Definition of diabetes:

What is Insulin?

What are hypoglycemia and hyperglycemia?

How many types of diabetes are?

What are causes of diabetes?

What are the symptoms of diabetes?

Management and treatment of diabetes

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Definition:

Diabetes is a chronic disease that occurs either when the pancreas does not produce enough insulin or when the body cannot effectively use the insulin it produces.

Insulins:

Insulin is a hormone that regulates blood glucose level .

Hyperglycemia:

Increase glucose level in blood is called hyperglycemia.

Hypoglycemia:

Glucose level below than normal in the body is called hypoglycemia.

Type 1 diabetes:

If you have type 1 diabetes, your body does not make insulin. Your immune system attacks and destroys the cells in your pancreas that make insulin. Type 1 diabetes is usually diagnosed in children and young adults, although it can appear at any age. People with type 1 diabetes need to take insulin every day to stay alive.

Type 2 diabetes:

If you have type 2 diabetes, your body does not make or use insulin well. You can develop type 2 diabetes at any age, even during childhood. However, this type of diabetes occurs most often in middle-aged and older people. Type 2 is the most common type of diabetes.

Gestational diabetes:

Gestational diabetes develops in some women when they are pregnant. Most of the time, this type of diabetes goes away after the baby is born. However, if you’ve had gestational diabetes, you have a greater chance of developing type 2 diabetes later in life. Sometimes diabetes diagnosed during pregnancy is actually type 2 diabetes.

Symptoms:

Diabetes symptoms depend on how high your blood sugar is. Some people, especially if they have prediabetes, gestational diabetes or type 2 diabetes, may not have symptoms. In type 1 diabetes, symptoms tend to come on quickly and be more severe.

Some of the symptoms of type 1 diabetes and type 2 diabetes are:

• Feeling more thirsty than usual.
• Urinating often.
• Losing weight without trying.
• Presence of ketones in the urine. Ketones are a byproduct of the breakdown of muscle and fat that happens when there’s not enough available insulin.
• Feeling tired and weak.
• Feeling irritable or having other mood changes.
• Having blurry vision.
• Having slow-healing sores.
• Getting a lot of infections, such as gum, skin and vaginal infections.

Causes:

Causes of diabetes include:

• Insulin resistance: Type 2 diabetes mainly results from insulin resistance. Insulin resistance happens when cells in your muscles, fat and liver don’t respond as they should to insulin. Several factors and conditions contribute to varying degrees of insulin resistance, including obesity, lack of physical activity, diet, hormonal imbalances, genetics and certain medications.
• Autoimmune disease: Type 1 diabetes and LADA happen when your immune system attacks the insulin-producing cells in your pancreas.
• Hormonal imbalances: During pregnancy, the placenta releases hormones that cause insulin resistance. You may develop gestational diabetes if your pancreas can’t produce enough insulin to overcome the insulin resistance. Other hormone-related conditions like acromegaly and Cushing syndrome can also cause Type 2 diabetes.
• Pancreatic damage: Physical damage to your pancreas — from a condition, surgery or injury — can impact its ability to make insulin, resulting in Type 3c diabetes.
• Genetic mutations: Certain genetic mutations can cause MODY and neonatal diabetes.

Management:

Insulin is the main treatment for type 1 and 1.5 diabetes. It replaces the hormone your body isn’t able to produce.

Various types of insulin are commonly used by people with type 1 and 1.5 diabetes. They differ in how quickly they start to work and how long their effects last:

• Rapid-acting insulin: starts to work within 15 minutes and its effects last for 2 to 4 hours
• Short-acting insulin: starts to work within 30 minutes and lasts 3 to 6 hours
• Intermediate-acting insulin: starts to work within 2 to 4 hours and lasts 12 to 18 hours
• Long-acting insulin: starts to work 2 hours after injection and lasts up to 24 hours
• Ultra-long acting insulin: starts to work 6 hours after injection and lasts 36 hours or more
• Premixed insulin: starts working within 15 to 30 minutes (depending on whether a rapid-acting or short-acting insulin is part of the mix) and lasts 10 to 16 hours

Dietary Management:

Eating the right types of foods can both manage your blood sugar and help you lose any excess weight.

Carb counting is an important part of eating for type 2 diabetes. A dietitian can help you figure out how many grams of carbohydrates to eat at each meal.

In order to keep your blood sugar levels steady, try to eat small meals throughout the day. Emphasize healthy foods such as:

• fruits
• vegetables
• whole grains
• lean protein such as poultry and fish
• healthy fats such as olive oil and nuts

Exercises:

Along with diet and treatment, exercise plays an essential role in diabetes management. This is true for all types of diabetes.

Staying active helps your cells react to insulin more effectively and lower your blood sugar levels. Exercising regularly can also help you:

• reach and maintain a healthy weight
• reduce your risk of diabetes-related health complications
• boost mood
• get better sleep
• improve memory.