| 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.
There is no known way to prevent Type 1 diabetes.
Type 1 diabetes
Type 1 diabetes is caused by the destruction of the body's insulin-producing
cells in the pancreas. Although this type of diabetes is more prevalent
among children and young adults, it can strike at any age and accounts
for about 10 percent of all diabetes cases. If you have Type 1 diabetes,
your body makes no insulin, so you must take daily insulin injections
to metabolize the glucose you digest.
Symptoms usually appear suddenly:
- Frequent urination
- Extreme hunger and thirst
- Weight loss
- Weakness and tiredness
Type 2 diabetes
If you were diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes, you're not alone. Yours
is the most common type of diabetes and it accounts for approximately
90 percent of the diabetes population. Type 2 diabetes has several
causes, including heredity, age, and weight. Like most people with
Type 2 diabetes, your body probably makes enough insulin, but you're
just not able to use it properly. You'll find that losing weight
and exercising frequently can help you manage this kind of diabetes.
Type 2 usually develops slowly, with symptoms and complications
developing over time. Often no symptoms are present when Type 2
is diagnosed. Once thought of as an adult disease, Type 2 diabetes
is being increasingly diagnosed in younger people.
Symptoms:
- Feeling tired
- Blurred vision
- Dry, itchy skin
- Increased hunger and thirst
- Increased urination
- Tingling or loss of feeling in hands or feet
- Non-healing infections of skin, vagina and/or bladder
- Vaginal yeast infections
Gestational diabetes
A woman's body changes a lot during pregnancy. Pregnant women can
develop gestational diabetes. All women should be checked for diabetes
in the sixth month of pregnancy (weeks 24-28). Approximately 2 to
5 percent of all women who become pregnant develop gestational diabetes.
If gestational diabetes is diagnosed, your doctor will help you
manage the disease before and after the baby is born. If you've
been diagnosed, you can have some comfort in the fact that it can
be managed with diet, exercise, and possibly insulin.
Gestational diabetes is more likely to occur in women who are
overweight and/or older. Be aware that between 35 - 50 percent of
women who develop gestational diabetes will later develop Type 2
diabetes. Maintaining a healthy body weight decreases the risk.
Pregnancy with diabetes
If you have diabetes, it is very important that you manage your
diabetes carefully during pregnancy. Any pregnancies should be planned.
You need to maintain excellent diabetes control (normal blood glucose)
for at least 3 months prior to conception and throughout pregnancy.
You and your baby will need a great deal of special care. Ask your
doctor about diabetes educators who specialize in diabetes management
during pregnancy.
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