Definition of Diabetes
Diabetes is a type of condition or disease that relates to the hormone insulin. It is a metabolism disorder when the carbohydrate present in food cannot be used by the human body due to the pancreatic default. Diabetes occurs when the human body cannot produce enough insulin or cannot use insulin normally or produce insulin as effective as it should.
About 30 million people in the US suffer from diabetes, but one out of four have no idea that they have this disease. What’s more, millions of people develop pre-diabetes.
Types of Diabetes
Three types of diabetes are identified: type 1 diabetes, type 2 diabetes, and gestational diabetes. Type 1 diabetes, also known as juvenile diabetes, takes place when the pancreatic cells that produce natural insulin in the body are damaged, which results in a lack of insulin in the blood. Type 2 diabetes occurs when the body cannot respond to an anti-diuretic hormone. This type of diabetes is the most common type of diabetes. Gestational diabetes can develop in women during pregnancy. This type of diabetes affects both the mother and the baby.
Symptoms of Diabetes
Signs and symptoms of type 1 diabetes include increased thirst, extreme hunger, frequent urination, unexplained weight loss, irritability, blurred vision, weakness, and fatigue.
The symptoms of type 2 diabetes are a little different from those of type 1 diabetes. These include increased thirst or dry mouth, increased hunger, unintended weight loss, frequent urination, blurred vision, fatigue, slow-healing sores, frequent infections, numbness or tingling in the hands or feet, and darkened skin.
Treatments for Diabetes
Once you find that you have developed symptoms of diabetes, go to your doctor for professional help. Do not hesitate since you may miss the right time for diabetes treatments. Your doctor will give you the best way to control your blood sugar, with insulin, drugs, or medicines, including shots and pills you should take and how to maintain a healthy lifestyle to treat diabetes.
For people with type 1 diabetes, the doctors will advise you to take insulin since your body is not able to produce this hormone anymore. You have to take insulin several times each day and an insulin pump is suggested to use, which can help you to get doses during the day.
As for people with type 2 diabetes, the doctor will suggest you to make healthy food choices and stay physically active. What’s more, patients who have type 2 diabetes need to take diabetic drugs or medicines, which include pills or insulin. Multiple drugs are advised to take in order to control blood sugar or blood glucose in your body.
Keep a healthy diet and get regular physical activity to control your blood glucose level if you have gestational diabetes. Diabetes medicines, including diabetes pill metformin and insulin are suggested to take since they might be safe for you during the time of pregnancy. If your blood glucose is too high to control, your doctor may advise you to take diabetes medicine immediately.
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