Skip to content

What is Diabetes: What do you need to know about this Chronic Disease?

What is diabetes? Diabetes mellitus is a chronic disease that affects the way your body metabolizes sugar. In order to understand what diabetes is and how it can be managed, it’s important to know about the three types of diabetes:

  • type 1
  • type 2
  • and gestational

Type 1 diabetes occurs when your body does not produce enough insulin or has developed an intolerance to insulin.

Type 2 diabetes happens when cells in the pancreas gradually become unable to produce enough insulin – this is known as “insulin resistance.”

Gestational diabetes develops during pregnancy and usually goes away after delivery.

The three types of diabetes

There are three types of diabetes: Type 1, Type 2, and gestational diabetes.

Type 1 diabetes used to be called juvenile-onset or insulin-dependent diabetes because it’s usually diagnosed in children, but as the population has aged, the number of adults with this type of diabetes has increased as well.

Type 2 diabetes is considered an “adult-onset” form of the disease and is usually treated with oral medications and lifestyle changes.

Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) develops during pregnancy and typically goes away after pregnancy.

Your diet and exercise routine with Diabetes

Diabetes can be managed by following a healthy diet and exercising regularly. Losing just 5-10% of your body weight may help lower blood sugar levels and reduce the risk of heart attack, stroke, blindness, amputation, or kidney failure.

Eating less fat will also improve cholesterol levels and keep you feeling full longer so you’ll eat less often throughout the day. Exercise helps prevent weight gain because it burns calories quickly while boosting metabolism up to 24 hours after the exercise.

Diabetes can be prevented by eating healthy and exercising regularly, so follow a diet plan that suits your needs and lifestyle. You will feel better in no time!

How to manage your glucose levels with Diabetes (Type 1, Type 2, Gestational)

Diabetes is a chronic disease that can be managed with diet, exercise, and medication. Diabetes affects an estimated 5% of the world’s population. The most common type, diabetes mellitus type 2 or “non-insulin dependent” diabetes (NIDDM), usually begins in adulthood but often not until the age of 40 years or more. Type 1 diabetes usually starts before the age of 25 years and 10% to 15% will eventually need insulin therapy for glycemic control.

Gestational diabetes occurs when pregnant women who do not have any history of abnormal glucose metabolism acquire an increased blood glucose level during pregnancy which disappears after delivery. Women are at risk for gestational diabetes if they are overweight before becoming pregnant, had high blood pressure during a previous pregnancy, or have given birth to babies weighing more than nine pounds.

Tips to help you live well with Diabetes

With diabetes, it’s important to take care of your feet. The more your blood sugars are high, the more your feet may hurt. There are many ways to protect your feet, so here are a few ideas you might want to try:

Protecting Your Feet – Slather them at least once a day with lotion or cream. Sometimes this is enough to take the sting out of the dryness.

Wearing Soft Cotton Socks – Wear soft cotton socks at night over an extra pair of socks made of wool or nylon. They should be long enough to fold down over your ankles. This will help keep your feet dry and warm overnight.

Taking Care of Your Shoes – Take care of your shoes by cleaning them often and changing insoles if they start to feel overly tired or flat.

Podiatrist Visits – Have a podiatrist check your feet every year for sores or other problems that might need attention.

Good Management is Important! – In the end, it’s important to have good foot care as well as frequent visits with your doctor and proper management of diabetes in order to keep you healthy!

Conclusion

Diabetes can be a difficult disease to manage, but thankfully there are many ways you can help yourself. First and foremost is by understanding the three different types of diabetes that exist.

After you’ve familiarized yourself with all your options for treatment, prevention methods, or living well with diabetes it’s time to start taking care of your mental health. This article has some great tips on how you can live with Diabetes better in everyday life.