Diabetes Information

Diabetes is a disease in which our bodies do not produce enough "Insulin" or effective insulin. Most of the components of our meal contain sugar. When we eat food, it is broken down into simple sugar called glucose. This glucose is taken by blood and it travels there freely till it is used by the cells to produce energy. Your cells use glucose to produce energy to do work such as our daily activities of walking, sitting, running and so on.

Apart from this, our body needs glucose for proper functioning of organs such as brain, heart, muscles, kidneys, lungs and so on. However, insulin is required for the uptake of glucose by the cells. Without insulin our bodies are not able to use glucose effectively and our blood sugar levels increases. A gland in our bodies, known as, "Pancreas" produces the exact amount of insulin, to breakdown the sugar produced in the body. A particular type of cells, known as, Beta cells produce insulin in pancreas.

Diabetes Prevention

Primary prevention is a very promising strategy to prevent or delay the onset of diabetes and its complications for individuals who are at risk of developing diabetes. It is beneficial for older people who are at risk of developing type II diabetes. No researches have concluded that type I diabetes can be prevented by any strategy. Timely intervention of primary prevention can not only prevent from diabetes but also reduce the risk of developing heart disease and other related associated disorders. The various components of primary prevention are lifestyle changes to maintain a healthy weight, healthy diet with proper nutrition, regular physical activity and health check- ups at desired intervals.

Secondary prevention is targeted at the early detection of the complications associated with diabetes, so that they can be prevented. Secondary prevention ensures cost effectiveness in terms of reduced treatment cost and hospitalization requirements to treat the complications of diabetes and also helps a diabetic in attaining good quality of life. Researches have proved that diabetic individuals, who are able to manage their blood sugar levels effectively, have reduced incidence of complications related to diabetes and have a better quality of life.

Diabetes Symptoms

Individuals can experience different warning signs, and sometimes there may be no obvious warning, but some of the signs are commonly experienced. Following are the list of diabetes symptoms:-

Extreme thirst and a dry mouth (Polydypsia)
Frequent urination (Polyuria)
Extreme hunger (Polyphagia)
Extreme tiredness/lack of energy
Sudden weight loss
Tingling or numbness in the hands or feet
Sore or wounds that heal slowly
Recurrent infections
Blurred vision
Irritability