| Diabetes is a chronic disease in which the body
does not make, or does not properly use, insulin. Insulin is the
hormone that helps your body use the energy from sugar, starches
and other foods. The result is that your body doesn't get the energy
it needs, and unmetabolized sugar (glucose), builds up in your blood
causing damage to the body and its systems.
Glucose is a form of sugar produced when the body digests carbohydrates
(sugars and starches). Glucose is the body's major fuel for the
energy it needs. When insulin is absent or ineffective, the blood
glucose (blood sugar) level increases. High blood glucose levels
can lead to both short and long-term problems.
There are different kinds of diabetes (Principal forms are: Type
1, Type 2, Gestational),
each with slightly varying symptoms and treatments. They all have
serious implications if left untreated. If you haven't already,
please discuss the appropriate treatment options for your diabetes
with your health care provider.
Symptoms of diabetes
If
you are experiencing one or more of the following symptoms associated
with diabetes, immediately consult your healthcare professional.
- Increased urination
- Blurred vision
- Fatigue or drowsiness
- Poorly healing cuts or bruises
- Increased hunger and thirst
- Rapid weight loss
- Dry, itchy skin
- Loss of feeling in hands or feet
At present, no cure is available for diabetes. But with regular
self-monitoring of blood glucose and
a proper combination of diet, exercise
and medication, people with diabetes
lead active, healthy lives.
Prevention of diabetes
Research
studies have found that lifestyle changes can prevent or delay the
onset of Type 2 diabetes among high-risk adults. Changing diet and
adding moderate exercise (such as walking) reduced the development
of diabetes in study participants by over 40% during the study.
In the Diabetes Prevention Program*, a large prevention study of
people at high risk for diabetes, people treated with medication
reduced their risk of developing diabetes by over 30%. Treatment
was most effective among younger, heavier people (those 25-40 years
of age who were 50 to 80 pounds overweight) and less effective among
older people and people who were not as overweight. However, lifestyle
changes worked particularly well for individuals aged 60 and over,
reducing their risk of developing diabetes by 71%.
There is no known way to prevent Type 1 diabetes.
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