Sufferers of chronic illnesses are well aware of how inconvenient life becomes when living with a chronic condition becomes the order of the day. Diabetes is one of the most common chronic disorders, and a considerable population of the world suffers from it. In spite of its widespread occurrence, the disease has not become any easier to manage. Here’s everything you need to know about diabetes.
Diabetes: The Slow Killer
To put it into simple words, diabetes is a chronic health condition that essentially hinders your body’s natural process of synthesizing energy from the food that it consumes. Basically, it can deter all your bodily as well as behavioural functions, since it places an impediment on the very fundamental process of energy production.
The food you consume goes through a number of stages to finally be turned into energy. The sugar in your food is turned into glucose, which in turn produces energy so that you function fine. Whenever the sugar level in your blood exceeds normalcy, your body is triggered and it produces a hormone called insulin.
The function of this hormone is to actively assist the production of glucose from the sugar in your bloodstream. So, essentially, the system in place is one where feedback plays a vital role. The hormone insulin is the primary prerequisite for this feedback system to work smoothly.
Diabetes mellitus is a disorder that affects this system at a very fundamental level, causing the insulin levels in your body to drop. By hindering or stopping the production of insulin in your body, it deregulates the blood sugar level in your body while also causing a number of physical problems.
Types of Diabetes
Diabetes comes in multiple forms, which might just contribute to the complications. It can vastly be categorised into three main types. These would be type 1 diabetes, type 2 diabetes, and gestational diabetes.
1. Type 1 diabetes renders the sufferer completely incapable of producing insulin.
2. Type 2 diabetes affects an individual by making their body unable to adequately utilise the insulin that is produced.
3. Gestational diabetes is a common occurrence in pregnant women. It either turns into type 2 diabetes or simply goes away at the end of the pregnancy period.
What Causes Diabetes?
The exact cause of diabetes mellitus is still elusive to medical science. While we know what factors might be responsible, it has not been possible to pinpoint a reason that would explain universal instances of diabetes.
Of course, in all cases, the insulin production by the liver is affected, to a degree where the blood sugar level in the bloodstream goes up to unhealthy and disproportionate levels.
Some cases of diabetes mellitus have been seen to be hereditarily passed down, while food habits may also play a major role in the frequency and occurrence of this chronic and long-term disorder.
Ultimately, it has been observed that a combination of both genetically passed down traits as well as environmental scenarios and situations can be held responsible for contributing to the occurrence of diabetes. This is true for both Type 1 (diabetes mellitus) and Type 2 diabetes.
Symptoms You Should Look Out for
Many people who are later diagnosed with diabetes mellitus, report that symptoms set in quite suddenly, but this is not a universal trend. However, what is for sure is that you will observe quite a few, if not all, of the symptoms that are generally associated with diabetes mellitus if you are suffering from the disorder.
That is to say that asymptomatic cases are relatively fewer and even then, there are some symptoms that are present. It is very common for diabetes symptoms to flare after some sort of viral disease or infection.
There are some commonly observed and reported symptoms of diabetes mellitus:
- Feeling the need to urinate often or losing bladder control is a fairly common symptom.
- The same can be said for extreme exhaustion, thirst, and hunger. Of course, a lowered insulin level basically hinders energy production which is bound to cause exhaustion and low energy. Ancillary symptoms will also include a sudden blurriness in vision.
- Other than this, you might find yourself taking longer to heal even from minor cuts and wounds. Blood clotting slows down in a case of diabetes mellitus.
- Weight loss in spite of adequate diet and maintenance, or a random tingling sensation in your limbs could also be indicative of a developing case of diabetes.
In case you observe these symptoms, it is high time to get yourself checked.
Diabetes: What Kind of a Risk are You Dealing with?
Diabetes can be a deceptive disorder. The risk factor might not seem to be immense at first, but you have to ensure that you have the situation in control so that nothing spirals to a point of no return.
Now, the loaded question: Can diabetes get fatal? Unfortunately, diabetes is not entirely free of fatality. In case your diabetes goes unchecked, the glucose level in your heart can drop to a level that does take a very dangerous turn. It is not rare for diabetes to cause heart failures and cardiac arrests.
Additionally, your kidneys are put in a compromised state too, which can lead to kidney failure.
Strokes can ultimately push you to a comatose situation. In general, an individual with a case of undiagnosed, insufficiently treated, or generally extreme diabetes is at a high risk of cardiovascular disorders and arrests, which also incidentally happens to be the commonest cause of death among adults who suffer from diabetes.
Tackle Diabetes the Smart Way
A diabetes mellitus diagnosis is certainly a thoroughly undesirable turn of events, but at the same time, you can make sure that you are equipped to evade or handle it.
Make Healthy Lifestyle Choices
Your food habits and general lifestyle can be a huge determinant of your possibility of developing diabetes. In general, avoiding high cholesterol food and a sedentary lifestyle is going to prove helpful in the pushback against diabetes.
Get Yourself Diabetes Coverage
A diabetes health insurance can be a huge sigh of relief. A good health insurance policy can take a huge load off your shoulders, and you can rest assured that the financial trouble that comes with a diabetes diagnosis can be the least of your worries. When you buy health insurance, make sure that they provide adequate diabetes coverage.
Listen to Your Body
Finally, your body is its own boss. Watch out for signs and symptoms, because your body itself will generally let you know if there's any need for serious concern.
Final Take
Ultimately, it is impossible to predict or entirely circumvent the possibility of developing diabetes mellitus, but a healthy lifestyle and diet plan go a long way in putting it off or keeping it in check. A good health insurance plan, sufficiently medically informed lifestyle choices, and careful attention to the changes in your body can equip you to tackle diabetes.
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