Diabetes – What is Diabetes?
Diabetes is a serious illness that affects millions of people every year. It occurs when your body isn’t producing enough insulin or it can’t use the insulin it does produce effectively.
Exercise, diet and medication can help prevent or delay the disease. It’s also important to be aware of the symptoms so you can tell the signs of a problem and get treatment.
What is diabetes?
Diabetes is a chronic (long-lasting) disease that affects how your body turns food into energy. It occurs when your pancreas isn’t producing enough insulin or isn’t able to use it properly.
Insulin is a hormone that assists cells absorb and utilize sugar, which is known as glucose. People suffering from type 2 diabetes don’t produce enough insulin, or their bodies can’t make it work properly.
The blood sugar levels increase with time in both forms of diabetes. This can cause problems in the feet, eyes and kidneys. It can also harm the arteries in your heart and brain.
Type 1 diabetes
Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disorder which means that the body’s immune system attacks and destroys insulin-producing cells in the pancreas. The destruction can happen over months or even for years until it leads to the complete absence of insulin.
Insulin is needed by people who suffer from type 1 diabetes each day. They must also monitor their blood glucose levels and adjust the levels of insulin, food and activity levels to keep their blood sugar within an acceptable range.
Type 2 diabetes
If you have type 2, your body is not 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 used to create energy.
People suffering from type 2 diabetes need to treat their diabetes with a healthy diet and regular exercise. They may also need to take medication to regulate their blood glucose levels.
The signs of diabetes in women
Diabetes is a chronic disease that affects people of all races as well as ethnic groups as well as ages and genders. However women are at greater risk than men.
Women with diabetes are more likely to suffer from complications, such as heart disease (the most common diabetes-related complication), and vision loss.
One of the early signs of diabetes in women is a higher thirst and increased urination, called polydipsia. This is because diabetes causes excess sugar to build up in the blood, and your kidneys aren’t equipped to eliminate it in a proper manner.
Diabetes in men Men: Symptoms
Diabetes is a condition in which cells are not able to use glucose (blood sugar) to generate energy. This is typically due to the fact that the pancreas is producing too little insulin.
This results in high blood sugar levels. Your body then attempts to reduce these levels by flushing excess glucose from your bloodstream via urine.
Diabetes patients are frequently thirsty, and they have to drink lots of fluids.
The men may also lose weight because their bodies use muscle for energy rather than fat. This is due to the fact that their blood sugar levels stay high for prolonged periods of time.
Diabetes diet
Developing a healthy diabetes diet is a key element in managing your condition. It can help regulate blood sugar levels, manage weight and decrease risk factors for heart disease.
Your diet should consist of plenty of whole food items, including fruits, vegetables, whole grains beans, and low-fat dairy. It should be low in saturated fats and sugars as well as added sugars (unhealthy).
You may want to limit your intake of beverages sweetened with sugar. These drinks often have a lot of sugar in them that can cause high blood sugar levels.
Diabetes medication
Your doctor may suggest diabetes medications to help keep your blood glucose (blood sugar) levels in a normal range. These medications are typically combined with lifestyle changes like exercise and diet to help control your diabetes.
If your blood sugar levels aren’t being well controlled on one medicine it is possible that a different medicine will be added. Your doctor will work with you to choose the most appropriate medication for your specific needs and preferences.
Newer medications, like sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors and glucagon-like antagonists of the peptide-1 receptor, reduce blood sugar levels and provide benefits for the kidneys and cardiovascular system, as well as decreasing the chance of developing complications. They can also be beneficial for weight loss and are available in injectable and tablet forms.