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Diabetes
  What is Diabetes?
Diabetes is a disease in which the body does not produce
or properly use insulin.

It is a disorder of metabolism—the way the body
uses digested food for growth and energy. Most of
the food people eat is broken down into glucose,
the form of sugar in the blood. Glucose is the main
source of fuel for the body.
 


After digestion, glucose passes into the bloodstream, where it is used by cells for growth and energy. For glucose to get into cells, insulin must be present. Insulin is a hormone produced by the pancreas, a large gland behind the stomach.

When people eat, the pancreas automatically produces the right amount of insulin to move glucose from blood into the cells. Insulin is a hormone that is needed to convert sugar, starches and other food into energy needed for daily life. In people with diabetes, however, the pancreas either produces little or no insulin, or the cells do not respond appropriately to the insulin that is produced. Glucose builds up in the blood, overflows into the urine, and passes out of the body in the urine. Thus, the body loses its main source of fuel even though the blood contains large amounts of glucose.

 
 
What are the types of diabetes?
 

The three main types of diabetes are

  • Type 1 diabetes
  • Type 2 diabetes
  • Gestational diabetes
 
Type 1 Diabetes
Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease. An autoimmune disease results when the body’s system for fighting infection—the immune system—turns against a part of the body. In diabetes, the immune system attacks and destroys the insulin-producing beta cells in the pancreas. The pancreas then produces little or no insulin. A person who has type 1 diabetes must take insulin daily to live.
Symptoms of type 1 diabetes usually develop over a short period, although beta cell destruction can begin years earlier. Symptoms may include increased thirst and urination, constant hunger, weight loss, blurred vision, and extreme fatigue. If not diagnosed and treated with insulin, a person with type 1 diabetes can lapse into a life-threatening diabetic coma, also known as diabetic ketoacidosis.
   
  Type 2 Diabetes
  The most common form of diabetes is type 2 diabetes. About 90 to 95 percent of people with diabetes have type 2. This form of diabetes is most often associated with older age, obesity, family history of diabetes, previous history of gestational diabetes, physical inactivity, and certain ethnicities. About 80 percent of people with type 2 diabetes are overweight.
The symptoms of type 2 diabetes develop gradually. Their onset is not as sudden as in type 1 diabetes. Symptoms may include fatigue, frequent urination, increased thirst and hunger, weight loss, blurred vision, and slow healing of wounds or sores. Some people have no symptoms.
   
  Gestational Diabetes
  Some women develop gestational diabetes late in pregnancy. Although this form of diabetes usually disappears after the birth of the baby, women who have had gestational diabetes have a 40 to 60 percent chance of developing type 2 diabetes within 5 to 10 years. Maintaining a reasonable body weight and being physically active may help prevent development of type 2 diabetes.
   
  How is Diabetes diagnosed?
  The fasting blood glucose test is the preferred test for diagnosing diabetes in children and nonpregnant adults. The test is most reliable when done in the morning. However, a diagnosis of diabetes can be made based on any of the following test results, confirmed by retesting on a different day:
 
  • A blood glucose level of 126 milli grams per deciliter (mg/dL) or higher after an 8-hour fast. This test is called the fasting blood glucose test.
  • A blood glucose level of 200 mg/dL or higher 2 hours after drinking a beverage containing 75 grams of glucose dissolved in water. This test is called the oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT).
  • A random—taken at any time of day—blood glucose level of 200 mg/dL or higher, along with the presence of diabetes symptoms.
   
  Who gets Diabetes?
 
  • People of any age
  • People with a family history of diabetes
  • Others at high risk for type 2 diabetes: older people, overweight and sedentary people, African Americans, Alaska Natives, American Indians, Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, some Pacific Islander Americans, and Hispanics/Latinos
   
  Pre - Diabetes
  Prediabetes is a stage between normal and diabetes stage.
Prediabetes is a condition when your blood sugar level is higher than normal, but not so high that we can justify it as type 2 diabetes.
People suffering from prediabetes may show same symptoms as in diabetes but, they will be erupting occasionally like:
 
  • Excessive thirst
  • Frequent Urination
  • Excess Hunger
  • Frequent infections
  • Tingling sensations in feet and fingers
  • Irritability
  • Blurred vision
  • Skin itching
   
  Diagnosis of Pre-Diabetes
 

Fasting blood glucose test: A fasting blood sugar level under 100 milligrams of glucose per deciliter of blood (mg/dl) is considered normal. If your blood sugar level is 100 to 125mg/dL, you have prediabetes.

Oral Glucose Tolerance Test (OGTT): After fasting for at least eight hours, FBS (fasting blood sugar) is checked and then an oral dose of 8 ounce sugary syrup is administered. The blood glucose level is checked and if it reaches 144-199 mg/dl after two hours, you have impaired glucose tolerance.

Unlike diabetes, prediabetes is a reversible condition with the administration of proper medication and life style modification.

   
  Prevention Of Diabetes
 

Healthy Choices Of Food: The selection of right type of food is extremely important at this stage. One should restrict to food with low fat and low calories, and on the other side, fresh fruits and vegetables with lots of antioxidant should be the preferred choice.

Life-style modification: Walking, using stairs as far as possible, and spending daily 30 mins for some specific exercise.

Maintain ideal body weight: It is advised to maintain ideal body weight. To reduce excess of weight they should see a registered dietitian, and by working with your doctor, follow your treatment plan. It can help you to keep your prediabetes from worsening and developing into type 2 diabetes.

 
 
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