Not hearing about the name of one of the most happening diseases, “Diabetes” isn’t even a question anymore. Taking the lives of so many people, this disease is no less than a nightmare, it will make you choose between your life or your cravings. Whether one has diabetes or not, he or she must know everything about it to keep themselves and their loved ones safe from this chronic disease.
Diabetes is a disease that occurs when there is a chronic increase in the blood glucose level of an individual. This disease can cause severe damage to your heart, eyes, kidneys, and nerves if not taken care of properly. There are many types of diabetes with different types of causes, but elevated levels of blood glucose will remain common in all. Several medications or insulin are given to patients suffering from diabetes. Moreover, one can always avoid this chronic problem by having a healthy lifestyle.
Types of Diabetes
There are many types of diabetes but among all, Type 1, Type 2, and gestational diabetes are the most common ones.
- Type 1 Diabetes- It is an autoimmune disease in which the immune system attacks its own body and destroys the insulin-producing cells in the pancreas. This type of diabetes mostly happens in children and young adults, that is why is also called “juvenile diabetes”. People with this type of diabetes need to take insulin to stay alive, and so, it is also called “insulin-dependent diabetes”.
- Type 2 Diabetes- In this type of diabetes, either your body is resistant to insulin or it doesn’t make enough insulin and hence, the glucose level in your blood gets high. It is the most common type of diabetes that happens in almost 95% of people. Since it mostly occurs in middle-aged and older people it is also called “adult-onset diabetes” or “insulin-resistant diabetes”.
- Prediabetes- It is when one’s glucose level is high, but not enough high to be counted as Type-2 diabetes.
- Gestational Diabetes- This type of diabetes happens in some women during their pregnancy. In some cases, it usually goes away after pregnancy but women who have gestational diabetes, have a risk of developing Type 2 diabetes later in life.
Less Common Types-
- Monogenic Diabetes Syndrome- It is a less common type of diabetes that is known to be inherited in generations.
- Cystic- Fibrosis Diabetes- This type of diabetes happens in people suffering from cystic fibrosis, which is another disease condition.
- Drug or chemical induced diabetes- This type of diabetes happens after an organ transplant or HIV/AIDS treatment.
There is also a condition called diabetes insipidus which is a condition in which kidneys produce large amounts of urine.
Risk factors of Diabetes-
- Risk Factors for Type 1 Diabetes include-
- Hereditary
- In case you have an injury in the pancreas (due to infection or surgery)
- Presence of autoantibodies, can attack your own body.
- Illness due to virus
- Physical stress due to any surgery, injury, or illness
- Risk Factors of Type 2 Diabetes include-
- Hereditary
- Being obese
- High blood pressure
- Having low good cholesterol and high triglyceride level
- Being physically inactive
- Old age
- Smoking
- Having a history of gestational diabetes or prediabetes.
- Heart Diseases or Stroke
- Risk factors of Gestational Diabetes-
- Hereditary
- If you are 26 or more
- Being overweight before pregnancy
Causes of Diabetes
To understand the cause of diabetes you must understand what is the role of Insulin and Glucose in the body.
Insulin is a type of hormone that is produced and secreted by the pancreas in the bloodstream to lower the glucose level in the body. Glucose is a source of energy that comes either from food or from the breakdown of glycogen when we don’t consume food for a long time. Insulin helps in enabling the glucose to reach the cells and hence lowers its level in the blood. As the glucose level in the blood drops, so does the insulin secretion by the pancreas.
Now that you know the functioning of both, let’s study each of the diabetic types individually
- For Type-1 Diabetes- As mentioned above, it is an autoimmune disease in which the immune system attacks its own body. This type of diabetes can be more genetic or comes into effect due to some virus that triggers the immune system.
- For Type 2 Diabetes and Prediabetes- In this either the body is resistant to insulin, or not sufficient amount of insulin is being produced by the pancreas to keep up with the situation, and hence, the glucose level rises.
- For Gestational Diabetes- In this, the placental hormones that are produced during pregnancy could make the female body resistant to insulin. Your pancreas also doesn’t produce enough insulin to help the situation and hence, the glucose level in the body remains high.
Symptoms of Diabetes
- Increased thirst.
- Tiredness and Weakness.
- Blurred vision.
- Numbness or tingling in the hands or feet.
- Slow-healing sores or cuts.
- Unplanned weight loss.
- Frequent urination.
- Frequent unexplained infections.
- Dry mouth.
- In women- yeast or urinary tract infections may occur.
- In men- Erectile dysfunction, decreased libido and muscular strength may occur.
In case of-
Type 1 Diabetes- The symptoms may develop quickly when you are a child or a young adult. In addition, one may suffer vomiting, nausea, and stomach ache.
Type 2 Diabetes or Prediabetes- In this, the symptoms may not be noticeable as they develop over a long period of time, but you may see symptoms in middle age. This type of diabetes can happen in all ages so one must go for a regular health check-up if have a family history of prediabetes or Type-2 diabetes.
Gestational Diabetes- No as such symptoms are being noticed. Your doctor will check for gestational diabetes during 24-25 weeks of your pregnancy period.
Complications of Diabetes
Long-term complications may develop over time. If you have diabetes for a long period of time, or you don’t keep a regular control on your diabetes, the following are the complications you may face-
- Cardiovascular diseases- Diabetes can dramatically affect your cardiovascular systems and increases the risk of heart attack, stroke, coronary artery disease with chest pain, etc.
- Nerve Damage (Neuropathy)- Diabetes can damage the capillaries that nourish your nerves, especially in your legs. You may suffer numbness, tingling, or pain in your feet and fingers. If left untreated it can later lead to nausea, vomiting, or constipation. In men, erectile dysfunction may occur too.
- Kidney Damage (Nephropathy)- Kidneys have millions of tiny vessels that filter the blood and diabetes can have an adverse effect on this filtration system. This may lead to kidney failure or some chronic irreversible effect on your kidneys.
- Eye Damage (Retinopathy)- This disease can also affect the blood vessels of the retina which can potentially lead to blindness. It can also cause other types of problems like cataracts, glaucoma, etc.
- Foot damage- As mentioned above, lower blood flow in the foot or nerve damage in the leg region increases the risk of developing foot complications.
- Skin Problems- Diabetes also increases the risk of skin infections including bacterial and fungal infections.
- Hearing Impairment- Hearing problems are more common in people with diabetes.
- Alzheimer’s Disease- Type 2 diabetes increases the risk of Alzheimer’s disease too. The poorer the control on blood sugar level, the more is the risk.
- Depression- People with type 1 and type 2 diabetes may suffer from depression which in turn can affect diabetic management.
Diagnosis and Treatment
Three types of tests- Fasting Plasma Glucose test, Random Plasma Glucose test, and A1c test are done to measure the blood glucose level. Another type of test, the oral glucose tolerance test may also be done to check gestational pregnancy.
Following are the ways Diabetes is treated-
- Type 1 diabetes- Being insulin-dependent diabetes, you’ll be given insulin shots daily.
- Prediabetes- Here, the focus remains on treating the risk factors. Maintain a healthy lifestyle, exercise, and follow a healthy diet with no sugar and this type of diabetes will get treated easily.
- Type 2 diabetes- In this, you will be given medications or insulin based on your condition. However, lifestyle changes, exercising, and a healthy diet with no sugar will always be recommended.
- Gestational Diabetes- In this case, your glucose level isn’t too high to be given any medicines. The main focus will be on modifying your lifestyle and controlling your diet. But if your glucose level remains the same, your doctor may start the medications or insulin as per the condition.
Management of Diabetes
Management of Diabetes is very important if you want to lead a happy and disease-free life, otherwise, it can lead to many severe complications or death! To manage your blood glucose level, make changes in your day-to-day life and control your risk factors, this includes-
- Keep your blood glucose level in check and don’t consume food products having sugar or starch like sugar, rice, sweet fruits like banana, mango, etc, sweets and candies, potatoes, etc.
- Maintain your cholesterol level (HDL and LDL levels) and the triglyceride levels in the normal range possible. Avoid fried food as much as possible.
- Control your blood pressure, avoid high salt-containing food.
Following are the other factors that you make work on to keep your glucose level in control. These not only will help you lead a healthy life but will also keep you safe from catching other possible diseases as well.
- Healthy Diet- Your diet must contain green vegetables, fruits, beans, whole grains, protein products, and low sugar. The right amount of right nutrients is necessary if you need to control your diabetes. Also, do not consume any kinds of products containing sugar and starch, like potatoes, sweets, candies, fruits like bananas, mangoes, litchees, rice, etc.
- Exercising Regularly- Do exercise for at least an hour daily. If you are in old age or have undergone some surgeries, then you can go for a morning, or an evening walk instead. Being physically active is a solution to many of your problems.
- Lose Weight- Maintain your body weight. Being obese will never land you in a safe place, instead, it will lead to serious health problems down the lane.
- Keep a check on your blood pressure and avoid taking excess amounts of salt.
- Don’t forget to take medications and insulin dosage as prescribed by your doctor. Your body doesn’t produce insulin and so you need to take your medicines regularly.
- Do check your glucose level at least once in a month or two.
- Quit smoking and drinking, this is not safe for you.
- Break your meals into a large number of times instead of having 2 or 3 full-fledged meals.
Prevention
There is no way to prevent Type 1 diabetes. However, the same lifestyle changes that were required to manage Prediabetes, type 2 diabetes and gestational diabetes can help in preventing them too-
- Eating healthy food- Having a balanced diet will always help you in preventing diabetes and many other diseases. Avoid sugar and unhealthy fats as much as you can and you will be safe.
- Lose weight- Don’t be obese. Avoid sitting for long hours and this will definitely have a positive effect on your body.
- Exercise- Exercising is as important as having food daily. Don’t forget to do 1-2 hours of physical activity. Either go to the gym or play but don’t sit in your home all the time. For middle or old-aged people, do go for a walk daily. It is very important for your body, mind, and your overall health.
Don’t try to lose weight if you are pregnant, and don’t exercise if you have gone through severe surgeries and is older. Talk to your doctor before doing any such activities.