Diabetes – What is Diabetes?
Diabetes is a serious illness that affects millions of people each year. It occurs when your body isn’t producing enough insulin or it isn’t able to use the insulin it does produce effectively.
Exercise, diet and medication can help prevent or delay the progression of the disease. It’s also important to be aware of symptoms to determine what’s wrong and seek treatment.
What is diabetes?
Diabetes is a chronic illness (long-lasting), which affects the way your body converts food into energy. It happens when your pancreas stops making enough insulin or can’t use it as efficiently as it should.
Insulin is a hormone that assists your cells absorb and use sugar, also known as glucose. People suffering from type 2 diabetes do not produce enough insulin or their bodies don’t make it in a proper way.
The blood sugar levels increase as time passes in both types of diabetes. This can cause problems with your eyes, kidneys and feet. It can also damage the blood vessels in your heart as well as the brain.
Type 1 diabetes
Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune condition which means that the body’s immune system attacks and destroys insulin-producing cells within the pancreas. The destruction can happen over months or even years before resulting in the absence of insulin completely.
Insulin is needed by people who suffer from type 1 diabetes each day. They also need to monitor their blood sugar levels and adjust their the levels of insulin, food and activity levels in order to keep their blood sugar within the healthy range.
Type 2 diabetes
If you have type 2, your body is not functioning as insulin should. Insulin is a hormone which helps your cells take 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 have to take medication to control their blood glucose levels.
Women with diabetes are more likely to experience symptoms
It is a chronic illness that affects people of all races, ethnicities, and genders. However women are at a higher risk than males.
Women who suffer from diabetes are more likely to suffer from complications, such as heart disease (the most frequent diabetes-related complication) and loss of vision.
One of the early signs of diabetes in women is a higher thirst and increased urine, a condition known as polydipsia. This is due to diabetes causing excessive sugar to accumulate in the bloodstream and your kidneys aren’t able to get rid of it properly.
Diabetes in men: Symptoms
Diabetes is a disease in which cells are unable use glucose (blood sugar) for energy. This is usually due to the pancreas stops producing enough insulin.
This causes elevated blood sugar levels. The body tries to reduce these levels by flushing excess glucose from your bloodstream through urine.
People with diabetes are typically thirsty and require to drink plenty of fluids.
Men can also experience weight loss since their bodies break down muscle to make energy instead of fat. This is due to the fact that the blood sugar level stays high for long periods of time.
Diabetes diet
A healthy diet with a low-carbohydrate diet can be a key part of managing the condition. It can help you control blood sugar, control your weight, and reduce heart disease risk factors.
Your diet should comprise plenty of whole foods, including fruits vegetables, whole grains, beans and low-fat dairy. It should also be low in saturated (unhealthy) fats and added sugars.
You may also need to limit the amount of sugar-sweetened beverages you consume. These drinks typically contain plenty of sugar, which can lead to elevated blood sugar levels.
Diabetes medication
Your doctor might recommend diabetes medications to help keep your blood glucose (blood sugar) levels within a normal range. These medications are typically used with lifestyle changes like exercising and diet to help control your diabetes.
If your blood sugar levels are not well controlled with one medication, you may require a second medication. Your doctor will work with you to select the most appropriate medicine to meet your needs and preferences.
The latest medications, including sodium-glucose -cotransporter-2 inhibitors, and glucagon peptide-1 receptor antagonists, lower blood sugar levels and provide benefits for the kidneys and cardiovascular system, as well as reducing the risk of complications. They are also useful for weight loss, and they come in both tablets and injections.