer medications such as glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists and sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors lower blood sugar levels, provide kidney and cardiovascular benefits and lower the risk of complications. They are also useful for weight loss, and are available in tablet and injection forms.