Diabetes – What is Diabetes?
Diabetes is a terribly debilitating disease that affects millions of people every year. It happens 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 is important to understand the symptoms to determine whether there is a problem and seek treatment.
What is diabetes?
Diabetes is a chronic health issue (long-lasting) that alters the way your body converts food into energy. It occurs when the pancreas stops producing enough insulin or can’t use it as effectively as it should.
Insulin is a hormone that helps your cells absorb and use sugar, which is called glucose. Type 2 diabetics aren’t producing enough insulin or their bodies aren’t able to utilize it effectively.
The blood sugar levels rise with time in both forms of diabetes. This can lead to problems with your eyes, feet, and kidneys. It could also harm the heart and brain arteries as well as your brain.
Type 1 diabetes
Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disorder, meaning that your body’s immune system attacks and destroys insulin-producing cells within the pancreas. The process of destruction can last for months or even years, eventually leading to the total absence of insulin.
Insulin is required by people with type 1 diabetes every day. They also need to monitor their blood sugar levels and adjust their insulin, food and levels of exercise to keep their blood sugar in a healthy range.
Type 2 diabetes
If you have type 2, your body is not producing insulin as it should. Insulin is a hormone that aids in the movement of glucose (blood sugar) from your blood into your cells, where it is used as energy.
Type 2 diabetics need to exercise and eat a balanced diet. They may also have to take medicine to control their blood sugar levels.
The signs of diabetes in women
Diabetes is a chronic condition that affects people of all races, ethnicities, ages and genders. Women are at greater risk than males.
Women with diabetes have a greater chance of developing complications than men, including heart disease (the most commonly reported diabetes complication) and vision loss.
Polydipsia is one of the warning signs for women with diabetes. This is because diabetes causes excess sugar to build up in the bloodstream and your kidneys aren’t equipped to remove it properly.
Diabetes in men The signs and symptoms
Diabetes is a condition in which cells are unable use glucose (blood sugar) as energy. This is usually due to the pancreas ceases to produce enough insulin.
This can result in high blood glucose levels. Your body then tries to lower these levels by flushing the excess glucose from your bloodstream via urine.
Patients with diabetes are usually thirsty, and they need to drink a lot of fluids.
Men can be able to experience weight loss too as their muscles are broken down by their bodies for energy, instead of fat. This is due to the fact that the blood sugar level stays high for long periods of time.
Diabetes diet
Developing a healthy diabetes diet is a key element in managing your condition. It can help you control blood sugar, control your weight, and reduce risk factors for heart disease.
You should include whole foods in your diet, like fruits, vegetables and whole grains. Also, low-fat dairy products and legumes are great choices. It should be free of saturated (unhealthy) fat and added sugars.
You might want to limit your intake of beverages sweetened with sugar. These drinks often have lots of sugar in them that can cause high blood sugar levels.
Diabetes medications
Your doctor may prescribe diabetes medications to help keep your blood sugar (glucose) levels within the normal range. These medications are typically used with lifestyle changes such as diet and exercise to help you manage your diabetes.
If your blood sugar is not well controlled with one medicine, you may require a second medication. Your doctor will work with you to pick the best medicine to meet your needs and preferences.
Newer medications like glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists and sodium-glucose COtransporter-2 inhibitors decrease blood sugar, have kidney and cardiovascular benefits and reduce the risk of complications. They are also useful for weight loss, and are available in tablet and injection forms.