Diabetes is a long-term health problem when your body produces insufficient insulin, or the cells are unresponsive to insulin action. Consequently, blood sugar or glucose rises, which can eventually cause serious health problems like kidney disease, heart disease, and vision loss. For this reason, David N Peterson APRN, ND, recommends regular screening for anyone at risk of diabetes. For example, you may be at risk of diabetes if there is a history of the same problem in your family. Regular screening and living a healthy life can help lower your risk or begin treatment before the disease causes any complications. Below are the types of diabetes.
Type 1 diabetes
Type 1 diabetes results from an autoimmune reaction whereby your body’s immune system destroys beta cells in your pancreas. As a result, the pancreas produces little or no insulin; insulin is a chemical that allows the entry of blood sugar into the cells. Insufficient or insufficient insulin causes sugar or glucose to accumulate in your bloodstream. Initially, type 1 diabetes was called insulin-dependent or juvenile diabetes because it usually develops in children, teens, and young adults. However, his chronic health problem can affect anyone regardless of age. Currently, there is so cure for type 1 diabetes, but it can be managed successfully by:
- Controlling your blood sugar
- Getting regular health checkups
- Following your physician’s recommendations on living a healthy lifestyle
Type 2 diabetes
Type 2 diabetes stems from two interrelated problems – your cells poorly respond to insulin, and your pancreas does not produce adequate insulin. When this happens, glucose levels rise in your bloodstream, and you may have signs and symptoms like:
- Increased hunger
- Frequent urination
- Increased thirst
- Fatigue
- Slow-healing sores
- Blurred vision
- Frequent infection
- Unintended weight loss
Previously, type 2 diabetes was known as adult-onset diabetes as it was common in older people. However, today, the prevalence of obesity in children has led to more cases of type 2 diabetes in younger people. The good news is that healthy lifestyle choices like losing weight, getting active, and eating healthy foods can help you prevent type 2 diabetes.
Prediabetes
Prediabetes
Prediabetes means your blood glucose levels are above average but not accelerated enough to be diagnosed as type 2 diabetes. If you have prediabetes, the damage to your heart, kidneys, and blood vessels may start. Fortunately, lifestyle changes to prevent type 2 diabetes can also help make blood sugar levels normal. Eating healthy foods and making physical activity part of your everyday routine helps prevent disease progression. Prediabetes usually causes no signs and symptoms, but one particular sign is darkened skin on specific body parts.
Gestational diabetes
Gestational diabetes can develop during pregnancy at any stage in women who already don’t have diabetes. It occurs when your body can’t produce enough insulin during pregnancy, causing sugar accumulation in the bloodstream. Although all women have some insulin resistance during late pregnancy, some have it before pregnancy. Starting pregnancy with an increased need for insulin makes one more likely to have gestational diabetes.
If you have any questions about diabetes, consult your healthcare provider at PharmXhealthOne.
