246 million people worldwide are suffering from diabetes. It is the seventh leading cause of death around the world. By the year 2025, an estimated 380 million people will suffer from diabetes.
What exactly diabetes is?
Diabetes is a life-long disease that has no cure. Doctors refer it as diabetes mellitus in which blood sugar levels becomes too high. The condition happens when the pancreas does not produce enough insulin or cells of the body do not respond properly to the insulin produced. As per the reports, an estimated 1.5 million deaths occur worldwide due to the diabetes alone. Frequent urination, excessive thirst, and increased hunger are some of the typical diabetes symptoms that a person experiences.
There are two types of diabetes including Type1 and Type 2. Former type accounts to 10%,whereas the later one accounts 90% of all the diabetes cases. Additionally, another type of diabetes is there which is gestational. This type is very common among pregnant women.
What are the symptoms of diabetes?
Initially, people with diabetes are unaware of the symptoms and complications. This is because diabetes symptoms, when seen on their own, seem harmless. But, it’s very crucial that earlier the diabetes is diagnosed the chances of serious complications from having it can be avoided. Some of the diabetes symptoms are as follows:
• Increased thirst
• Dry mouth
• Frequent urination
• Increased appetite
• Unusual weight loss
• Blurred vision
• Headaches
• Fatigue
• Slow healing of cuts or sores
• Recent weight gain
• Numbness and tingling of the hands and feet
• Sexual dysfunction, such as erectile dysfunction in men
If you experience the underlying diabetes symptoms, then it is the perfect time for you to seek medical attention from your doctor. After analyzing and testing you, he/she will recommend you various medications and other options to control your diabetes.
Can diabetes be prevented?
There are varied factors that account to diabetes, including age, genetics, weight, and ethnicity. Nobody can change the genetics and ethnicity, but there are various ways that can help you in diabetes prevention. First and foremost step to prevent diabetes is by changing in lifestyle. By aiming this, you can keep your blood glucose levels as normal as possible. Below mentioned are the steps that you should follow to keep your blood glucose levels in range:
• Healthy eating- Management of diet is crucial to prevent the levels of sugar to rise, and it is also the first-line treatment. You should eat fruits, vegetables, and whole grains to control your diabetes. In case you crave for sugary products, then you can have sugar-free chocolates and sweets to cope up.
• Losing weight- If you are overweight then losing it will help you in keeping your blood glucose levels in recommended range. To lose weight you need to perform a minimum of 30 minutes brisk walk daily. Other options include cycling, swimming, and jogging, doing these may help you reducing the risk of having a heart attack or stroke.
Other steps to prevent diabetes:
Apart from eating healthy and losing weight, there is more to follow in your life. Below are various steps of diabetes prevention which you have to follow:
• If you smoke, then kick the butt- Smoking alone make you prone to countless health hazards including risk of strokes and cardiovascular diseases. Reports have stated that smokers are roughly 50 percent more likely to develop diabetes as compared to nonsmokers.
• Alcohol in moderation- Doctors usually says that consumption of alcohol in limitation can help you reduce the risk of heart diseases. It is recommended up to a drink a day for women and up to two drinks a day for men. If people drink as per the specifications, then they will find an increase in the efficiency of insulin at getting glucose inside cells. Additionally, if you don’t drink alcohol, then there’s no need to start it because at any how it is bad for health.
In case the reports prove you as a diabetic, then your doctor may prescribe you medications including Metformin, Sulfonylureas, and Meglitinides for diabetes prevention.
Conclusion:
There is no cure for diabetes, and you have to live with it. So, always discuss the pros and cons of drugs and lifestyle changes with your doctor. After analyzing you on different parameters, he will suggest you what to do or what not. In the meanwhile, it’s your life, and it should be your decision.
Must Read: 5 Natural Remedies for Preventing Diabetes
