Diabetes is a disease that you have to deal with lifelong. If you have diabetes, it means your body is not able to process and utilize the glucose it gets from the food you eat.
There are different types of diabetes, that have different origins but the symptoms and the problems are the same. That is excess glucose in the bloodstream. Though there are some treatments for diabetes there is no permanent cure for diabetes as of yet.
The best way to deal with diabetes is to lead a healthy lifestyle. Though some diabetes symptoms prevent you from leading a healthy lifestyle, that should not discourage you from trying.
There are a lot of signs of diabetes, but if you ask the question “ which of the following is not a cardinal sign of diabetes mellitus?”, then the answer is polycythemia.
What Is Diabetes Mellitus?
Diabetes Mellitus is also known as Diabetes, is a disease that happens when your body is unable to dissolve the glucose in its cells and use it for energy. It results in excess glucose in the bloodstream.
When you consume carbohydrates, they turn into sugar or glucose and get sent to your bloodstream. This is when the pancreas releases a hormone called insulin that removes this glucose from your blood to the cells to use as energy.
But when you have diabetes and go on without any treatment, then the insulin hormone doesn’t work. Excess glucose stays in the bloodstream. This is the condition usually known as high blood sugar. You should periodically check your blood sugar levels chart.
This disease can lead to severe health problems as well as be life-threatening. Although there is no cure for diabetes, there are certain lifestyle habits you can opt for, to live longer and healthy.
Types of Diabetes
Diabetes has a lot of types, here are the types of diabetes you should know about.
1. Prediabetes
Prediabetes is the condition when your blood sugar level is higher than it normally should, but not high enough to be diagnosed as diabetes. More than a third of the population in the United States has prediabetes without even knowing it.
Prediabetes can lead to type 2 diabetes along with heart disease. Living a healthy lifestyle and losing a few pounds can lower these risks.
2. Type 1 Diabetes
It is also called insulin-dependent diabetes. This was also called juvenile-onset diabetes. As it begins in childhood. Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease.
This is a condition that causes your body to attack the pancreas armed with antibodies. Hence, the organ gets damaged and doesn’t make insulin anymore.
This disease can be genetic as well as due to a problem with the pancreatic cells that make the insulin. This type of diabetes can cause thinning of blood vessels in your eyes (diabetic retinopathy), in the nerves (diabetic neuropathy), and kidney (diabetic nephropathy).
People dealing with type 1 diabetes, also have a higher risk of heart disease or stroke.
3. Type 2 Diabetes
Also used to be called Non-insulin-dependent or even Adult-onset diabetes. More than 90% of people dealing with diabetes have this type 2 diabetes. Although over the lar 20years, children and teens are affected with type 2 diabetes due to obesity or overweight.
This type of diabetes occurs because the pancreas creates less amount of insulin, which is neither enough nor your body using it as it should.
Type 2 diabetes although milder than type 1, causes severe health problems as well. Especially in the tiny blood vessels in the kidneys, nerves, and the eyes. They also raise the risk of heart disease or stroke.
4. Gestational Diabetes
This is a type of diabetes that is caused by pregnancy-related insulin resistance. Doctors are able to spot them in the middle or late pregnancy. As a woman’s blood sugar travels through the placenta to the baby, it is important to control this diabetes.
Doctors generally detect gestational diabetes in like 2% to 10% of pregnancies. They usually go away by birth. But there is a chance that up to 10% of women who have gestational diabetes also get type 2 diabetes. Which stays up to weeks or years later.
Gestational diabetes is riskier for the baby than for the mother. The baby might have unusual weight gain before birth, breathing problems at birth, and a risk of obesity or diabetes.
Treatments For All Types Of Diabetes
If you have diabetes or someone you know has diabetes, then it is important to know how to deal with it. As you know there are no permanent cures for diabetes, the only thing that can lower the risks is a healthy diet and exercise plan.
1. Healthy Diet
There is no particular diet plan for any type of diabetes. So in that case you need to consult a nutritionist and create a diet plan for yourself. Your diet should consist of fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, and whole grains, that also help in Staying Healthy With Your Office Job.
You need to eat food that is high in nutrition and fiber and the ones that contain low fat and calories. You need to avoid eating refined carbohydrates, refined fats, and sweets. Only once in a while, sweet foods are fine.
Knowing what to eat is not going to be enough, you need to know when to eat and how much to eat as well. Consult a dietitian can help you create a diet plan, according to your food preferences, lifestyle, and health goals.
2. Exercise Plan
Everyone needs proper exercise and people dealing with diabetes should never be an exception. Exercise actually lowers the blood sugar level in your blood, and moves the sugar in the cells. Exercise also increases body sensitivity to insulin. This means you need less insulin to transport sugar to cells.
You can always consult your doctor to create an exercise chart for you. Or you can always start walking or swimming on a daily basis. Or biking also works great. If you are doing 30 mins of aerobics daily, or a few days a week, then also it will be helpful.
3. What You Should Eat
If you are dealing with diabetes, they are certain things you should eat to lower the risk.
- Cinnamon- Contains bioactive compounds that prevent diabetes, and stimulates insulin activity.
- Aloe Vera- It has anti-inflammatory components that control the blood sugar level.
- Vitamin C- It is good for diabetes. Consuming 600gms of Vitamin C reduces blood sugar levels.
Conclusion
Diabetes is a lifelong disease sure without any permanent treatment or even cure. But there are certain habits and lifestyles you can adopt to lower the risks of something fatal such as heart attack or heart stroke.
If you are dealing with any of above-mentioned diabetes, then you need to read up on them thoroughly. And then consult your doctor and make a plan about how you are going to deal with it.
