Diabetes
Diabetes is a life-long disease marked by high levels of sugar in the blood. It can be caused by too little insulin (a hormone produced by the pancreas to regulate blood sugar), resistance to insulin, or both.
Glucose- a form of sugar in the blood which acts as a main source of fuel for our body. It is created when our body breaks down food that we eat into energy with the help of insulin. Insulin acts like a key to unlock the body's cells, so glucose can enter and serve as fuel for the cells. This process helps to regulate the amount of sugar in the bloodstream. In people with diabetes, however, the pancreas either produces little or no insulin, or the cells do not respond appropriately to the insulin that is produced causing blood sugar level to rise.
High blood sugar sets off processes that can lead to complications, like heart, kidney, and eye disease, or other serious problems
Symptoms
The symptoms are due to persistent high levels of sugar in the circulating blood :
- Frequent urination
- Extreme thirst
- Blurry vision
- Weight loss
- Fatigue
- Hunger
- Nausea/vomiting
- Frequent fungal or bacterial infections like skin infection or UTI (urinary tract infection)
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Poor wound healing - High blood sugar resists the flourishing of the white blood cell. Secondly, long standing diabetes leads to thickening of blood vessels which may affect proper circulation of blood in different body parts.
Types of Diabetes
Type 1 Diabetes - This type of diabetes is an autoimmune disease. Your immune system turns on itself and destroys the insulin-producing cells in your pancreas. Although type 1 diabetes usually develops in childhood or teen years, it can appear later.
Type 2 Diabetes - Typically, with type 2 diabetes, the body still makes insulin, but its cells can't use it. This is called insulin resistance. Over time, high levels of sugar build up in the bloodstream. Being overweight and inactive increase the chances of developing type 2 diabetes.
Gestational Diabetes - This type of diabetes occurs in some pregnant women. In gestational diabetes, your body doesn't effectively use the insulin you produce. The cause may be metabolic changes that occur due to the effects of hormones in pregnancy. Gestational diabetes usually disappears after pregnancy, but more than half of women who experience it eventually develop a permanent type 2 diabetes.
Riskfactor
Some of the factors that increase the risk of Diabetes :
- Family history
- Age , especially after age 45
- Poor Diet
- Obesity and Fat Distribution
- Sedentary Lifestyle
- Stress
- Hypertension
- Abnormal cholesterol levels
Treatment
Here are some of the steps one can take to help manage their diabetes effectively
- Regular blood sugar monitoring
- A diet plan that includes right foods in moderate portions and at regular times
- Regular exercise
- Losing excess weight
- Oral medication if required
- Insulin therapy if prescribed
- Stop smoking and reduce alcohol intake
Prevention
Several different types of blood glucose tests are used.They are
- Fasting blood sugar (FBS)
- 2-hour postprandial blood sugar (2-hour PC)
- Random blood sugar (RBS)
- Oral glucose tolerance test
- Some other tests used for diabetes patients
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Dilated Eye Exam : With diabetes, high blood sugar damages tiny blood vessels in the retina
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Foot Exam : Diabetes can cause nerve damage and numbness and patient may not notice if they injure a foot
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Hemoglobin A1c : People with diabetes should aim for an HbA1c value below 7%.