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Diabetes |
What is Diabetes?Diabetes is the condition in which the sugar levels in the blood increase beyond the normal desired level.
It is a life-long disease and leads to risk of other kind of diseases too.
When we consume our food/ meals, sugar in the form of glucose enters our blood stream. This glucose is used by the various muscles, fat and liver cells of our body for the daily functioning. Glucose can be moved to these muscles and cells only through ‘insulin’.
Insulin is produced by the Islets of Langerhans in the pancreas organ.
In diabetes, the person has lesser amount of insulin in the body than required or it is so that the insulin present is not being used efficiently. This is called insulin resistance.
In both these cases, the glucose in the body cannot be utilized as fuel. It simply gets deposited in the body in the form of fats or is excreted through urine.
There are three types of diabetes.
Firstly, Type 1 diabetes usually diagnosed at the childhood stage itself in which the body produces little or absolutely no insulin. Secondly, in Type 2 diabetes the pancreas are not able to produce enough insulin to keep with the glucose levels in the body. Apart from this, the insulin already present in the body is not being utilized properly to produce energy.
Thirdly, Gestational diabetes is seen in pregnant women who are diagnosed with high blood sugar during the 24th and 28th week of pregnancy.
The standard symptoms about diabetes / diabetes mellitus are mainly frequent urination, increased thirst and hunger, greater appetite, tiredness and fatigue, blurred vision, slowly healing infections or injuries, nausea, vomiting, etc.
There are certain risk factors about diabetes. People with high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and obesity all should get themselves checked for diabetes. It is recommended that an individual more than 45 years of age should do the diabetes tests atleast every 2-3 years.
In Fasting Blood glucose level test, diabetes is diagnosed if blood glucose level is higher than 126 mg/dL.
In non-fasting blood glucose test if the blood glucose level is higher than 200 mg/dL and there are symptoms of frequent urination & thirst, fatigue then diabetes is suspected. Oral glucose test for diabetes confirms diabetes mellitus if the glucose level is higher than 200 mg/ dL two hours after doing the test.
The first step towards curing diabetes is collecting diabetes information, knowing more about diabetes - what is diabetes, how it is caused, etc. If you have diabetes, you should regularly check your glucose levels, take advice from a dietician regarding your diet and eating habits. So exercise regularly. Going for a daily walk reduces a lot of risk of other diseases. Right proportion of medication or insulin should be taken consistently. Special and immediate attention must be given to any injuries or infections (especially of the feet).
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