Everything you need to know about Diabetes

Diabetes, as we call it, is a metabolic disease that causes high sugar levels in the blood. The hormone known as  insulin is a major factor responsible for moving blood sugar into the cells for storage or energy. But for someone suffering from diabetes, their body either fails to effectively use the insulin it produces. or doesn’t produce enough insulin. 

Also Read: Useful Tips To Manage Your Diabetic Health during Diwali

If you are someone who wants to accumulate more knowledge about diabetes, 

We have curated a list of major types, symptoms, and healthy lifestyle changes a diabetic patient should look further into.

Clinical diagnosis of diabetes

In most cases, a doctor may suggest an RBS test to understand if you are prone to diabetes. A test result report of RBS higher  than 200 mg/dL may indicate that the patient is diabetic. Doctors then further suggest a fasting blood sugar test and oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) for confirmation. Fasting test values higher than 126 mg/dL and OGTT values higher than 200 mg/dL indicate diabetes.

Common Symptoms

There are a few common symptoms you can observe and get to know if someone is suffering from diabetes.

1. Symptoms such as an increased appetite, weight loss, frequent urination, fatigue, and a longer healing time for wounds, indicates an increase in blood sugar.
2. Urinary tract infections, yeast infections, and dry, itchy skin are a few additional symptoms that are commonly observed in women dealing with diabetes.
3. Experience of blurry vision is also an early symptom that lasts temporarily when the sugar levels spike.

Four Major Types 

Diabetes or Diabetes mellitus can be classified into four major types:

1. diabetes occurs when the body becomes resistant to insulin.
2. The second and more common type,diabetes is a rare form of diabetes where the pancreas produces little or no insulin.
3. Gestational diabetes occurs in pregnant women.
4. Lastly, Prediabetes is a condition where the blood sugar is high but not high enough to be termed type 2 diabetes.

Changes to be Opted in Lifestyle

Some important steps are to be followed by diabetic patients to embrace a healthy lifestyle. Diabetes is a condition that can be regulated with medication and healthy lifestyle changes, if diagnosed on time. The most crucial step is to avoid foods and drinks that contain sugar. Opting for whole foods like whole grains, fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, low-fat dairy, and nuts can help to regulate your blood sugar levels decreasing the effects of diabetes. Last but not the least, engaging in physical activity of at least half an hour is important to maintain an active lifestyle.