Ailment Diabetes
FAQ's For Diabetes
Early signs to look out for include hunger, thirst, dry mouth, itchy or dry skin, frequent urination and blurry vision
While Type 1 diabetes an auto-immune disease, the main cause of Type 2 diabetes is poor lifestyle and eating habits, lack of proper stress management and higher than avergae BMI (overweight, obese or morbidly obese).
Type 2 Diabetes can be effectively managed by making drastic lifestyle changes. Eating healthy, excercising regularly and managing stress make a huge difference in decreasing dangerously high blood sugar levels.
Diabetes cannot be cured, only treated and controlled. Diabetes is more of a process. Some months may show lower blood sugar levels than others. However, maintaining a healthy lifestyle is they key to combatting the problem. Even after coming back to normal, blood sugar levels can easily spike again. Hence, staying consistent is key.
In the event of hyperglycemia, a patient can exercise, drink plenty of water, and eat a protein snack to bring blood sugar levels back to usual. Regularly taking prescribed insulin also is a must.
Diabetes mellitus, simply called diabetes is a disease caused by higher than normal blood sugar levels in the body. Insulin is produced by the pancreas, which helps regulate blood sugar. However, a patient having diabetes will be unable to create or effectively use insulin. Diabetes left untreated can cause serious damage to the nerves, kidneys, limbs, eyes and other parts of the body. There are 4 main types based on causes of diabetes:
Prediabetes: Here, blood sugar levels are above average but not high enough to be considered diabetes. If left untreated, it can easily snowball into diabetes.
Type 1 Diabetes: It is an auto-immune disease which affects 10% of all diabetes patients. Here, the immune system destroys cells in the pancreas responsible for insulin production.
Type 2 Diabetes: This type occurs when blood sugar levels become so high that the body experiences insulin resistance. It is genetic in nature, but can also be brought on by poor lifestyle and eating habits, stress and obesity.
Gestational Diabetes: This occurs during pregnancy due to insulin-blocking hormones produced by the placenta, which results in high blood sugar levels.
Diabetes symptoms include:
Weight loss
Increased hunger and thirst
Vision impairment
Extreme fatigue
Frequent urination
Increased healing time of sores
Women can experience increased UTIs, yeast infections and dry or itchy skin
Men can experience decreased sex drive, erectile dysfunction and poor muscle strength
The longer one lives with diabetes, the higher chances there are for health complications such as:
Heart attack, stroke and heart disease
Vision loss
Neuropathy
Nephropathy
Hearing Loss
Foot Damage
Skin Conditions
Dementia
Depression
Diabetes treatment starts with diagnosis. The fasting blood sugar level of the patient is taken and calculated after he/she fasts for 8 or more hours. Less than 100mg/DL is deemed to be a normal blood sugar level. Between 100mg/dL and 125mg/dL is considered prediabetic, while a level of 126 mg/dL or higher measured in two separate tests is considered diabetic.
Insulin is the main form of treatment for those having Type 1 diabetes. Lifestyle changes and medicine are used to help treat Type 2 diabetes. Eating the right foods goes a long way in managing blood sugar levels. Diabetes patients must try to cut out excess sugar from their diets, and regularly eat small meals to prevent fatigue. Healthy foods like lean meats, fruits, vegetables whole grains and nuts are a wholesome way to make diet changes. It is often recommended to consult a dietician before changing meal plans. HerbsDaily also offers a wide selection of natural supplements which help manage Type 2 diabetes.
Prediabetes: Here, blood sugar levels are above average but not high enough to be considered diabetes. If left untreated, it can easily snowball into diabetes.
Type 1 Diabetes: It is an auto-immune disease which affects 10% of all diabetes patients. Here, the immune system destroys cells in the pancreas responsible for insulin production.
Type 2 Diabetes: This type occurs when blood sugar levels become so high that the body experiences insulin resistance. It is genetic in nature, but can also be brought on by poor lifestyle and eating habits, stress and obesity.
Gestational Diabetes: This occurs during pregnancy due to insulin-blocking hormones produced by the placenta, which results in high blood sugar levels.
Diabetes symptoms include:
Weight loss
Increased hunger and thirst
Vision impairment
Extreme fatigue
Frequent urination
Increased healing time of sores
Women can experience increased UTIs, yeast infections and dry or itchy skin
Men can experience decreased sex drive, erectile dysfunction and poor muscle strength
The longer one lives with diabetes, the higher chances there are for health complications such as:
Heart attack, stroke and heart disease
Vision loss
Neuropathy
Nephropathy
Hearing Loss
Foot Damage
Skin Conditions
Dementia
Depression
Diabetes treatment starts with diagnosis. The fasting blood sugar level of the patient is taken and calculated after he/she fasts for 8 or more hours. Less than 100mg/DL is deemed to be a normal blood sugar level. Between 100mg/dL and 125mg/dL is considered prediabetic, while a level of 126 mg/dL or higher measured in two separate tests is considered diabetic.
Insulin is the main form of treatment for those having Type 1 diabetes. Lifestyle changes and medicine are used to help treat Type 2 diabetes. Eating the right foods goes a long way in managing blood sugar levels. Diabetes patients must try to cut out excess sugar from their diets, and regularly eat small meals to prevent fatigue. Healthy foods like lean meats, fruits, vegetables whole grains and nuts are a wholesome way to make diet changes. It is often recommended to consult a dietician before changing meal plans. HerbsDaily also offers a wide selection of natural supplements which help manage Type 2 diabetes.
English
Arabic
Chinese (Traditional)
French
German
Hindi
Italian
Portuguese
Russian
Spanish