Diabetes – What is Diabetes?
Diabetes is a serious illness that affects millions of people each year. It happens when your body isn’t producing enough insulin, or it’s not able to use the insulin it does have effectively.
Exercise, diet and medication can aid in preventing or reducing the development of the disease. It is also essential to understand the symptoms to determine whether there is a problem and seek treatment.
What is diabetes?
Diabetes is a chronic health problem (long-lasting) that affects the way your body converts food into energy. It happens when your pancreas stops making enough insulin or doesn’t utilize it as well as it should.
Insulin is a hormone that assists your cells absorb and use sugar, also known as glucose. Type 2 diabetics do not produce enough insulin or cannot use it properly.
In both forms of diabetes, the blood sugar levels can become too high in time. This can lead to problems in the feet, eyes and kidneys. It can also harm the blood vessels in your heart as well as the brain.
Type 1 diabetes
Type 1 diabetes is caused by an autoimmune reaction which means that your immune system attacks pancreatic cells that produce insulin and destroys them. This process can take many years or months until it eventually leads to an inability to produce insulin.
Insulin is a requirement for people with type 1 diabetes all day. They also have to keep track of their blood sugar levels and adjust their insulin, food, and levels of exercise to keep their blood sugar levels within a healthy range.
Type 2 diabetes
If you have type 2, your body is not using insulin as it should. Insulin is a hormone that assists your cells get blood sugar (glucose) out of your blood and into your cells, where it can be used as energy.
People with type 2 diabetes need to treat their diabetes by consuming a balanced diet and regular exercise. They may also have to take medications to control their blood glucose levels.
The signs of diabetes in women
Diabetes is a chronic disease that affects all races and ethnicities as well as ages and genders. However, women are at a higher risk than men.
Women with diabetes are more prone to experience complications, such as heart disease (the most frequent diabetes-related complication) and loss of vision.
Polydipsia is a warning sign for women with diabetes. This is because diabetes causes excess sugar to build up in the bloodstream and your kidneys aren’t able to filter it out properly.
The signs of diabetes in men
In the case of diabetes, cells are unable to use blood sugar (glucose) to produce energy. This usually happens because the pancreas stops producing enough insulin.
This can lead to high blood glucose levels. Your body will then try to lower these levels by flushing the excess glucose from your bloodstream via urine.
Patients with diabetes typically experience thirst and require to drink large quantities of fluids, as much as four liters per day.
Men may also lose weight as their bodies utilize muscles to generate energy, not fat. This is due to the fact that their blood sugar levels stay high for prolonged periods of time.
Diabetes diet
A healthy diet for diabetes is a key element in managing your diabetes. It can help manage blood sugar levels, manage weight and reduce the risk factors for heart diseases.
It is important to include whole foods in your diet, like fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. Also, dairy products that are low in fat products, beans, and legumes are a good choice. It should be free of added sugars and saturated fats (unhealthy).
You might want to limit your intake of sweetened drinks with sugar. These drinks are often packed with sugar which can cause blood sugar levels to rise.
Diabetes medications
Your doctor may suggest diabetes medications to help keep your blood glucose (blood sugar) levels in an acceptable range. These medications are typically paired with lifestyle changes like diet and exercise to help manage your diabetes.
If your blood sugar levels aren’t controlled by one medicine it is possible that a different medicine will be added. Your doctor will assist you determine the most appropriate medicine for your preferences and needs.
The latest medications, including sodium-glucose -cotransporter-2 inhibitors, and glucagon antagonists of the peptide-1 receptor, reduce blood sugar and offer benefits for the kidneys and cardiovascular system, while reducing the chance of developing complications. They can also be beneficial for weight loss, and they come in both tablet and injection forms.