Diabetes is a disease that occurs when your blood glucose, also called blood sugar, is too high. Blood glucose is your main source of energy and comes from the food you eat. Insulin, a hormone made by the pancreas, helps glucose from food get into your cells to be used for energy.
Although not everyone with type 2 diabetes is overweight, obesity and an inactive lifestyle are two of the most common causes of type 2 diabetes. These things are responsible for about 90% to 95% of diabetes cases in south africa.
To understand diabetes, first you must understand how glucose is normally processed in the body.
Insulin is a hormone that comes from a gland situated behind and below the stomach (pancreas).
What are the 3 types of diabetes?
There are three main types of diabetes: type 1, type 2, and gestational diabetes (diabetes while pregnant).
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 the pancreas. This leaves you with little or no insulin. Instead of being transported into your cells, sugar builds up in your bloodstream.
Type 1 is thought to be caused by a combination of genetic susceptibility and environmental factors, though exactly what those factors are is still unclear. Weight is not believed to be a factor in type 1 diabetes.
In prediabetes — 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 make enough insulin to overcome this resistance. Instead of moving into your cells where it’s needed for energy, sugar builds up in your bloodstream.
Exactly why this happens is uncertain, although it’s believed that genetic and environmental factors play a role in the development of type 2 diabetes too. Being overweight is strongly linked to the development of type 2 diabetes, but not everyone with type 2 is overweight.
Erectile dysfunction is a common problem for men who have diabetes — but it’s not inevitable. Consider prevention strategies, treatment options and more.
Erectile dysfunction — the inability to get or maintain an erection firm enough for sex — is common in men who have diabetes, especially those with type 2 diabetes. It can stem from damage to nerves and blood vessels caused by poor long-term blood sugar control.
Erectile dysfunction can also be linked to other conditions common in men with diabetes, such as high blood pressure and heart disease. Erectile dysfunction might occur earlier in men with diabetes than in men without the disease. Difficulty maintaining an erection might even precede the diabetes diagnosis.
Having erectile dysfunction can be a real challenge. It can leave you and your partner feeling frustrated and discouraged. Take steps to cope with erectile dysfunction — and get your sex life back on track.
During pregnancy, the placenta produces hormones to sustain 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 gets into your cells and too much stays in your blood, resulting in gestational diabetes.
Although the exact cause of type 1 diabetes is unknown, factors that may signal an increased risk include:
Researchers don’t fully understand why some people develop prediabetes and type 2 diabetes and others don’t. It’s clear that certain factors increase the risk, however, including:
Pregnant women can develop gestational diabetes. Some women are at greater risk than are others. Risk factors for gestational diabetes include:
Long-term complications of diabetes develop gradually. The longer you have diabetes — and the less controlled your blood sugar — the higher the risk of complications. Eventually, diabetes complications may be disabling or even life-threatening. Possible complications include:
Most women who have gestational diabetes deliver 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:
Complications in the mother also can occur as a result of gestational diabetes, including:
Diabetes dramatically increases the risk of various cardiovascular problems, including coronary artery disease with chest pain (angina), heart attack, stroke and narrowing of arteries (atherosclerosis). If you have diabetes, you’re more likely to have heart disease or stroke. Nerve damage (neuropathy).
Early signs and symptoms of diabetes
How can u prevent diabetes?
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Drink water.
Drinking water instead of other beverages may help control blood sugar and insulin levels, thereby reducing the risk of diabetes
Some studies suggest that drinking coffee — whether caffeinated and decaffeinated — may actually reduce your risk of developing type 2 diabetes. If you already have diabetes, however, the impact of caffeine on insulin action may be associated with higher or lower blood sugar levels.
Drink in Moderation
Most people with diabetes can enjoy some alcohol. Rules are the same as for everyone else: one drink per day for women; two for men. But you need to know how alcohol affects your blood sugar. A sugary drink might spike your blood sugar.
No matter what type of diabetes you have, smoking makes your diabetes harder to manage. If you have diabetes and you smoke, you are more likely to have serious health problems from diabetes, including: Heart disease.
The average amounts are for sucrose 34.5 mg/g tobacco, for glucose 52.3 mg/g tobacco and for fructose 87.6 mg/g tobacco. The average total sugar content is 17.4% (w/w) with a range of 1.9 to 18.3%.
The study reveals that obesity is linked to very high rates of chronic illnesses — higher than living in poverty, and much higher than smoking or drinking.
Nicotine can make your blood sugar level go up or down. The chemical alters the way your body can use glucose, the sugar in your blood that fuels your cells. It could raise your odds of getting type 2 diabetes, and it can make your diabetes worse.
Smoking raises your blood sugar
Smoking may make your body more resistant to insulin, which can lead to higher blood sugar levels. Uncontrolled blood sugar can lead to serious complications from diabetes, including problems with your kidneys, heart, and blood vessels.
sugar-sweetened beverages (juice, soda, sweet tea, sports drinks) sweeteners (table sugar, brown sugar, honey, maple syrup, molasses) processed foods (chips, microwave popcorn, processed meat, convenience meals) trans fats (vegetable shortening, fried foods, dairy-free coffee creamers, partially hydrogenated oil)
Glucose Screening Test
You’ll drink a liquid that contains glucose, and then 1 hour later your blood will be drawn to check your blood sugar level. A normal result is 140 mg/dL or lower. If your level is higher than 140 mg/dL, you’ll need to take a glucose tolerance test.
Diabetes can cause cloudy urine when too much sugar builds up in your urine. Your urine may also smell sweet or fruity. Diabetes can also lead to kidney complications or increase risk of infections of the urinary tract, both of which can also make your urine appear cloudy.
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Make sure you don’t stress your-self to avoid the risk of diabetes. Consequently, diabetes can’t be cured, but it can be treated and controlled. You can manage diabetes by keeping your blood sugar levels by balancing food intake with diabetes medication and physical activity. Maintain your blood cholesterol levels by following a healthy eating plan low in processed foods, added sugars, and saturated fat. A medication may also be needed. Control your blood pressure. Your goal should be to keep your blood pressure below.
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