Struggling with Diabetes

Diabetes is a very debilitating disease. It sneaks on very quietly into your body and takes over your whole system. The way this disease comes in a very unsuspecting manner, makes it deadly as most people do not know the gravity of this disease until it has taken root very deeply in a deadly manner. The main cause usually is careless life style and genetic inheritance , when not monitored closely to make sure that it is not transferred. Normally, a deliberate life style and diet change is a very good way to reverse the disease. Diabetes is a lifelong condition that causes a person’s blood sugar level to become too high.

attacks and destroys the cells that produce insulin enough insulin, or the body’s cells don’t react to insulin During pregnancy, some women have such high levels of blood glucose that their body is unable to produce enough insulin to absorb it all. This is known as gestational diabetes.

Many more people have blood sugar levels above the normal range, but not high enough to be diagnosed as having diabetes. This is sometimes known as pre-diabetes. If your blood sugar level is above the normal range, your risk of developing full-blown diabetes is increased. It’s very important for diabetes to be diagnosed as early as possible because it will get progressively worse if left untreated. produce enough insulin to maintain a normal blood glucose level, or the body is unable to use the insulin that is produced (insulin resistance).

The pancreas is a large gland behind the stomach that produces the hormone insulin. Insulin moves glucose from your blood into your cells, where it’s converted into energy.

pancreas doesn’t produce enough insulin.

diabetes are

of south Asian, Chinese, African-Caribbean or black African origin.

such as a parent, brother or sister People of south Asian and African-Caribbean origin also have an increased risk of developing complications of diabetes, such as heart disease, at a younger age than the rest of the population. age. This may be because people tend to gain weight and exercise less as they get older.

Maintaining a healthy weight by eating a healthy, balanced diet and exercising regularly are ways of preventing and managing diabetes.

risk of developing the condition. People of south Asian, Chinese, African-Caribbean and black African origin a much earlier age.

However, despite increasing age being a risk factor for all ethnic groups have been developing the condition. symptoms can often appear quite quickly.But leaving it untreated can lead to serious health problems, including diabetic ketoacidosis, which can result in a potentially fatal coma.

Your risk of developing the condition is increased if you are diagnosed in childhood and early adulthood, the have a close relative such as a parent, brother or sister who has the condition. diabetes may not recognise their symptoms as quickly The closer the relative, the greater the risk. A child as children, which could mean their diagnosis and treatment may be delayed. in three chance of also developing the condition.

more slowly, especially in the early stages when it can be harder to spot the symptoms. But untreated diabetes overweight or obese affects many major organs, including your heart, blood vessels, nerves, eyes and kidneys. Being diagnosed early 30 or above puts you in the obese range and controlling your blood sugar levels can help prevent Fat around your tummy (abdomen) particularly inthese complications. creases your risk. This is because it releases chemicals that can upset the body’s cardiovascular and metabolic systems.

This increases your risk of developing a number of serious conditions, including: Measuring your waist is a quick way of assessing your diabetes risk. This is a measure of abdominal obesity, which is a particularly high-risk form of obesity.

diabetes, based on their waist measurements: inches) or more

Exercising regularly and reducing your body weight

at night episodes of thrush even days. realizing because the early symptoms tend to be general. Why does diabetes create these symptoms? These symptoms occur because some or all of the glucose stays in the blood, and isn’t being used as fuel for energy. The body tries to reduce blood glucose levels by flushing the excess glucose out of the body in the urine. High levels of glucose being passed in the urine are a perfect breeding ground for the fungal infection which causes thrush. The amount of sugar in the blood is contr olled by a hormone called insulin, which is pr oduced by the pancreas (a gland behind the stomach) When food is digested and enters your bloodstream, insulin moves glucose out of the blood and into cells, where it’s broken down to produce energy. However, if you have diabetes, your body is unable to break down glucose into energy. This is because there’s either not enough insulin to move the glucose, or the insulin produced doesn’t work properly. Although there are no lifestyle changes you can make often linked to being overweight.. That means there are steps you can take to reduce your risk of developing it. diabetes. If you maintain a healthy weight, you can reduce your risk of developing the condition. There are no lifestyle changes that can lower your

if your blood glucose level is higher than normal, but not yet high enough to be diagnosed with diabetes.

This is sometimes called pre-diabetes, and doctors

These groups are advised to maintain a BMI lower

Although the evidence is less clear-cut, black people and other minority groups are also advised to maintain

BMI isn’t the only important measurement when it comes to your diabetes risk. Your waistline may also indicate that you’re carrying extra body fat, and are therefore at risk.

All women have an increased risk of diabetes if their

White or black men have an increased risk if their

If you lose excess weight, you’ll lower your risk of

The healthy way to lose weight A healthy diet and physical activity are the key to a healthy weight, but that doesn’t have to mean going on a strict diet and spending hours at the gym.

A number of other risk factors can increase your risk controlled.

3. being south Asian or African-Caribbean; these ethnic

if you’re also overweight

for the duration of a pregnancy)

glucose tolerance, sometimes referred to as pre-diabetes.

If you have any of these risk factors, you should maintain a healthy weight to ensure that your risk of diabetes doesn’t increase further.

If you’re diagnosed with diabetes, you’ll need to eat healthily, take regular exercise and carry out regular blood tests to ensure your blood glucose levels stay balanced.

You can use the BMI healthy weight calculator to check whether you’re a healthy weight.

regular insulin injections for the rest of their life.

may eventually be required, usually in the form of tablets. invited to have their eyes screened once a year.

If you have diabetes, your eyes are at risk from diabetic retinopathy, a condition that can lead to sight loss if it’s not treated.

Screening, which involves a half-hour check to examine the back of the eyes, is a way of detecting the condition early so it can be treated more effectively.

per day vegetable oils, reduced fat spreads, oily fish and avocados oily fish at least once a week instead of frying or roasting

biscuits and pastries