Diabetes – What it is, Causes, Symptoms and Treatments

Diabetes – What it is, Causes, Symptoms and Treatments  that many are unaware of. In addition,  diabetes  refers to a group of diseases that affect the way your body uses  blood sugar  (glucose).

Glucose  is vital  to your health because it is an important source of energy for the cells that make up your muscles and tissues.

It is also your brain’s main source of fuel. If you have  diabetes , regardless of the type, it means that you have too much glucose in your blood, although the causes can be different.

Too much glucose  can lead to serious health problems. Chronic diabetes  conditions include type 1 diabetes and type  2 diabetes  .

Potentially reversible diabetes  conditions include pre- diabetes  – when blood sugar levels are higher than normal but not high enough to be classified as diabetes – and gestational diabetes  , which occurs during pregnancy but may resolve after the baby is born. be administered.

Causes of Diabetes:  To understand Diabetes , you must first understand how glucose is normally processed in the body.

How Insulin Works:  Insulin is a hormone that comes from a gland located behind and below the stomach (pancreas).

• The pancreas secretes insulin into the bloodstream.
• Insulin circulates, allowing sugar to enter your cells.
• Insulin reduces the amount of sugar in the bloodstream.
• As your blood sugar drops, your pancreas also secretes insulin.

The Role of Glucose:  Glucose – a sugar – is a source of energy for the cells that make up muscles and other tissues.

• Glucose comes from two main sources: food and your liver.
• Sugar is absorbed into the bloodstream, where it enters cells with the help of insulin.
• Your liver makes purchases and makes glucose.
• When your glucose levels  are low, like when you haven’t eaten in a while, the liver breaks down stored glycogen into glucose to keep your glucose level within a normal range.

Causes of Type 1 Diabetes:  The exact cause of Type 1 Diabetes  is unknown. What is known is that your immune system – which normally fights harmful bacteria or viruses – attacks and destroys your insulin-producing cells in your pancreas. This leaves you with little or no insulin.

Instead of being transported to cells, sugar accumulates in the bloodstream. Type 1 is thought to be caused by a combination of genetic susceptibility and environmental factors, although exactly what many of these factors are is still unclear.

Causes of Pre-Diabetes and Type 2 Diabetes:  In pre – diabetes  – which can lead to type 2 diabetes  – and in type 2 diabetes  , your cells become resistant to the action of insulin and your pancreas is unable to produce enough insulin to overcome it. this resistance. Instead of moving to cells where energy is needed, sugar builds up in the bloodstream.

Exactly why this happens is uncertain, although genetic and environmental factors are believed to play a role in the development of type 2 diabetes  . Excess weight is strongly linked to the development of type 2 diabetes  , but not everyone with type 2 is affected. overweight.

Causes of Gestational Diabetes:  During pregnancy, the placenta produces hormones to support your pregnancy. These hormones make your cells more resistant to insulin. Normally, your pancreas responds by producing enough extra insulin to overcome this resistance. But sometimes your pancreas can’t keep up. When this happens, too little glucose  enters your cells and too much remains in your blood, resulting in gestational diabetes.

Symptoms of Diabetes:  Symptoms of diabetes vary according to the amount of blood sugar raised. Some people, especially those with prediabetes or type 2 diabetes, may not have symptoms at first. In type 1 diabetes, symptoms tend to appear quickly and to be more severe. Some of the signs and symptoms of type 1 and type 2 diabetes are:

• Thirst increase
• frequent urination
• extreme hunger
• unexplained weight loss
• Presence of ketones in the urine (ketones are a by-product of the breakdown of muscle and fat that happens when not enough insulin is available)
• Fatigue
• Irritability
• Blurry vision
• Slow healing açaus
• Frequent infections, such as gum or skin infections and vaginal infections

Although type 1 diabetes can develop at any age, it usually appears during childhood or adolescence. Type 2 diabetes, the most common type, can develop at any age, although it is more common in people over 40.

When to See a Doctor:  If you suspect that you or your child may have diabetes. If you notice possible symptoms of diabetes, contact your doctor. The sooner the condition is diagnosed, the sooner treatment can begin.
If you have already been diagnosed with diabetes. After receiving your diagnosis, you will need close medical follow-up until your blood  sugar levels  stabilize.

Diabetes Risk  Factors: Risk factors for diabetes  depend on the type of diabetes .

Risk Factors For Type 1 Diabetes:  While the exact cause of Type 1 Diabetes  is unknown, factors that may indicate an increased risk include:

• Family history. Your risk increases if a parent or sibling has type 1 diabetes  .
• Environmental factors. Circumstances such as exposure to a viral disease likely play a role in type 1 diabetes  .
• The presence of harmful immune system cells (autoantibodies). Sometimes family members of people with type 1 diabetes  are tested for the presence of diabetes autoantibodies . If you have these autoantibodies, you have an increased risk of developing Type 1 Diabetes  . But not everyone who has these autoantibodies develops Diabetes .
• Dietary factors. These include low vitamin D intake, early exposure to cow’s milk or cow’s milk formula, and exposure to cereals before 4 months of age. None of these factors have been shown to directly cause type 1 diabetes  .
• Geography. Certain countries, such as Finland and Sweden, have higher rates of type 1 diabetes  .

Risk Factors For Prediabetes and Type 2 Diabetes:  Researchers do not fully understand why some people develop prediabetes and type 2 diabetes  and others do not. Of course, certain factors increase the risk, however, including:

• Weight. The more fatty tissue you have, the more resistant your cells become to insulin.
• Inactivity. The less active you are, the greater your risk. Physical activity helps you control your weight, uses glucose  for energy, and makes your cells more sensitive to insulin.
• Family history. Your risk increases if a parent or sibling has type 2 diabetes  .
• Running. While it’s unclear why, people of certain races — including blacks, Hispanics, American Indians and Asian Americans — are at greater risk.
• Advanced age. Your risk increases as you age. This could be because you tend to exercise less, lose muscle mass, and gain weight as you age. But type 2 diabetes  is also increasing dramatically among children, teens and younger adults.
• Gestational diabetes. If you developed gestational diabetes  when you were pregnant, your risk of developing prediabetes and type 2 diabetes  increases later on. If you gave birth to a baby weighing more than 9 kilograms (4 pounds), you are also at risk for type 2 diabetes  .
• Polycystic ovary syndrome. For women, with polycystic ovary syndrome — a common condition characterized by irregular menstrual periods, excess hair growth and obesity — increases their risk of diabetes .
• High pressure. Blood pressure above 140/90 millimeters of mercury (mm Hg) is linked to an increased risk of type 2 diabetes  .
• Abnormal levels of cholesterol and triglycerides. If you have low levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL), or “good,” your risk of type 2 diabetes  is higher. Triglycerides are another type of fat carried in the blood. People with high triglyceride levels are at an increased risk of type 2 diabetes  . Your doctor can tell you about your cholesterol and triglyceride levels.

Risk Factors For Gestational Diabetes:  Any pregnant woman can develop Gestational Diabetes  , but some women are at greater risk than others. Risk factors for gestational diabetes  include:

• Advanced age. Women over the age of 25 are at increased risk.
• Family or personal history. Your risk is increased if you have prediabetes – a precursor to type 2 diabetes  – or if a close family member, such as a parent or sibling, has type 2 diabetes  . You are also at higher risk if you had gestational diabetes during a previous pregnancy, if you delivered a very large baby or if you had an unexplained fetal death.
• Weight. Excess weight before pregnancy increases your risk.
• Breed. For reasons that are unclear, women who are black, Hispanic, Indian or Asian American are more likely to develop gestational diabetes  .

Diabetes Complications:  The long-term complications of Diabetes  develop gradually. The longer you have diabetes  – and the less you control your blood sugar – the greater your risk of complications. Eventually, complications from diabetes  can be disabling or even fatal. Possible complications include:

• Cardiovascular disease. Diabetes  dramatically increases the risk of several cardiovascular problems, including coronary artery disease with chest pain (angina), heart attack, stroke, and narrowing of the arteries (atherosclerosis). If you have diabetes , you are more likely to have heart disease or stroke.
• Nerve damage (neuropathy). Too much sugar can injure the walls of the small blood vessels (capillaries) that nourish your nerves, especially in your legs. This can cause tingling, numbness, burning, or pain that usually starts in the tips of your toes or fingers and gradually spreads upward. Untreated, you could lose all feeling in the affected limbs. Digestion-related nerve damage can cause problems with nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, or constipation. For men, it can lead to erectile dysfunction.
• Kidney damage (nephropathy). The kidneys contain millions of small groups of blood vessels (glomeruli) that filter waste products from your blood. Diabetes  can damage this delicate filtering system. Severe damage can lead to kidney failure or irreversible kidney failure, which may require dialysis or a kidney transplant.
• Eye damage (retinopathy). Diabetes  can damage the blood vessels in the retina (diabetic retinopathy), potentially leading to blindness. Diabetes  also increases the risk of other serious vision conditions, such as cataracts and glaucoma.
• Foot damage. Nerve damage in the feet or poor blood flow to the feet increases the risk of various foot complications. Left untreated, cuts and blisters can develop serious infections that often go away badly. These infections may ultimately require amputation of the foot, foot, or leg.
• Skin conditions. Diabetes  can make you more susceptible to skin problems, including bacterial and fungal infections.
• Hearing deficiency. Hearing problems are more common in people with diabetes .
• Alzheimer’s disease. Type 2 diabetes  can increase the risk of Alzheimer’s disease. The lower your blood sugar control, the higher the risk appears to be. While there are theories about how these disorders might be connected, none have yet been proven.

Complications of Gestational Diabetes:  Most women with Gestational Diabetes  give birth to healthy babies. However, untreated or uncontrolled blood sugar levels can cause problems for you and your baby. Complications in your baby can occur as a result of gestational diabetes  , including:

• Excessive growth. The extra glucose  can cross the placenta, which triggers your baby’s pancreas to make extra insulin. This can cause your baby to grow very large (macrosomia). Very large babies are more likely to require a C birth.
• Low blood sugar. Sometimes babies of mothers with gestational diabetes  develop low blood sugar (hypoglycemia) soon after delivery because insulin production is high. Fast feedings and sometimes an  intravenous glucose solution can return the baby’s blood sugar level to normal.
• Type 2 diabetes later in life. Babies of mothers who have gestational diabetes  are at higher risk of developing obesity and type 2 diabetes  later in life.
• Death. Untreated gestational diabetes  can result in the death of a baby before or shortly after birth.

Complications in the mother can also occur as a result of gestational diabetes  , including:

• Pre eclampsia. This condition is characterized by high blood pressure, excess protein in the urine, and swelling in the legs and feet. Preeclampsia can lead to serious or even fatal complications for both mother and baby.
• Subsequent gestational diabetes. Once you had gestational diabetes  in one pregnancy, you are more likely to have it again with the next pregnancy. You are also more likely to develop diabetes  – usually type 2 diabetes  – as you age.

Diabetes Testing and Diagnosis:  Type 1 diabetes  symptomsoften appear suddenly and are often the reason to have your blood sugar levels checked. Because symptoms of other types of diabetes  and prediabetes occur more gradually or may not be evident, the American Diabetes  Association (ADA) has recommended screening guidelines. The ADA recommends that the following people be screened for Diabetes :

• Anyone with a body mass index greater than 25, regardless of age, who has additional risk factors such as high blood pressure, a sedentary lifestyle, a history of polycystic ovary syndrome, having delivered a baby who weighed more than 20 pounds, a history of diabetes  in pregnancy, high cholesterol levels, history of heart disease and having a close relative with diabetes .
• Anyone over the age of 45 is advised to receive an initial blood sugar screening and, if the results are normal, will be screened every three years thereafter.

Tests for Type 1 and Type 2 Diabetes and Pre-Diabetes: Tests for  Type 1 and Type 2 Diabetes and Pre- Diabetes  are:

• Glycated hemoglobin (A1C) test. This blood test indicates your average blood sugar level over the past two to three months. It measures the percentage of blood sugar associated with hemoglobin, the oxygen-carrying protein in red blood cells. The higher your blood sugar level, the more hemoglobin you will have with sugar attached. An A1C level of 6.5 percent or higher on two separate tests indicates that you have diabetes . An A1C between 5.7 and 6.4 percent indicates prediabetes. Below 5.7 is considered normal.

If the A1C test results are not consistent, the test is not available, or if you have certain conditions that could make the A1C test inaccurate – such as if you are pregnant or have an unusual form of hemoglobin (known as Variant Hemoglobin) – your doctor may use the following tests to diagnose diabetes :

• Random blood sugar test. A blood sample will be taken at a random time. Regardless of when you last ate, a random blood sugar level of 200 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL) – 11.1 millimoles per liter (mmol/L) – or higher suggests diabetes .
• Fasting blood sugar test. A blood sample will be taken after an overnight fast. A fasting blood sugar level of less than 100 mg/dL (5.6 mmol/L) is normal. A fasting blood sugar level of 100 to 125 mg/dL (5.6 to 6.9 mmol/L) is considered pre- diabetes . If it’s 126 mg/dL (7 mmol/L) or higher on two separate tests, you have Diabetes .
• Oral glucose tolerance test  . For this test, you quickly overnight, and your fasting blood sugar level is measured. Then you drink a sugary liquid, and your blood sugar levels are periodically tested over the next two hours. A blood sugar level of less than 140 mg/dL (7.8 mmol/L) is normal. A reading of more than 200 mg/dL (11.1 mmol/L) after two hours indicates Diabetes . A reading between 140 and 199 mg/dL (7.8 mmol/L and 11.0 mmol/L) indicates pre- diabetes .

If type 1 diabetes  is suspected , your urine will be tested to look for the presence of a byproduct produced when muscle and fat tissue is used for energy when the body does not have enough insulin to use available glucose (ketones). Your doctor will likely also do a test to see if you have the destructive immune system cells associated with type 1 diabetes  called autoantibodies.

Gestational Diabetes Tests:  Your doctor will likely assess your risk factors for gestational diabetes  in early pregnancy:

• If you are at high risk for gestational diabetes  – for example, if you were obese in early pregnancy, had gestational diabetes  during a previous pregnancy, or have a mother, father, sibling or child with diabetes  – your doctor may test for diabetes  in your first prenatal visit.

If you’re at average risk for gestational diabetes  , you’ll likely have a screening test for gestational diabetes  sometime in your second trimester — usually between 24 and 28 weeks into your pregnancy.
Your doctor may use the following screening tests:

• Initial glucose challenge test. You will start the glucose challenge test by taking a glucose  syrup solution. An hour later, you will have a blood test to measure your blood sugar level. A blood sugar level below 140 mg/dL (7.2 to 7.8 mmol/L) is usually considered normal on a glucose challenge test, although this can vary across specific clinics or laboratories. If your blood sugar level is higher than normal, it means you have a higher risk of gestational diabetes  . Your doctor will order a follow-up test to determine if you have gestational diabetes  .
• Glucose tolerance test follow-up. For the follow-up test, you will be asked to fast overnight and then have your fasting blood sugar measured. Then you will drink another sweet solution – this one containing a higher concentration of glucose – and your blood sugar will be checked every hour for a period of three hours. If at least two of your blood sugar readings are higher than the normal values ​​established for each of the three hours of the test, you will be diagnosed with Gestational Diabetes  .

Diabetes Treatments:  Depending on the type of diabetes  you have, monitoring your blood sugar, insulin, and oral medications can play an important role in your treatment. Eating a healthy diet, maintaining a healthy weight and participating in regular activities are also important factors in managing diabetes .

Treatments For All Types of Diabetes:  An important part of managing diabetes  – as well as your overall health – is maintaining a healthy weight through a healthy diet and exercise plan:

• Healthy eating. Contrary to popular perception, there is no specific diet for diabetes. You’ll need to center your diet on more fruits, vegetables and whole grains – foods high in nutrition and fiber and low in fat and calories – and reduced in animal products, refined carbs and sweets. In fact, it is the best eating plan for the whole family. Sugary foods are OK once in a while as long as they are counted as part of your meal plan.

However, understanding what and how much to eat can be a challenge. A registered dietitian can help you create a meal plan that meets your health goals, food preferences, and lifestyle. This will likely include carbohydrate counting, especially if you have Type 1 Diabetes  .

• Physical activity. Everyone needs regular aerobic exercise, and people with diabetes  are no exception. Exercise lowers blood sugar by moving sugar into cells where it is used for energy. Exercise also increases your insulin sensitivity, which means your body needs less insulin to transport sugar into your cells. Make your doctor ready to exercise. Then choose activities that you enjoy, such as walking, swimming or cycling. What is most important is making physical activity part of your daily routine. Aim for at least 30 minutes or more of aerobic exercise most days of the week. If you haven’t been active for a while, start slowly and work your way up gradually.

Treatments for Type 1 and Type 2 Diabetes:  Treatment for Type 1 Diabetes  involves insulin injections or the use of an insulin pump, frequent blood sugar checks and carbohydrate counting. Treatment of type 2 diabetes  primarily involves monitoring your blood sugar , along with diabetes medication, insulin, or both.

• Monitoring your blood sugar. Depending on your treatment plan, you may check and record your blood sugar as often as several times a week to up to four to eight times a day. Careful monitoring is the only way to ensure that your blood sugar level remains within your target range. People receiving insulin therapy may also choose to monitor their blood sugar levels with a  continuous glucose monitor. While this technology is not yet a replacement for the glucose meter  , it can provide important information about trends in blood sugar levels .

Even with careful management, blood sugar levels can sometimes change unpredictably. With the help of your Diabetes care team , you will learn how your blood sugar level changes in response to food, physical activity, medication, illness, alcohol, stress – for women, fluctuations in hormone levels.

In addition to daily blood sugar monitoring, your doctor will likely recommend regular A1C tests to measure your average blood sugar level over the past two to three months. Compared to repeated daily blood sugar tests, the A1C test better indicates how well your diabetes  treatment plan is working overall.

An elevated A1C level can signal the need for a change in your insulin regimen or meal plan. Your A1C target may vary depending on your age and various other factors. However, for most people with diabetes , the American Diabetes Association recommends an A1C below 7%. Ask your doctor what your A1C target is.

Insulin:  People with type 1 diabetes  need insulin therapy to survive. Many people with type 2 diabetes or gestational  diabetes  also need insulin therapy. There are many types of insulin, including fast-acting insulin, long-acting insulin, and intermediate options. Depending on your needs, your doctor may prescribe a mix of insulin types to use throughout the day and night.

Insulin cannot be taken by mouth to lower blood sugar because stomach enzymes interfere with the action of insulin. Insulin is often injected using a thin needle and syringe or an insulin pen – a device that looks like a large ink pen.

An insulin pump may also be an option. The pump is a cellphone-sized device worn on the outside of your body. A tube connects the insulin reservoir to a catheter that is inserted under the skin of the abdomen. A tubeless pump that works wirelessly is also available.

You program an insulin pump to deliver specific amounts of insulin. It can be adjusted to deliver more or less insulin depending on meals, activity level and blood sugar level. An emerging treatment approach, not yet available, is closed-loop insulin delivery, also known as artificial pancreas.

It links a continuous glucose monitor  to an insulin pump. The device automatically delivers the correct amount of insulin when the monitor indicates the need for it. There are several different versions of the artificial pancreas, and clinical trials have had encouraging results. More research needs to be done before a fully functional artificial pancreas can receive regulatory approval.

However, the first step towards an artificial pancreas was approved in 2013. Combining a continuous glucose monitor  with an insulin pump, this system stops insulin delivery when blood sugar levels drop too low. Studies on the device found that it could prevent low blood sugar levels overnight without significantly increasing blood sugar levels in the morning.

• Oral or other medications. Sometimes other oral or injected medications are also prescribed. Some diabetes  medications stimulate your pancreas to produce and release more insulin. Others inhibit your liver’s production and release of glucose  , which means you need less insulin to transport sugar into your cells. Still others block the action of stomach or intestinal enzymes that break down carbohydrates or make your tissues more sensitive to insulin. Metformin (Glucophage, Glumetza, others) is usually the first drug prescribed for type 2 diabetes  .
• Transplantation. In some people who have type 1 diabetes  , a pancreas transplant may be an option. Islet transplants are also being studied. With a successful pancreas transplant, you would no longer need insulin therapy. But transplants aren’t always successful — and these procedures pose serious risks. You need a lifetime of immunosuppressant drugs to prevent organ rejection. These drugs can have serious side effects, including a high risk of infection, organ damage, and cancer. Because side effects can be more dangerous than diabetes , transplants are usually reserved for people whose diabetes cannot be controlled or those who also need a kidney transplant.
• Bariatric surgery. While not specifically considered a treatment for type 2 diabetes  , people with type 2 diabetes  who also have a body mass index greater than 35 may benefit from this type of surgery. People who have had gastric bypass have seen significant improvements in their blood sugar levels . However, the long-term risks and benefits of this procedure for type 2 diabetes  are not yet known.

Treatments for Gestational Diabetes:  Controlling your blood sugar level is essential to keep your baby healthy and avoid complications during delivery. In addition to maintaining a healthy diet and exercise, your treatment plan may include monitoring your blood sugar and, in some cases, using insulin or oral medications.

Your doctor will also monitor your blood sugar level during labor. If your blood sugar level rises, your baby may release high levels of insulin – which can lead to low blood sugar soon after birth.

Treatment For Pre-Diabetes:  If you have pre – Diabetes , healthy lifestyle options can help you get your blood sugar back to normal, or at least prevent it from growing towards the levels seen in Diabetes  . type 2. Maintaining a healthy weight through exercise and healthy eating can help. Exercising at least 150 minutes a week and losing 5 to 10 percent of your body weight can prevent or delay type 2 diabetes  .

Sometimes medications — such as metformin (Glucophage, Glumetza, others) — are also an option if you’re at high risk for diabetes , including when your prediabetes is getting worse or if you have cardiovascular disease, fatty liver disease, or diabetes syndrome. polycystic ovary.

In other cases, drugs to control cholesterol — statins, in particular — and drugs for high blood pressure are needed. Your doctor may prescribe low-dose aspirin therapy to help prevent cardiovascular disease if you are at high risk. Healthy lifestyle choices remain essential, however.

Signs of Problems with Any Type of Diabetes:  Because so many factors can affect your  blood sugar , problems can arise that require immediate care, such as:

• High blood sugar (hyperglycemia). Your  blood sugar level  can rise for many reasons, including eating too much, being sick, or not taking enough medication to lower your glucose . Check your blood sugar level as directed by your doctor, and watch for signs and symptoms of high blood sugar – frequent urination, increased thirst, dry mouth, blurred vision, fatigue and nausea. If you have hyperglycemia, you will need to adjust your meal plan, medication, or both.
• Increased ketones in the urine (diabetic ketoacidosis). If your cells are starved for energy, your body can start breaking down fat. This produces toxic acids known as ketones. Look for loss of appetite, weakness, vomiting, fever, stomach pain, and a sweet, fruity breath. You can check your urine for excess ketones with an over-the-counter ketone test kit. If you have excess ketones in your urine, see your doctor right away or seek emergency care. This condition is more common in people with type 1 diabetes  .
• Hyperosmolar hyperglycemic non-ketotic syndrome. Signs and symptoms of this life-threatening condition include a blood sugar reading above 600 mg/dL (33.3 mmol/L), dry mouth, extreme thirst, fever, drowsiness, confusion, vision loss, and hallucinations. Hyperosmolar syndrome is caused by blood sugar high in the sky that turns blood thick and syrupy. It tends to be more common in people with type 2 diabetes  and is often preceded by an illness. Call your doctor or seek immediate medical care if you have signs or symptoms of this condition.
• Low blood sugar (hypoglycemia). If your blood sugar drops below your target range, it’s known as low blood sugar (hypoglycemia). Your blood sugar can drop for a variety of reasons, including skipping a meal and getting more physical activity than usual. However, blood sugar level is very likely if you take glucose lowering drugs that promote insulin secretion by the pancreas or if you are receiving insulin therapy. Check your blood sugar regularly and watch for signs and symptoms of low blood sugar – sweating, tremor, weakness, hunger, dizziness, headache, blurred vision, heart palpitations, irritability, slurred speech, drowsiness, confusion, fainting and convulsions. Low blood sugar is treated with quickly absorbed carbohydrates such as fruit juices or glucose tablets .

Alternative Medicine:  Numerous substances have been shown to improve insulin sensitivity in some studies, while other studies fail to find any benefit for controlling blood sugar or lowering A1C levels. Due to conflicting findings, there is no alternative therapy that is currently recommended to help with  blood sugar management .

If you decide to try an alternative therapy, do not stop taking the medications your doctor has prescribed for you. Be sure to discuss the use of any of these therapies with your doctor to ensure they will not cause adverse reactions or interact with your current therapy.

Furthermore, there are no treatments – alternative or conventional – that can cure diabetes , so it is critical that people who are receiving insulin therapy for diabetes  do not stop using insulin unless directed to do so by their doctors. .

Diabetes Prevention:  Diabetes is a serious disease. After your diabetes treatment plan , a 24-hour commitment is required. Careful management of diabetes  can reduce your risk of serious – even life-threatening – complications. Regardless of the type of diabetes  you have:

• Make a commitment to managing your diabetes. Learn all you can about Diabetes . Establish a relationship with a diabetes  educator and ask your diabetes  care team for help when you need it.
• Choose healthy foods and maintain a healthy weight. Losing just 7 percent of your body weight if you’re overweight can make a significant difference in your blood sugar control. A healthy diet is one with plenty of fruits, vegetables, whole grains and legumes, with a limited amount of saturated fats.
• Make physical activity part of your daily routine. Regular exercise can help prevent pre – diabetes  and type 2 diabetes  , and can help those who already have diabetes  maintain better blood sugar control. Thirty minutes of moderate exercise – such as brisk walking – is recommended most days of the week. A combination of exercise — aerobic exercise such as walking or dancing most days, combined with resistance training such as weight lifting or yoga twice a week — often helps control blood sugar more effectively than anything else. type of exercise alone.

Estilo de Vida Para Diabetes Tipo 1 e Tipo 2: Além disso, se você tem Diabetes tipo 1 ou tipo 2:

• Se identifique. Use uma etiqueta ou pulseira que diga que você tem Diabetes. Mantenha um kit de glucagon próximo em caso de uma baixa emergência de açúcar no sangue – e certifique-se de que seus amigos e entes queridos sabem como usá-lo.
• Schedule annual physical and regular eye exams. Your regular diabetes  exams are not intended to replace annual physicals or routine eye exams. During the physical process, your doctor will look for any diabetes  -related complications and screen for other medical issues. Your eye care specialist will check for signs of retinal damage, cataracts and glaucoma.
• Keep your vaccinations up to date. High blood sugar can weaken your immune system. Get a flu shot every year, and your doctor may also recommend the pneumonia shot. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) also currently recommends hepatitis B vaccination if you have not previously been vaccinated against hepatitis B and you are an adult age 19 to 59 with type 1 or type 2 diabetes  . The latest CDC recommends getting vaccinated as soon as possible after being diagnosed with type 1  or type 2 diabetes  . .
• Pay attention to your feet. Wash your feet daily in warm water. Dry them gently, especially between your toes. Moisturize with lotion, but not between the toes. Check your feet every day for blisters, cuts, sores, redness or swelling. See your doctor if you have a pain or other foot problem that doesn’t heal readily on its own.
• Keep your blood pressure and cholesterol under control. Eating healthy foods and exercising regularly can go a long way toward controlling high blood pressure and cholesterol. Medication may also be necessary.
• Take care of your teeth. Diabetes  can make you prone to more serious gum infections. Brush and dent your teeth at least twice a day. And if you have type 1 or type 2 diabetes  , schedule regular dental checkups. See your dentist right away if your gums bleed or become red or swollen.
• If you smoke or use other types of tobacco, ask your doctor to help you quit. Smoking increases the risk of several diabetes complications . Smokers who have diabetes  are more likely to die from cardiovascular disease than nonsmokers who have diabetes , according to the American Diabetes  Association. Talk to your doctor about ways to stop smoking or stop using other types of tobacco.
• If you drink alcohol, do it responsibly. Alcohol can cause high or low blood sugar , depending on how much you drink and eat at the same time. If you choose to drink, do so only in moderation – one drink a day for women of all ages and men over 65 and up to two drinks a day for men 65 and under – and always with food. Remember to include the carbs from any alcohol you drink in your daily carb count. And check your blood sugar levels before going to bed.
• Take stress seriously. The hormones your body can produce in response to prolonged stress can prevent insulin from working properly, which will raise your blood sugar and stress you even more. Set limits for yourself and prioritize your tasks. Learn relaxation techniques. And sleep a lot.