Diabetes – What is Diabetes?
Diabetes is a serious condition that affects millions of people every year. It occurs when your body doesn’t produce enough insulin or it’s unable to utilize the insulin it does have effectively.
Exercise, diet and medication can all help in preventing or delaying the development of the disease. It’s important to be aware of symptoms so you can tell if something is wrong and seek treatment.
What is diabetes?
Diabetes is a chronic health condition (long-lasting) that alters how your body converts food into energy. It occurs when the pancreas doesn’t make enough insulin or is unable to properly use it.
Insulin is a hormone that assists your cells absorb and use sugar, also known as glucose. Type 2 diabetics don’t produce enough insulin, or their bodies cannot use it properly.
The blood sugar levels rise over time in both kinds of diabetes. This can cause issues in the feet, eyes and kidneys. It may also damage your brain and heart arteries.
Type 1 diabetes
Type 1 diabetes is an auto-immune disease in which your body’s immune system attacks and destroys insulin-producing cells within the pancreas. The process of destruction can last for many years or months, eventually leading to the complete absence of insulin.
People with type 1 diabetes require insulin every day. They also need to monitor their blood sugar levels and adjust their insulin, food, and activity levels to maintain their blood sugar within the normal range.
Type 2 diabetes
If you suffer from type 2 diabetes your 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 used as energy.
Type 2 diabetics need to exercise and adhere to a healthy diet. They might also need to take medication to control their blood sugar levels.
Signs of diabetes in women
Diabetes is a chronic illness that affects people of all races and ethnicities and ages as well as genders. However, women are at a greater risk than men.
Women with diabetes have a greater likelihood of developing complications than men, including heart disease (the most frequent diabetes complication) and loss of vision.
One early warning sign of women suffering from diabetes is increased thirst and urine, a condition known as polydipsia. This is because diabetes can cause excess sugar to accumulate in your bloodstream and kidneys can’t filter it out.
Diabetes in men The signs and symptoms
In the case of diabetes the cells are unable to make use of blood sugar (glucose) to generate energy. This usually happens because the pancreas doesn’t produce enough insulin.
This can lead to high blood glucose levels. Your body then tries to lower the level by flushing the excess glucose from your bloodstream via urine.
Patients with diabetes are usually thirsty and require to drink lots of fluids.
Men also may shed weight as their bodies make use of muscle for energy rather than fat. This is due to their blood sugar levels remain high for prolonged periods of time.
Diabetes diet
Developing a healthy 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.
You should include whole foods in your diet, including fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. Also, dairy products that are low in fat products and legumes are good choices. It should be low in saturated fats and sugars as well as added sugars (unhealthy).
You might also need to limit the amount of sugar-sweetened drinks you consume. These drinks are usually packed with sugar which can cause blood sugar levels to rise.
Diabetes medications
Your doctor may prescribe diabetic medications to help keep your blood glucose (blood sugar) levels within a normal range. These medications are often combined with lifestyle changes, like exercise and diet to help manage the condition.
If your blood sugar levels aren’t well controlled by one medicine another medicine could be added. Your doctor will guide you to pick the best medication to suit your preferences and needs.
Newer medications, such as sodium-glucose -cotransporter-2 inhibitors, and glucagon antagonists for the peptide-1 receptor, decrease blood sugar levels and provide benefits for the kidneys and cardiovascular system, while decreasing the chance of developing complications. They can also be beneficial for weight loss, and come in both tablets and injections.