Diabetes – What is Diabetes?
Diabetes is a serious disease that affects millions each year. It occurs when the body fails to produce enough insulin, or fails to make use of the insulin it does have effectively.
The good news is that it is curable and prevented or delayed by diet, exercise and medications. It’s also 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 problem (long-lasting) that affects the way your body converts food into energy. It occurs when the pancreas stops making enough insulin or isn’t able to use it as effectively as it should.
Insulin is a hormone that assists cells absorb and utilize sugar, which is called glucose. Type 2 diabetics don’t produce enough insulin or are unable to use it correctly.
The blood sugar levels rise over time in both kinds of diabetes. This can cause issues with the eyes, feet, and kidneys. It could also harm your heart arteries and brain.
Type 1 diabetes
Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune condition which means that the body’s immune system attacks and destroys insulin-producing cells inside the pancreas. The destruction can happen over months or even years until it leads to the absence of insulin completely.
Type 1 diabetics must take insulin each day. They must also monitor their blood sugar levels and adjust their food, insulin and activity levels to keep their blood sugar within the healthy range.
Type 2 diabetes
If you have type 2 diabetes the body does not utilize insulin in the way it should. Insulin is a hormone which helps your cells take blood sugar (glucose) out of your blood and into your cells so that it can be used to create energy.
Type 2 diabetics need to exercise and adhere to a healthy diet. They may also have to take medications to control their blood sugar levels.
Women with diabetes are more likely to experience symptoms
Diabetes is a chronic disease that affects all races as well as ethnic groups as well as ages and genders. However women are at higher risk than men.
Women with diabetes are more likely to develop complications, including heart disease (the most frequent diabetes-related complication) and loss of vision.
One of the early signs of women with diabetes is increased thirst and urinary frequency, also known as polydipsia. This is because diabetes can cause excess sugar to accumulate in your blood and kidneys are unable to remove it.
Men with diabetes Men: Symptoms
In diabetes the cells are unable use blood sugar (glucose) for energy. This usually happens because the pancreas doesn’t produce enough insulin.
This results in elevated blood sugar levels. Your body then tries to lower these levels by flushing out the excess glucose in your bloodstream through urine.
People with diabetes frequently feel thirsty and need to drink large quantities of fluids. It can be as much as four liters a day.
The men may also lose weight because their bodies utilize muscles to generate energy, not fat. This is due to the fact that their blood sugar level remains high for long periods of time.
Diabetes diet
Making a balanced diabetes diet is a crucial aspect of managing your diabetes. It can help control blood sugar levels, manage weight and reduce the risk factors for heart disease.
Include whole foods in your diet, like fruits, vegetables and whole grains. Also, dairy products that are low in fat products as well as legumes, beans and beans are great choices. It should also be low in saturated (unhealthy) fat and added sugars.
You might also need to limit the amount of drinks that contain sugar you consume. These drinks usually contain a lot of sugar which can result in high blood sugar levels.
Diabetes medication
Your doctor might prescribe diabetes medications to help keep your blood sugar (glucose) levels within an acceptable range. These medications are typically combined with lifestyle changes, such as exercise and diet to help you manage your diabetes.
If your blood sugar levels aren’t managed by one medication, a second medicine might be added. Your doctor will assist you to choose the best medicine for your specific needs and preferences.
Newer medications, such as 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, while decreasing the chance of developing complications. They also help with weight loss, and they are available in tablets and injections.