Diabetes – What is Diabetes?
Diabetes is a serious disease that is affecting millions of people each year. It is caused when your body isn’t producing enough insulin, or when it’s not able to use the insulin it does have effectively.
The good news is that it is curable and can be avoided or delayed with diet, exercise and medications. It is important to recognize the signs to determine whether you are suffering from a condition and seek treatment.
What is diabetes?
Diabetes is a chronic illness (long-lasting) that alters the way your body converts food into energy. It happens when the pancreas doesn’t make enough insulin or fails to use it correctly.
Insulin is the hormone that helps your body to absorb and utilize glucose, also known as sugar. People with type 2 diabetes don’t make enough insulin or their bodies don’t use it properly.
The blood sugar levels increase as time passes in both types of diabetes. This can cause problems with the eyes, feet and kidneys. It can also damage the blood vessels in your heart and brain.
Type 1 diabetes
Type 1 diabetes is caused by an autoimmune reaction which means that your immune system attacks insulin-producing pancreatic cells and destroys them. The destruction can take place over months or even years, eventually resulting in the absence of insulin completely.
Type 1 diabetics require insulin every day. They must also keep an eye on their blood sugar levels and adjust their insulin, food and activities to maintain their blood sugar within an acceptable range.
Type 2 diabetes
If you suffer from type 2 diabetes your body may not make use of insulin as it should. Insulin is a hormone that helps your cells get blood sugar (glucose) out of your blood and into your cells, where it can be used as energy.
People with type 2 diabetes have to manage their condition with a healthy diet and regular exercise. They may also need to take medication to control their blood sugar levels.
Signs of diabetes in women
Diabetes is a chronic illness that affects people of all races as well as ethnic groups and ages as well as genders. Women are more at risk than men.
Women with diabetes have a greater 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 urinary frequency, also known as polydipsia. This is because diabetes can cause excess sugar to accumulate in your blood and kidneys can’t filter it out.
Men who suffer from diabetes show signs
Diabetes is a condition where cells are unable use glucose (blood sugar) to generate energy. This usually happens because the pancreas does not produce enough insulin.
This leads to elevated blood sugar levels. Your body then attempts to lower these levels by flushing excess glucose from your bloodstream through urine.
Patients with diabetes are usually thirsty, and they have to drink a lot of fluids.
Men may also lose weight as their bodies use muscles to generate energy, not fat. This is due to the fact that their blood sugar levels remain high for extended periods of time.
Diabetes diet
A healthy diet for diabetes is an important aspect of managing the condition. It can help you manage your blood sugar, reduce your weight and 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, low-fat dairy products, beans, and legumes are great choices. It should be free of saturated fats and sugars as well as added sugars (unhealthy).
You may also need to limit the amount of sugar-sweetened drinks you consume. These drinks often have lots of sugar in them, which can lead to high blood sugar levels.
Diabetes medication
Your doctor may suggest diabetes medications to keep your blood glucose (blood sugar) levels within normal levels. These medications are typically used with lifestyle changes like eating habits and exercise to help control your diabetes.
If your blood sugar is not being controlled by one medication, you may need to add a second medication. Your doctor will assist you determine the most appropriate medicine to suit your preferences and needs.
Newer medications, like sodium-glucose-cotransporter-2 inhibitors and glucagon like antagonists of the peptide-1 receptor, reduce blood sugar and offer benefits for the kidneys and cardiovascular system, as well as decreasing the risk of developing complications. They can also be beneficial for weight loss and are available in tablet and injectable forms.