Diabetes – What is Diabetes?
Diabetes is a serious condition that affects millions of people each year. It happens when your body isn’t producing enough insulin, or when it can’t use the insulin it does have effectively.
Diet, exercise and medication can aid in preventing or reducing the onset of the disease. It is also important to recognize the signs so you can identify whether there is a problem and seek treatment.
What is diabetes?
Diabetes is a chronic health problem (long-lasting), which alters how 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 the hormone that helps your body absorb and utilize glucose, also referred to as sugar. Type 2 diabetics aren’t producing enough insulin or their bodies aren’t able to utilize it in a proper way.
In both types of diabetes, blood sugar levels become excessively high over time. This can cause problems in the feet, eyes and kidneys. It can also damage the heart and brain arteries as well as your brain.
Type 1 diabetes
Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune condition and means that the body’s immune system attacks and destroys insulin-producing cells inside the pancreas. This process can last for months or even years, eventually resulting in the complete absence of insulin.
People suffering from type 1 diabetes need to take 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 have type 2 the body isn’t producing insulin as it should. Insulin is a hormone that aids your cells in moving glucose (blood sugar) from your blood into your cells, where it is utilized to generate energy.
Type 2 diabetics should exercise and follow a healthy diet. They might also need to take medication to control their blood sugar levels.
The signs of diabetes in women
Diabetes is a chronic condition that affects people from all races, ethnicities, ages and genders. However, women are at a greater risk than men.
Women with diabetes are more prone to experience complications, including heart disease (the most frequent diabetes-related complication) and loss of vision.
One of the first signs of women with diabetes is a rise in thirst and the frequency of urination, which is known as polydipsia. This is because diabetes can cause excess sugar to accumulate in your bloodstream and kidneys are unable to filter it out.
Diabetes in men: Symptoms
Diabetes is a condition that occurs when cells are unable to use glucose (blood sugar) for energy. This is typically because the pancreas produces too little insulin.
This can lead to high blood sugar levels. The body then attempts to lower the levels by flushing the excess glucose in your bloodstream through urine.
Diabetes patients are often thirsty, and need to drink lots of fluids.
Men may also experience weight loss because their muscles are broken down by their bodies for energy instead of fat. This is because blood sugar levels stay high for long periods.
Diabetes diet
The development of a healthy diabetes diet is a crucial aspect of managing your condition. It can help you manage your blood sugar levels, manage your weight, and lower heart disease risk factors.
Your diet should include plenty of whole foods, such as fruits whole grains, vegetables beans, low-fat dairy and legumes. It should also be low in saturated (unhealthy) fat and added sugars.
You might want to limit your intake of drinks sweetened with sugar. These drinks usually contain lots of sugar in them, which can lead to elevated blood sugar levels.
Diabetes medication
Your doctor may prescribe diabetes-related medications to keep your blood sugar (glucose) levels within an acceptable range. These drugs are often paired with lifestyle changes, like eating habits and physical activity to help manage diabetes.
If your blood sugar levels aren’t being well managed by one medication then a second medication could be added. Your doctor will assist you pick the best medication for your personal preferences and needs.
Newer medications, such as sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors and glucagon-like antagonists of the peptide-1 receptors, lower blood sugar and have benefits for the kidneys and cardiovascular system, as well as reducing the chance of developing complications. They also aid in weight loss and are available in tablet and injectable forms.