Diabetes is becoming one of the most common diseases worldwide. Did you know, every year there are more millions of people are diagnosed with diabetes?
What Is Diabetes?
Now, diabetes is mainly concerned with the sugar level in our blood. Additionally, the sugar in our blood is often termed glucose.
Moreover, you are likely to be diabetic when the glucose level in your blood is not normal. Now, why is glucose so important in our bodies?
Glucose is very important in our body as it is one of the important sources of energy. It provides energy to our body cells to function properly. Moreover, glucose also fuels our brain to function properly.
Types Of Diabetes
Mainly, there are two types of diabetes. Type 1 diabetes is a chronic autoimmune condition. This type of diabetes can be diagnosed in adulthood or childhood.
Now, type 2 diabetes is a type that develops in adulthood. Type 2 occurs when our body stops responding to insulin. Insulin is a hormone that helps our body cells to take sugar from our blood. The pancreas produces insulin in our body.
How Do You Know If You Are Diabetic?
To know if you’re diabetic or not you will need to get some blood sugar tests done. But, the early symptoms of both type 1 and type 2 are almost the same.
But, there are a few symptoms that you can be cautious of. So, here are a few symptoms that can be the early signs of warning:
- Thirsty all the time
- Frequent urination
- Abrupt weight loss
- Increased appetite
- Eye-sight problems
- Numbness in your hands and feet
- Fatigue
- Skin dryness
These were the symptoms that are common in both type 1 and type 2 diabetes. Now, here are the symptoms that are different in type 1 and type 2 diabetes.
Symptoms of Type 1 Diabetes
Along with the common symptoms, the symptoms for type 1 are as follows:
- Sudden weight loss
- Frequent urination, especially during the night
- Yeast infection in prepubescent girls
- Bad breath
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Unconsciousness
- Loss of breath
- Flu
In some cases of type 1, the patients have been admitted to emergency rooms. This is because ketones clog in the bloodstream.
Symptoms of Type 2 Diabetes
Similar to that of type 1, along with the common diseases, the other symptoms of type 2 are:
- Infections
- Slow-healing of wounds
- Heart problems ]numbness in your body
- Tingling in your body
Precautions You Can Take
Although diabetes is treated using different methods like dieting, physical activity, you can also make some changes in your daily routine to improve your condition.
Now, if you have type 1, you need continuous insulin intake in your body. This is because, in this type of diabetes, your pancreas doesn’t produce enough insulin needed by your body.
In the case of type 2, a few lifestyle changes can be made to improve your situation. For this, you can start a proper diet, and exercise.
Moreover, you will also need to take medications, injections to mage the insulin level in your body. Another important thing is in both types of diabetes, you will need to be careful of your carbohydrate intake.
Also Read: Eating Whole Grains Three Times A Day May Lower Heart Disease Risk
So you should avoid the following food items:
- Sugary drinks
- Sweetened cereals
- White bread
- White pasta
- Fruit juices
- Coffee drinks
- Packaged food
If you are suffering from any of these symptoms, you should definitely consult your doctor. Moreover, if you are diabetic you will need to make a few lifestyle changes.
But, despite all the treatment and medications you undergo, you can still live an active life. But all you need to do is be a little cautious of what you eat.