Diabetes in a Nutshell

India is one of the Leading Countries in Diabetes

Diabetes is a disorder wherein your blood sugar levels remain high over a prolonged period. This condition can be managed with proper medication, self-monitoring and lifestyle changes. Diabetic people have increased glucose levels because of too little insulin produced by the pancreas or the body does not accept or use the insulin produced, or a combination of both.

Diabetes requires maintaining blood sugar levels within a health range to stay in control of the disease. This can be done through healthy diet plans and physical activity. Some people might also require medication and insulin injections along with these lifestyle changes to keep diabetes in check.

Functionality of Insulin
Insulin, a hormone needed by cells to store and use energy from food, is liable for getting glucose into your cells. This does not happen in someone with diabetes as insulin is not able to fulfill its duty. So, glucose is not transferred to the cells and piles up in your blood. Increased glucose levels move through your entire body and damage cells all through their way.

Diabetes Categories

• Type 1 Diabetes: The pancreas makes no insulin or makes very little insulin resulting in an autoimmune disease called type 1 diabetes. Also known as “juvenile diabetes” it often begins in childhood and the onset is usually very sudden. Individuals here either require daily insulin injections or an insulin pump. Around 5% of the diabetic people are affected by Type 1 diabetes and the sad fact here is that, it cannot be prevented through diet or lifestyle changes.
• Type 2 Diabetes: In this chronic disease, the pancreas makes insulin, but it either does not make enough or the body does not use the insulin it makes. Type 2 diabetes is prevalent among overweight individuals and is becoming more common among children and teenagers because of increase in obesity in these age groups. Oral medications, insulin injections or a pump may be required to help the body respond to the insulin it makes.
• Gestational Diabetes: Though the root cause is not known, it is predicted that gestational diabetes may be the result of hormones blocking the action of insulin in pregnant women. Though this kind of diabetes disappears after childbirth, it may recur in the form of Type 2 diabetes at any stage of life in these women.
  
  

Warning Signs of Diabetes
Frequent urination, constant thirst, unconditional weight loss, tiredness, irritability, blurred vision, frequent illness or infection and poor circulation (tingling or numbness in the feet or hands) are common symptoms of diabetes.

If you ever feel like you have one or more of the symptoms listed above, consult a doctor immediately. A physician is the right person to diagnose diabetes after looking at the results of any of these blood tests:
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• Fasting Plasma Glucose: You get to know the quantity of glucose in a sample of blood taken from a person who is fasting (not consuming food for 8 to 12 hours, usually overnight).
  
  
• HbA1C: This calculates the average blood glucose levels of a person over a period of two to three months. This test indicates the glucose quantity that sticks to the red blood cells (hemoglobin; Hb).
  
  
• Oral Glucose Tolerance Test: Test results are compared with standard non-diabetic results and convey how the body uses glucose over time. A health care professional takes a blood sample after an overnight fast. The patient is then given a high-glucose beverage and a blood sample is taken again, two hours after the beverage is consumed.

​What is a Healthy Blood Glucose Level?
Renowned diabetic associations recommend diabetic patients to maintain their blood glucose levels within the healthy range of:

• 80 to 130 mg/dl (before meal)
• <180 mg/dl (1 to 2 hours after a meal)
• HbA1c 7% (average glucose over 3 months)

HbA1c Gives your Average Glucose Levels Over 3 Months

While most of the people can control blood glucose levels by eating right, indulging in some physical activity and maintaining a healthy weight, few others require medications or insulin injections to manage the relationship between glucose and insulin.

The best way to manage diabetes is to understand the impact of foods and nutrition on our body. You can seek the advice of a registered dietitian nutritionist at www.firsteatright.com to help you combat diabetes while helping you obtain all the nutrients required by your body to stay healthy.