Diabetes – What is Diabetes?
Diabetes is a serious illness that affects millions of people every year. It happens when the body fails to produce enough insulin, or fails to use the insulin that it does have effectively.
Diet, exercise and medication can aid in preventing or reducing the disease. It’s important to be aware of symptoms to determine what’s wrong and get treatment.
What is diabetes?
Diabetes is a chronic illness (long-lasting), which impacts the way your body converts food into energy. It occurs when the pancreas stops making enough insulin, or fails to use it as efficiently as it should.
Insulin is a hormone that helps cells absorb and utilize sugar, which is known as glucose. Type 2 diabetics do not produce enough insulin, or their bodies aren’t able to utilize it effectively.
The blood sugar levels increase as time passes in both types of diabetes. This can cause problems with your eyes, feet, and kidneys. It can also harm the coronary arteries and brain.
Type 1 diabetes
Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease which means that your body’s immune system attacks and destroys insulin-producing cells within the pancreas. This destruction can occur over months or even for years before resulting in the complete absence of insulin.
Insulin is required by people with type 1 diabetes all day. They must also monitor their blood sugar levels and adjust their insulin, food, and activities to maintain their blood sugar within the normal range.
Type 2 diabetes
If you have type 2 diabetes the body does not make use of insulin as it should. Insulin is a hormonal substance that aids in the movement of glucose (blood sugar) from your blood into your cells which can then be utilized to generate energy.
People with type 2 diabetes must treat their condition through a healthy diet and exercise. They also may need to take medication to manage their blood sugar levels.
Symptoms of diabetes in women
It is a chronic illness that affects people from all races, ethnicities, ages and genders. Women are at greater risk than men.
Women with diabetes are at a greater risk chance of developing complications than men, including heart disease (the most frequent complication of diabetes) and vision loss.
One early warning sign of women suffering from diabetes is increased thirst and urination, called polydipsia. This is because diabetes causes excess sugar to build up in the blood, and your kidneys aren’t equipped to get rid of it properly.
Men with diabetes: Symptoms
In the case of diabetes it is when cells are unable make use of blood sugar (glucose) for energy. This usually happens because the pancreas ceases to produce enough insulin.
This can lead to elevated blood sugar levels. The body tries to lower these levels by flushing the excess glucose out of your bloodstream through urine.
Patients with diabetes typically feel thirsty and need to drink large amounts of fluids. This can be up to four liters daily.
Men also may lose weight because their bodies make use of muscle for energy rather than fat. This is due to the fact that their blood sugar levels remain high for extended periods.
Diabetes diet
A healthy diet for diabetes can be a key part of managing the condition. It can help control blood sugar levels and weight, as well as reduce the risk factors for heart disease.
Your diet should include plenty of whole food items, including fruits, vegetables, whole grains as well as beans and dairy that is low in fat. It should also be low in saturated (unhealthy) fat and added sugars.
You may also be able to reduce the amount of drinks that contain sugar you consume. These drinks typically contain lots of sugar, which can lead to high blood sugar levels.
Diabetes medication
Your doctor might prescribe diabetes medications to keep your blood sugar (glucose) levels within an acceptable range. These medicines are usually combined with lifestyle changes like exercise and diet to manage your diabetes.
If your blood sugar levels are not being managed well with one medicine, you may need to add a second medication. Your doctor will work with you to select the best medicine to meet your needs and preferences.
Newer drugs like glucagonlike receptor agonists for peptide-1 as well as sodium-glucose COtransporter-2 inhibitors decrease blood sugar, have kidney and cardiovascular benefits, and lower the risk of complications. They also aid in weight loss, and come in both tablet and injection forms.