Diabetes: What is it?
Diabetes is a chronic illness that is a result of the pancreas not producing enough insulin or the body is unable to use the insulin in the body effectively. Diabetes can lead to other health complications such as severe hypoglycemia (very low blood sugar) or ketoacidosis (breaking down fat too quickly and making the body acidic), retinopathy (damage to the retinas of the eye), nephropathy (kidney damage), or neuropathy (damage to the nerve system),
and cardiovascular disease. According to the World Health Organization, 422 million people have diabetes in the world today. An even more concerning statistic is that 50% of people with diabetes are unaware that they have the disease (Keziah, Gayathri, & Priya, 2019). In order for us to combat this problem, we need to understand what the key components of recognizing this disease are.
What are the signs and symptoms of diabetes?
If you or a loved one are experiencing these symptoms they should see a doctor and be tested right away. These signs or symptoms include:
- Frequent Urination
- Unexplained Weight Loss
- Increased Thirst
- Excessive Fatigue
- Weight Gain
- Slow Healing
- Excess Sleep
- Blurred Vision
What can I do if I find out I have Diabetes?
If you find out that you do have Type II Diabetes then you will have to make some adjustments in your lifestyle to control or manage the disease. These same lifestyle modifications can be effective in preventing diabetes. The two biggest lifestyle changes that can be made to prevent or combat diabetes are exercise and diet. It is important that you exercise regularly (approximately 120-150 minutes a week) and make modifications to your diet. Dietary changes include eating foods that contain less sugar, increase the amount of fiber intake, and limit carbohydrate intake. Foods to eat include vegetables, fruits, whole grains, proteins, and low-fat dairy products. These simple steps can make a big difference in managing diabetes or preventing the disease altogether.
References
Keziah, V. S., Gayathri, R., & Priya, V. V. (2019). Awareness of the risk factors of diabetes among homemakers – A survey. Drug Invention Today, 11(4), 884–886.
Milne, N., & Di Rosa, F. (2019). The diabetes review: A guide to the basics. Journal of Diabetes Nursing, 23(1), 1–8.
Sanjeevaiah, A., Sushmitha, A., & Srikanth, T. (2019). Prevalence of Diabetes Mellitus and its risk factors. International Archives of Integrated Medicine, 6(3), 319–324.