Diabetes – What is Diabetes?
Diabetes is a serious condition that affects millions of people every year. It is caused when your body doesn’t produce enough insulin, or when it’s not able to use the insulin it does produce effectively.
Diet, exercise and medication can all help in preventing or delaying the development of the disease. It is also essential to know the symptoms, to determine if there is a problem and seek treatment.
What is diabetes?
Diabetes is an ongoing (long-lasting) health issue that affects the way your body turns food into energy. It occurs when the pancreas doesn’t produce enough insulin, or fails to use it as well as it should.
Insulin is the hormone that helps your body absorb and utilize glucose, also known as sugar. Type 2 diabetics don’t produce enough insulin or their bodies are unable to use it effectively.
The blood sugar levels rise with time in both forms of diabetes. This can lead to problems in the kidneys, eyes and feet. It can also damage your brain and heart arteries.
Type 1 diabetes
Type 1 diabetes is an auto-immune disease and means that the body’s immune system attacks and destroys insulin-producing cells inside the pancreas. The process of destruction can last for months or years before eventually resulting in the complete absence of insulin.
People suffering from 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 to keep their blood sugar in a healthy range.
Type 2 diabetes
If you have type 2 diabetes your body doesn’t make use of insulin as it should. Insulin is a hormonal substance that aids your cells in moving glucose (blood sugar) from your blood into your cells, which is then utilized to generate energy.
Type 2 diabetics must exercise and eat a healthy diet. They may also have to take medication to manage their blood glucose levels.
Diabetes in women symptoms
Diabetes is a chronic disease that affects people from all races, ethnicities and genders. Women are at higher risk than men.
Women who suffer from diabetes have a higher chance of developing complications compared to men, such as heart disease (the most commonly reported diabetes complication) and loss of vision.
One of the early signs of women suffering from diabetes is a higher thirst and increased urinary frequency, also known as polydipsia. This is because diabetes can result in excess sugar accumulation in your bloodstream and kidneys can’t filter it out.
Men who suffer from diabetes show signs
Diabetes is a condition where cells are not able to use glucose (blood sugar) to generate energy. This is typically because the pancreas ceases to produce enough insulin.
This causes high blood sugar levels. Your body will then attempt to lower the level by flushing the excess glucose in your bloodstream through urine.
People who have diabetes often are thirsty and have to drink large quantities of fluids, as much as four 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 their blood sugar levels remain elevated for long periods.
Diabetes diet
Making a balanced diabetes diet is a vital aspect of managing your condition. It can help you control blood sugar, reduce your weight and the risk of heart disease by reducing risk factors.
You should include whole food items in your diet, like fruits, vegetables and whole grains. Also, dairy products that are low in fat products as well as legumes, beans and beans are a good choice. It should be low in added sugars and saturated fats (unhealthy).
You may need to limit your consumption of drinks sweetened with sugar. These drinks often have lots of sugar in them which can result in elevated blood sugar levels.
Diabetes medication
Your doctor might prescribe diabetes medications to help keep your blood sugar (glucose) levels within an acceptable range. These medications are typically paired with lifestyle changes such as diet and exercise to help control your diabetes.
If your blood sugar levels are not being adequately controlled with one medicine, you may need to take a different medication. Your doctor will work with you to choose the best medication to meet your needs and preferences.
Newer medicines, such as 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, as well as reducing the chance of developing complications. They also aid in weight loss, and come in both tablet and injection forms.