Diabetes – What is Diabetes?
Diabetes is a terribly debilitating disease that affects millions of people every year. It occurs when your body isn’t producing 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 prevented or delayed by diet, exercise and medications. It’s important to be aware of the symptoms so you can tell whether something is wrong and seek treatment.
What is diabetes?
Diabetes is a chronic illness (long-lasting) that affects the way your body converts food into energy. It occurs when your pancreas does not produce enough insulin or fails to properly use it.
Insulin is the hormone that helps your body absorb and use glucose, also known as sugar. People suffering from type 2 diabetes don’t produce enough insulin or their bodies aren’t able to use it properly.
In both forms of diabetes, blood sugar levels are too high in time. This can lead to issues with the kidneys, eyes and feet. It may also damage the heart and brain arteries as well as your brain.
Type 1 diabetes
Type 1 diabetes is a disease caused by an autoimmune reaction, which means that your immune system attacks pancreatic cells that produce insulin, and destroys them. The process of destruction can last for many years or months before eventually resulting in a total lack of insulin.
Insulin is needed by people with type 1 diabetes every day. They also need to monitor their blood sugar levels and adjust their insulin, food, and activity levels to keep their blood sugar levels within the normal range.
Type 2 diabetes
If you suffer from type 2 diabetes the body isn’t producing insulin as it should. Insulin is a hormone which helps your cells get blood sugar (glucose) out of your blood and into your cells, where it can be used as energy.
People suffering from type 2 diabetes must treat their condition by consuming a balanced diet and exercise. They may also have to take medications to control their blood sugar levels.
Signs of diabetes in women
It is a chronic illness that affects people from all races, ethnicities, and genders. Women are at higher risk than males.
Women with diabetes are more prone to suffer from complications, like heart disease (the most common complication associated with diabetes) and loss of vision.
One early warning sign of women with diabetes is increased thirst and urine, a condition known as polydipsia. This is due to diabetes causing excess sugar to build up in the blood, and the kidneys aren’t able eliminate it effectively.
Men with diabetes: Symptoms
Diabetes is a condition in which cells are unable to use glucose (blood sugar) to generate energy. This is usually due to the pancreas stops producing enough insulin.
This can result in high blood glucose levels. The body tries to lower these levels by flushing the excess glucose from your bloodstream through urine.
Diabetes patients are often thirsty and require to drink plenty of fluids.
The men may also lose weight as their bodies rely on muscles for energy instead of fat. This is due to the fact that their blood sugar levels remain high for extended periods of time.
Diabetes diet
The development of a healthy diabetes diet is a vital aspect of managing your diabetes. It can help you manage your blood sugar, control your weight, and reduce the risk of heart disease by reducing risk factors.
You should include whole foods in your diet, such as fruits, vegetables and whole grains. Also, dairy products that are low in fat products and legumes are excellent choices. It should be free of saturated fats and sugars as well as added sugars (unhealthy).
You might want to limit your intake of sweetened drinks with sugar. These drinks are typically packed with sugar and can cause blood sugar levels to rise.
Diabetes medications
Your doctor might prescribe diabetes-related medications to keep your blood sugar (glucose) levels within the normal range. These medications are usually combined with changes to your lifestyle, such as exercise and diet to help manage diabetes.
If your blood sugar levels aren’t controlled on one medicine then a second medication could be added. Your doctor will assist you to determine the most appropriate medicine for your requirements and preferences.
Newer medications such as glucagon-like receptor agonists for peptide-1 as well as sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors reduce blood sugar, have kidney and cardiovascular benefits and reduce the risk of complications. They also help with weight loss and come in both tablet and injection forms.