Complete Guide to Diabetes Management for People of All Ages

Almost every other person in the world has access to fast food, sugary items, junk food, and an inactive lifestyle due to desk jobs. These things result in complicated health issues like morbid obesity, hormonal changes, loss of muscle mass, increased blood pressure, cholesterol, and the worst of all - diabetes.

People across the world are aware of the health complications and issues associated with diabetes and quite frankly many people fear the disease. If you are suffering from early symptoms regarding diabetes, this article will cover everything that you want to know about diabetes.

What Is Diabetes?

Mostly known as diabetes but rarely known as diabetes mellitus, is a disease caused due to metabolic issues. These issues result in blood sugar and the sugar hormone, otherwise known as insulin is not being made in the body.

Insulin is a hormone that is responsible for moving sugar in the cells to provide energy to carry out the day. When a person has diabetes, the body becomes incapable of making enough insulin to handle the blood sugar or is unable to utilize the insulin. Diabetes is dangerous because when you leave it untreated, it can result in different health issues like vision damage, organ damage, nerve damage, etc.

Type of Diabetes

Diabetes is divided into four major types:

Type 1 Diabetes

It is an autoimmune disease in which the immune system attacks the pancreas and destroys the underlying cells. The pancreas is responsible for making insulin. There are different reasons like genetic issues, childhood obesity, etc. that can lead to this attack. Most of the patients with type 1 diabetes are children and teenagers.

Type 2 Diabetes

People are diagnosed with type 2 diabetes when the body becomes resistant to insulin and allows an increased amount of sugar to build in the blood. Type 2 diabetes is common among people who have been obese for a long time and enter adulthood. Most people affected by type 2 diabetes are over the age of 40.

Prediabetes

When you are suffering from higher than normal blood sugar but it is not as high as it should be to get diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. Prediabetes can be easily reversed and controlled by making healthier lifestyle choices.

Gestational Diabetes

Women suffer from this kind of diabetes during pregnancy. With a child developing in the body, the insulin is usually blocked by hormones that are produced during the process by the placenta. A healthy pregnancy can avoid getting gestational diabetes and normally it reverses the child is born.

Ranges of Blood Sugar

There are different levels of blood sugar and they can be measured with a glucometer. People can buy glucometers at really reasonable prices. If your blood sugar rises significantly after eating something you might be suffering from diabetes. Therefore, itis recommended that you check it before (in fasting condition) and right after eating something.

Here are different ranges of blood sugar:

Normal Blood Sugar

Normal blood sugar has levels less than 140mg/dL or 7.8 mmol/L.

Prediabetes Blood Sugar

People suffering from prediabetes can have a sugar level between 140 and 199 mg/dL or 7.8 to 11.0 mmol/L.

Diabetic Blood Sugar

Diabetic patients have a blood sugar of more than 200 m/dL or 11.1 mmol/L.

Symptoms of Diabetes

From tingling in hands and feet anxiety to frequent urination, there are a lot of symptoms of diabetes/prediabetes you need to look out for. Once you start to experience them, it is time to make changes in your life. Here are a few major symptoms of diabetes:

• Frequent urination normally during the night
• Increased thirst
• Substantial weight loss without any change to diet
• Constant hunger
• Blurry vision or deterioration in vision
• Tingling hands and feet
• Numbness in hands and feet
• Constant lethargy
• Dry skin
• Dark spots on the neck and other places of the body
• Injuries that take a lot of time to heal
• Yeast infections
• Difficulty getting pregnant
• Hormonal changes like PCOS in women

You are more likely to go through diabetic neuropathy treatment if your present condition gets out of hand.

Key Statistics for Diabetes in America

The key findings of elaborative studies that include people suffering from diabetes include:

• 1 in 10 people in America is suffering from diabetes.
• 2 million Americans are diagnosed with diabetes.
• 88 million Americans suffer from prediabetes.
• 1 in 3 people has prediabetes.
• Men have a larger risk of diabetes.
• Non-Hispanic black people have more chances of suffering from diabetes.
• 15% of people who have diabetes are smokers.
• 89% of people who have diabetes are overweight/obese
• 38% of people who have diabetes have a sedentary lifestyle.
• Diabetes is the 7th leading cause of fatalities in America.
• 210,000 children and teenagers have diabetes before the age of 20.

Who Is Affected By Diabetes?

Diabetes is most common among older people usually over the age of 40. 45 to 65 is the most common age for people to get diagnosed with diabetes. More than 34 million people are suffering from diabetes and even though it is present in young children and teens, 90% of people have type 2 diabetes.

Diabetes in Children

Diabetes is significantly increasing in children and young adults. Parents need to look out for symptoms as well as daily routine because early detection can improve their overall condition with proper diabetic neuropathy treatment as well as an improved lifestyle. Type 1 diabetes is more common among children but the statistics for both type 1 and type 2 diabetes are increasing.

Why Do People Get Diabetes?

Different reasons indicate people suffering from diabetes. Some of them are:

• When insulin-producing hormones are destroyed, damaged, and stop working due to different health conditions and people suffer from an intense amount of blood sugar.
• Insulin is produced as normal but the body is unable to draw glucose in the cell. This results in wearing out of cells.
• When you have a family history and genes of diabetes, you are also exposed to the possibility to get diabetes. Keeping yourself healthy can reduce the chances of getting diabetes.
• Conditions like cystic fibrosis, PCOS, and hemochromatosis can damage the pancreas which can result in diabetes.
• Women with a baby that is born more than 9 lbs. have chances of getting gestational diabetes.
• People over the age of 40 years have chances of developing diabetes and people by the age of 30 can develop type 1.
• Being obese with an excessive amount of body fat in the abdomen can result in fatty tissues which can cause inflammation eventually leading to insulin resistance. Obese people also have to go through neuropathy treatment
• Having a sugar-rich diet comprising fast food, junk food, sugary drinks, and alcohol intake can all result in diabetes.
• Lack of activity in lifestyle can result in insulin resistance; cardiovascular exercises can allow the body to be more responsive towards blood circulation and insulin responsiveness.
• Hormonal conditions like thyroid, acromegaly, PCOS, fibroids, Cushing syndrome, etc. can cause diabetes.

What Is The Most Common Medication For Diabetes?

• When you are suffering from tingling in hands and feet anxiety and other symptoms resulting in prediabetes, you will be prescribed Glucophage to lower and control the high blood sugar levels.
• Diabetic neuropathic treatment for all the nerve damage caused due to diabetic treatment.
• Insulin shots are the most common type of medication that is prescribed to both patients with type 1 and type 2 diabetes.

Self-Care for People with Diabetes

Diabetes can result in a lot of health complications but there are certain tips that you can add to your daily life to handle diabetes better. Let’s elaborate:

• Add a lot of healthy vegetables and fruits to your body and stay under a limited calorie/sugar diet to make sure that the blood sugar does not start to pike up. Many people have been able to recover from diabetic symptoms with a healthy diet.
• Monitor your blood sugar all the time. Fortunately, they have devices now that do not require you to strike a needle in your finger every time you want to test your finger. Testing before and after eating something can allow you to have a good idea of what to eat and avoid.
• Visit your doctor and do not miss any appointments. In case you meet a major accident, you need to visit a car accident clinic to avoid any further health complications and problems in your nervous system.
• Visit an ophthalmologist regularly to make sure that your eyes are in optimal condition and you are not suffering from and further damage. If you are experiencing blurry vision, you need to seek medical treatment immediately.
• Check for any webbing and skin damage to the feet. Diabetic feet are most prone to damage but wearing safety and medicated shoes can actually help you prevent further injuries.
• Practice healthy oral hygiene habits like regularly brushing your teeth, flossing, washing hands, feet, genitals to avoid any infections.
• Check the skin regularly for any external symptoms like discoloration, dryness as well as bruises, and sores. If you have any apply medication (with medical prescription of course) and moisturize your skin with things like aloe vera.
• Get yourself tested for things like abnormal discharge, yeast infections if you are a woman, and get yourself tested for erectile dysfunction with a gynecologist.
• Handle your emotional stress and talk to people who can help you through the trauma.

Conclusion

People suffering from diabetes can actually have serious symptoms and damage to their health. Even though diabetes is extremely dangerous, it is possible to control the symptoms and blood sugar levels with proper diet, medication, and lifestyle changes otherwise - it can result in serious organ damage and even death.