Diabetes

What is Diabetes?

Diabetes if referring to a condition that causes high blood sugar levels. This is a serious disease that can affect your entire body.This disease is described as a "chronic" disease, which means that it is a long-term disease, and it last long. There are also 2 different types of Diabetes, first type called insulin dependent diabetes, and the other called non insulin dependent diabetes.

Type 1 Diabetes

In type 1 diabetes, the pancreas, a large gland behind the stomach, stops making insulin because the cells that make the insulin have been destroyed by the body’s immune system. Without insulin, the body’s cells cannot turn glucose (sugar), into energy.

Type 2 Diabetes

Type 2 diabetes develops over a long period of time (years). During this period of time insulin resistance starts, this is where the insulin is increasingly ineffective at managing the blood glucose levels. As a result of this insulin resistance, the pancreas responds by producing greater and greater amounts of insulin, to try and achieve some degree of management of the blood glucose levels. This as mentioned occurs over a very long period of time.

Symptom of Diabetes

• Feeling very thirsty
• Feeling very hungry
• Feeling very tired
• Having dry and itchy skin
• Lose weight
• Having blurry eyesight

Prevention & Treatment

Type 1 Diabetes: cannot be prevented.

Type 2 Diabetes:

• Maintaining a healthy weight
• Regular physical activity
• Making healthy food choices
• Managing blood pressure
• Managing cholesterol levels
• Not smoking.

Why is diet and exercise important for this disease?

Diet and exercise is very important for this disease. Eating healthy diet, such as eating fruits and vegetables, can maintain your body weight, maintaining blood pressure, and it is to slow the development of diabetes. Doing exercises, such as swimming and cycling, are also one of the very important way to maintain your weight, and decrease or reduce your blood pressure.