Diabetes: Types, Symptoms, and Treatment

Wrap Your Head Around Diabetes

Diabetes Mellitus, commonly known as diabetes, is a chronic (long-lasting) condition caused when the body is not producing enough insulin or is unable to use the insulin it produces effectively.

Insulin is a hormone secreted by the pancreas responsible for conditions like Hyperglycemia or raised blood glucose. Uncontrolled diabetes may damage our body parts like kidneys, eyes, nerves, blood vessels, and other organs.

Keep reading to understand the types of diabetes, diabetes symptoms, and diabetes treatment.

Types of Diabetes

Type 1 Diabetes: Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune condition that attacks the immune system by destroying cells in the pancreas. In this condition, there is a deficiency in the production of insulin. Therefore, it requires daily tracking of insulin in the blood.

Type 2 Diabetes: Type 2 diabetes is when the body cannot use the produced insulin effectively. About 90-95% of people affected by diabetes have type 2 diabetes. It is a result of excess body weight and physical inactivity.

Gestational Diabetes: This diabetes occurs during pregnancy when the placenta produces insulin-blocking hormones.

A Close Look at Diabetes Symptoms

Common Symptoms:

● Increased hunger

● Increased thirst

● Weight loss

● Frequent urination

● Unhealing sores

● Blurry vision

● Extreme fatigue

● Recurring infections

Type 1 Diabetes Symptoms: Some common Type 1 diabetes symptoms may include frequent urination, constant hunger, vision changes, excessive thirst (polydipsia), weight loss, and fatigue. Unlike Type 2 diabetes, these symptoms show up suddenly.

Type 2 Diabetes Symptoms: Type 2 diabetes symptoms are much similar to Type 1 diabetes. These symptoms do not appear in the early stages and take years to develop. It is more common among people above 45 years of age, but due to lifestyle changes, it has also started occurring in children. In this type of diabetes, there is a risk of frequent infections, and the wounds take longer to heal.

Specific Diabetes Symptoms in Men:

● A decreased sex drive

● Poor muscle strength

● Erectile dysfunction (ED)

Specific Diabetes Symptoms in Women:

● Vaginal dryness

● Dry, itchy skin

● Urinary tract infections

Find Your Type of Treatment

Type 1 Diabetes Treatment: Type 1 diabetes is mainly treated by insulin injections in the stomach. These injections or drugs help in maintaining the blood glucose level that insulin cannot do. There are many different injections available in the market. Choose one that the doctor suggests. For instance:

Insulin	Starts to work	Effect lasts
Rapid-acting insulin	15 minutes	2-4 hours
Short-acting insulin	30 minutes	3-6 hours
Intermediate insulin	2-4 hours	12-18 hours
Long-acting insulin	2 hours	24 hours
Ultra Long-acting insulin	6 hours	36-more hours
Premixed insulin	5-60 minutes	10-16 hours

Type 2 Diabetes Treatment: The following are some effective tips for Type 2 diabetes treatment:

● Healthy and Balanced Eating: Although there is no specific diabetes diet, center your diet around a balanced and highly nutritious diet low in added sugars, saturated fats, and processed foods; small portion sizes; healthy cooking oils; low-fat dairy and low-fat meat, and fish.

● Physical Activity: One of the reasons for developing type 2 diabetes at a young age is a lack of physical exercise. Being physically active not only helps in maintaining a healthy weight but also in regulating blood sugar levels. Consult your healthcare provider before starting or changing the exercise regime.

● Maintain the Blood Glucose level: Checking the blood sugar level is essential to type 2 diabetes treatment. Our doctor advises how often we should check our blood glucose meter using a Blood Glucose Meter. It is usually done once a day, but a person with type 1 diabetes who takes insulin may require doing this multiple times a day.

If these alone do not improve, our doctor may suggest some medications.

● Medications: Some common remedies include Metformin, Sulfonylureas, Thiazolidinediones, DPP-4 inhibitors, GLP-1 receptor agonists, SGLT2 inhibitors, and other medications. These help to maintain a good level of sugar in the blood.

Gestational Diabetes: The doctor may suggest the right food and exercise to prevent or control this diabetes.

The bottom line

After thoroughly understanding the diabetes symptoms and treatment, now it’s our turn to act. Observe the symptoms and get the earliest treatment. Moreover, we should always keep an eye on whatever we consume to prevent or control diabetes.

Adopt healthy habits and Fight back Diabetes.

Reference Links

https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/diabetes

https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/diabetes/diagnosis-treatment/drc-20371451

https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/323627

diabetes treatment