In today's diabetes epidemic, it is imperative that you know exactly what it is. Why? Well, to prevent diabetes yourself!
In layman's terms, diabetes is the body's inability to process sugars properly. When we eat or drink, our pancreas produces a hormone called insulin. Insulin is released into the blood and helps regulate the amount of glucose (sugar) in the bloodstream. Diabetes is a condition where this process does not work properly.
The reason why diabetes occurs is because no insulin is produced (often called type 1 diabetes) and requires the sufferer to use insulin injections, or insulin is produced, but the body becomes resistant to it. This makes the insulin ineffective. This is commonly called type 2 diabetes and is rapidly becoming more common.
The danger is that although diabetes is not immediately life-threatening, the long-term effects of high blood sugar can be harmful to health. Uncontrolled diabetes and long-term high blood sugar can cause problems in many organs later in life, including the kidneys, eyes, nerves and heart.
It may sound grim, but controlling your blood sugar through a combination of medication, diet and exercise will greatly reduce long-term complications. Recent research shows that 2 out of 100 people have diabetes. The alarming thing is that half of these people don't even know they have it. Many people have diabetes without realizing it, because someone with diabetes is no different from anyone else.
How do you know if you have diabetes? The easiest way to find out if you have diabetes is to schedule a blood sugar test with your doctor. A small sample of blood obtained by pricking the finger is checked using a small electronic tester.
Normal blood sugar is generally between 72 – 126 mg/dL or 4 – 7 m MOL/l (where 1 m MOL/l = 18 mg/dL). If the body is unable to maintain blood sugar within these limits, then diabetes is diagnosed. A diagnosis of diabetes may appear out of the blue during a routine examination, but more often it results from the sufferer developing "symptoms" of diabetes. These symptoms can be many or few, mild or severe, depending on the individual.
Common symptoms of diabetes:
Weight Loss – Glucose is a form of sugar that is the body's main fuel. Diabetics cannot process it properly, so it passes into the urine and out of the body. Less fuel means the body's reserve tissues are broken down for energy, resulting in weight loss.
Thirst – It often seems that no matter how much you drink, your mouth still feels dry. Even before the diagnosis of diabetes, the problem is compounded by the fact that sufferers drink huge amounts of sugary drinks! Of course, this only increases blood sugar levels and leads to increased thirst.
Urinating more frequently – Sufferers need to urinate frequently and have to urinate in large volumes each time. In addition, this symptom does not take into account time, so sleep is constantly disturbed by the need to visit the washroom at night. It is a mistake to think that this is due to increased thirst and drinking more. On the other hand, high blood sugar spills over into the urine, making it syrupy. To counteract this, water is drawn from the body, causing dehydration and therefore thirst.
If you've experienced any of these symptoms, it doesn't necessarily mean you're diabetic, but it might be a good idea to see your doctor just to be sure. If it turns out you have diabetes, don't panic! It can be a shock, and it will mean some changes in your life. Although incurable, it can be treated so that long-term complications are reduced or even eliminated.
By knowing exactly what diabetes is and recognizing the symptoms early, you can prevent it from ever building up inside you. Start today by tracking your health and daily eating habits. Or, as they say, prevention is better than finding a cure later!
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