All You Need To Know About Diabetes

  • by DiabetesHealthMatters


Diabetes (also referred to as Diabetes mellitus) happens to be a condition in which our body does not produce adequate insulin or is not capable of using insulin by the cells effectively. Insulin is produced by the pancreas gland within our system for controlling blood glucose level. Consequently, in case you are suffering from diabetes, it is possible for the glucose present in the blood to become quite high.

Even though diabetes does not have any cure, it is possible to control the condition by making some lifestyle changes as well as treatment. Individuals suffering from this condition should be diagnosed and treated at the earliest since the body organs and tissues can become damaged because of high blood sugar levels. In fact, millions of Americans are affected by diabetes at present and the number is growing every year.

Different types of diabetes

Although you will come across various types of diabetes, the 3 most common are type 1 diabetes, gestational diabetes, and type 2 diabetes. Each diabetes type comes with different causes and affects our body in different ways. But what is common in them is that they are not able to control blood glucose levels.

Type 1 diabetes

Type 1 diabetes is going to develop once the cells responsible for producing insulin are destroyed by the immune system of any individual. It is not possible for the body to produce adequate insulin, which implies that blood sugar becomes quite high since it cannot be controlled. About 5% of the folks suffering from diabetes are affected with type 1 diabetes at present.

Type 2 Diabetes

Type 2 Diabetes happens when the cells of our body are not able to use the insulin effectively. This type of diabetes usually occurs in individuals who are more than 30 years of age and are obese or overweight. However, type 2 diabetes is also affecting children these days apart from adults.

Gestational diabetes

This type of diabetes develops at the time of pregnancy. It is usually temporary and will go away once the pregnancy comes to an end; however, there are exceptions to this as well. Gestational diabetes is caused by an inadequate amount of insulin or the hormones of pregnancy.

Symptoms of diabetes

Although the symptoms mentioned below are common to type 1 as well as type 2 diabetes, individuals suffering from the latter might not show any symptoms at all.

  • Increased thirst
  • Feeling quite hungry
  • Increased urination
  • Feeling extremely tired
  • Shedding pounds unwillingly

Treatment of diabetes

It is possible to treat this condition by making some changes in the lifestyle, such as consuming healthy food items and also increasing physical activities. Make it a point to count the carbohydrates in the food given that carbohydrates contribute to high blood glucose levels. Apart from these lifestyle changes, you will also find medications for both types of diabetes on the market.
It is also imperative for individuals suffering from diabetes to always keep some sweet drink or candy on hand in the event of hypoglycemia or low blood sugar emergency. Consult with your physician regarding how to prevent and also be prepared for hypoglycemia.