EXACTLY
WHAT IS DIABETES?
Diabetes is a condition in which the body is not able to
properly use and save glucose (a form of sugar). Glucose supports in the blood
stream-- triggering one's blood sugar (in some cases described as blood sugar
level) to rise too high.
There are 2 significant types of diabetes. In type 1
(fomerly called juvenile-onset or insulin-
dependent) diabetes, the body totally
stops producing any insulin, a hormone that allows the body to use glucose
found in foods for energy. People with type 1 diabetes have to take day-to-day
insulin injections to endure. This type of diabetes generally establishes in
kids or young people, but can occur at any age. When the body does not produce
sufficient insulin and/or is unable to make use of insulin appropriately
(insulin resistance), type 2 (previously called adult-onset or non
insulin-dependent) diabetes results. This kind of diabetes usually occurs in
individuals who are over 40, obese, and have a family history of diabetes,
although today it is progressively happening in younger people, particularly
adolescents.
How do individuals
know if they have diabetes?
People with diabetes often experience specific symptoms.
These include:
◾ being very thirsty
◾ frequent urination
◾ weight-loss
◾ increased appetite
◾ fuzzy vision
◾ impatience.
◾ tingling or feeling numb in
the hands or feet.
◾ frequent skin, bladder or gum
infections.
◾ wounds that don't recover.
◾ extreme unexplained fatigue.
Sometimes, there are no symptoms-- this occurs sometimes
with type 2 diabetes. In this case, people can live for months, even years
without understanding they have the illness. This type of diabetes begins so
progressively that signs may not even be recognized.
Who gets
diabetes?
Diabetes can take place in anybody. Individuals who have
close loved ones with the illness are somewhat more most likely to develop it.
Other threat aspects include obesity, high cholesterol, high blood pressure,
and physical lack of exercise. The risk of establishing diabetes also enhances
as people get older. Individuals who are over 40 and obese are more likely to
develop diabetes, although the incidence of type 2 diabetes in teenagers is
growing. Diabetes is more typical among Native Americans, African Americans,
Hispanic Americans and Asian Americans/Pacific Islanders. People who develop
diabetes while pregnant (a condition called gestational diabetes) are more
likely to establish full-blown diabetes later on in life.
There are certain things that everyone who has diabetes,
whether type 1 or type 2, has to do to be healthy. They have to have a meal
(consuming) plan. They need to pay attention to how much physical activity they
take part in, due to the fact that exercise can help the body usage insulin
much better so it can transform glucose into energy for cells. Everyone with
type 1 diabetes, and some people with type 2 diabetes, also need to take
insulin injections. Some people with type 2 diabetes take pills called
"oral agents" which help their bodies produce more insulin and/or use
the insulin it is producing much better. Some individuals with type 2 diabetes
can manage their illness without medication by proper meal preparation and
sufficient physical activity.
Once every 6 months by a diabetes specialist (a
diabetologist or an endocrinologist), everybody who has diabetes must be seen
at least. She or he need to also be seen periodically by other members of a
diabetes treatment team, consisting of a diabetes nurse teacher, and a
dietitian who will assist develop a meal prepare for the person. Preferably,
one should also see an exercise physiologist for assistance in developing a
physical activity plan, and, possibly, a social worker, psychologist or other
mental health expert for help with the stresses and obstacles of coping with a
chronic illness. Everybody who has diabetes needs to have regular eye exams (as
soon as a year) by an optometrist professional in diabetes eye care to make
sure that any eye problems associated with diabetes are captured early and
dealt with prior to they become major.
People with diabetes need to find out how to monitor their
blood glucose. Daily screening will assist determine how well their meal
strategy, activity strategy, and medication are working to keep blood sugar
levels in a typical variety.
What other
issues can diabetes trigger?
Your healthcare team will motivate you to follow your meal
plan and workout program, utilize your medications and monitor your blood sugar
frequently to keep your blood sugar in as normal a range as possible as much of
the time as possible. Why is this so vital? Since improperly managed diabetes
can cause a host of long-term problems-- among these are heart attacks,
strokes, blindness, kidney failure, and capillary illness that may need an
amputation, nerve damage, and impotence in men.
But happily, an across the country study finished over a
10-year period revealed that if people keep their blood glucose as near normal
as possible, they can reduce their danger of establishing some of these issues
by 50 percent or more.
Can
diabetes be avoided?
Type 2 diabetes is the most common type of diabetes, yet we
still do not understand it entirely. Studies show that way of life changes can
postpone the onset or prevent of type 2 diabetes in those grownups who are at
high threat of getting the disease.
Individuals who are over 40 and overweight are more most
likely to establish diabetes, although the occurrence of type 2 diabetes in
adolescents is growing. Individuals who establish diabetes while pregnant (a
condition called gestational diabetes) are more likely to develop full-blown
diabetes later on in life.
