Diabetes Awareness: Guidelines to Help You Master Everything You Need to Know about Diabetes

Do you ever wonder what it’s like to live with diabetes or do you urgently need reliable information to understand what diabetes is and what you can do to manage it? Look no further! In this article, you will learn all the basics you need to know about diabetes, its implication, the diagnostic guidelines, and what you can do to bring it under control. This article also aims at promoting diabetes awareness to help both diabetics and non-diabetics understand its implications.

Let’s dive in!

What is Diabetes Mellitus?

Diabetes Mellitus, commonly known as diabetes, is a medical condition that occurs when your blood sugar level or blood glucose level is abnormally high. Having a high level of sugar in the blood can cause multiple signs, symptoms, and health complications.

Types of Diabetes: Which Type of Diabetes Do I have?

There are two types of Diabetes Mellitus namely, Type 1 Diabetes and Type 2 Diabetes. If you have been wondering which type of diabetes you might be suffering from, check out the descriptions below:

Type 1 Diabetes

Type 1 Diabetes occurs when your body does not make enough of an essential hormone known as insulin. Insulin is released by the pancreas, an organ located just above your belly button. Normally, insulin tells the cells of your body to absorb sugar from your blood. However, in patients with Type 1 Diabetes, a lack of insulin disrupts the absorption of sugars. As a result, excess sugar is left behind in the bloodstream and starts to accumulate.

Type 2 Diabetes

Type 2 Diabetes is the most common type of diabetes in adults. In Type 2 Diabetes, your insulin levels are fine however; it’s your body cells that are insensitive to insulin. Hence, when insulin tries to tell your cells to absorb sugars from the blood, your cells become stubborn and do not absorb sugars. As a result, a lot of sugar is left within your bloodstream.

Signs & Symptoms

Diabetes mellitus can present in different ways. All the signs and symptoms of diabetes occur as a result of high blood sugar. Mastering the signs and symptoms of diabetes helps promote diabetes awareness within a community and thus, encourages people to seek help before complications start to kick in.

The signs and symptoms of diabetes include:

• Excessive thirst
• Increased hunger
• Frequent need to pass urine
• Blurred vision
• Tiredness
• Tingling or numbness in the toes, feet, and fingers.
• Recurrent infections such as yeast
• Slow wound healing
• Itchiness

Symptoms can vary depending on the type of diabetes. Patients with Type 1 Diabetes may also experience unintentional weight loss.

What Causes Diabetes?

Multiple factors have been identified as contributing factors of diabetes. It is a well-known fact that diabetes has a strong genetic link. Genes are transmitted within a family. Simply put, genes are similar to a package of characteristics that you inherit from the moment you are born. This means that if a close relative has diabetes, you could also be predisposed to developing diabetes. There are no clearly defined rules to know if this will actually happen but it remains a possibility.

In addition to genetics, diet and other lifestyle factors play a major role in the development of type 2 diabetes. Studies show that a high-fat diet, obesity, and a sedentary lifestyle can contribute to diabetes. Other risk factors that have been identified include high alcohol intake, high blood pressure, and aging.

How Do I Confirm If I Have Diabetes?

To diagnose diabetes, there are different blood tests that can be done. Below is a list of the routine tests used to confirm that a patient has diabetes. Diabetes guidelines suggest that a combination of tests together with proper history taking need to be carried out before confirming a diagnosis. These diabetes guidelines are a good guide.

Random Blood Glucose

Random blood glucose is a simple test taking from a non-fasting patient where your doctor will collect a drop of blood from a finger prick and will test it for glucose on a small reading device. The results of the test are obtained instantly.

Fasting Blood Glucose

To perform fasting blood glucose, a sample of blood is usually collected after an overnight fast and then sent to the laboratory for analysis.

BLOOD GLUCOSE TEST

HBA1C

The HBA1C test is a reliable test that measures your glucose levels from a blood sample. The results obtained reflect your blood sugar levels over the past 3 months.

Further Tests

Your doctor will also want to perform screening tests such as retinal screening, renal tests, and diabetic foot screening to make sure that you don’t have any diabetic complication.

Treatment: What You Can Do to Reduce the Risk of Diabetes

While the medications used to manage diabetes are the same in every country, the treatment guidelines of diabetes may vary from country to country.

Ideas for a Diabetes-friendly Diet

An important part of mastering diabetes awareness is to learn the right food options and the important concept of glycemic index. Glycemic index is a number attributed to a particular food to reflect the rise in blood glucose levels after 2 hours of consuming that particular food. Diabetics should consume foods with a low glycemic index. Low glycemic index foods have a score of 55 or less. Low glycemic index foods prevent sugar spikes, fluctuations, and can help reduce the overall level of glucose in the blood.

Here’s a list of some great low glycemic index foods you can include in your diet:

• Whole-grain bread
• Brown rice
• Peas and beans
• Leafy vegetables
• Steel-cut oats
• Nuts such as walnuts and cashews
• Mushrooms

LEAFY VEGETABLES

Diabetes-friendly Breakfast

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. If you have diabetes, it is important to look for diabetes-friendly breakfast options. We managed to put together a diabetes-friendly breakfast list so you don’t have to.

Here are some great ideas you can include for a diabetes-friendly breakfast:

• Rolled or steel-cut oats served in low-fat milk
• Scrambled or boiled eggs with whole-grain toast
• Greek yoghurt
• Toasted whole-grain bread topped with unsweetened almond butter
• Omelette topped with green leafy vegetables like broccoli, kale, and spinach.

Medical Treatment

After confirming the diagnosis of diabetes, your doctor will usually prescribe an anti-diabetic medication such as Metformin or insulin. Your doctor will also encourage you to practice daily exercises and maintain a healthy body weight.

Natural Remedies

Corosolic acid found in Banaba is believed to help in the reduction of sugar levels by promoting its absorption. However, more research needs to be conducted to confirm the efficacy, safety, and mechanism of action of this natural constituent.

Bottom Line

‘’Health is the greatest of human blessings– Hippocrates’’

This article brings forward important information on what you should know about Diabetes Mellitus, how it is confirmed, and what you can do to reduce the damage and symptoms of diabetes. This article also aims at increasing diabetes awareness and providing patients with practical solutions like breakfast ideas to help them live a healthier life.

Here’s the summary:

• Diabetes is characterized by a high level of blood sugar.
• Some of the common symptoms of diabetes include increased thirst, increased appetite, frequent need to pass urine, and a constant feeling of tiredness.
• To confirm if you have diabetes, your doctor will request some blood sugar tests such as fasting blood glucose, random blood glucose, and HBA1C.
• Diabetes can be controlled with medications and lifestyle changes. You should swap high glycemic index foods with low glycemic index ones. Practicing regular exercises and maintaining a healthy body weight can also help control your blood sugar levels.

Disclaimer: The information and graphics here are for informational purposes only. The content is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, and treatment. You should always consult your medical doctor or other qualified healthcare professionals if you have queries regarding your health. Never disregard the advice of a healthcare professional, or delay in seeking it because of something you have read here