Diabetes – What is Diabetes?
Diabetes is a serious illness that affects millions of people each year. It happens when your body doesn’t produce enough insulin, or when it can’t 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 medication. It’s also important to be aware of the symptoms to know the signs of a problem and seek treatment.
What is diabetes?
Diabetes is a chronic (long-lasting) health condition that affects how your body turns food into energy. It occurs when your pancreas stops producing enough insulin, or fails to use it as effectively as it should.
Insulin is a hormone that assists your cells absorb and use sugar, which is called glucose. People with type 2 diabetes do not produce enough insulin or their bodies don’t utilize it correctly.
In both types of diabetes, blood sugar levels get too high over time. This can cause issues with your feet, eyes, and kidneys. 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 the pancreatic insulin-producing cells and destroys them. The destruction can happen over many months or even years until it leads to a complete lack of insulin.
Insulin is needed by people with type 1 diabetes all day. They also have to keep track of their blood sugar levels and adjust their food, insulin and activity levels in order to keep their blood glucose within the healthy range.
Type 2 diabetes
If you have type 2, your body is not functioning as insulin should. Insulin is a hormone that helps your cells remove blood sugar (glucose) out of your blood and into your cells so that it can be used to create energy.
People suffering from type 2 diabetes have to manage their condition by consuming a balanced diet and regular exercise. They may also need to take medication to control their blood sugar levels.
The signs of diabetes in women
It is a chronic illness that affects people of all races, ethnicities, and genders. Women are at higher risk than males.
Women with diabetes are more likely to suffer from complications, such as heart disease (the most frequent complication of diabetes), and vision loss.
Polydipsia is one of the warning signs for women suffering from diabetes. This is because diabetes causes excess sugar to build up in the blood and your kidneys aren’t able to filter it out effectively.
Men with symptoms of diabetes
In diabetes the cells are unable make use of blood sugar (glucose) to produce energy. This usually happens because the pancreas doesn’t produce enough insulin.
This can lead to high blood glucose levels. Your body will then try to lower these levels by flushing out the excess glucose in your bloodstream through urine.
Diabetes patients are frequently thirsty, and need to drink plenty of fluids.
Men also may lose weight because their bodies use muscles to generate energy, not fat. This is due to the fact that their blood sugar level remains high for prolonged periods of time.
Diabetes diet
Making a balanced diabetes diet is a vital aspect of managing your diabetes. It can help you control blood sugar levels, reduce your weight and risk factors for heart disease.
Your diet should consist of a wide range of whole foods like fruits, vegetables, whole grains beans, low-fat dairy and legumes. It should be free of saturated (unhealthy) fat and added sugars.
You might also need to limit the amount of sugar-sweetened drinks you consume. These drinks are usually high in sugar and can cause blood sugar levels to rise.
Diabetes medications
Your doctor might prescribe diabetes medication to keep your blood sugar (glucose) levels within a normal range. These medicines are usually combined with lifestyle changes such as diet and exercise to help manage your diabetes.
If your blood sugar levels aren’t well managed on one medication it is possible that a different medicine will be added. Your doctor will assist you to determine the best medicine to meet your needs and preferences.
Newer medications such as glucagon-like receptor agonists, peptide-1, and sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors lower blood sugar levels, offer kidney and cardiovascular benefits, and reduce the risk of complications. They also aid in weight loss, and they come in both tablet and injection forms.