As the list of diseases has grown, the COVID-19 has risen to the top, followed by cancer and diabetes. The good news is that diabetes is becoming less disabling each year, and cures are becoming more accessible.
November, National Diabetes Awareness Month (NDAM) is celebrated with several campaigns and fundraising events.
As the list of diseases has grown, the COVID-19 has risen to the top, followed by cancer and diabetes. The good news is that diseases like diabetes and cancer are becoming less disabling each year, and cures are becoming more accessible.
There is a great deal of information accessible about controlling blood sugar levels and diabetes. However, the fundamentals are frequently overlooked.
This Diabetes Awareness Month here’s everything you need to know about the condition and what you can do about it, and you make the correct decisions.
What is Diabetes?
Diabetes, otherwise known as blood sugar or glucose, impairs the body’s ability to process glucose, which can affect both men and women.
When it is not managed and ongoing, sugars can build up in the blood, increasing the risk of dangerous complications, such as strokes and heart attacks.
What are the types of diabetes?
People who have diabetes can suffer from type 1, type 2, or Gestational Diabetes.
Type 1 diabetes: A person with type I diabetes is insulin-dependent, which means they must take artificial insulin daily to stay alive. Type I diabetes is also known as juvenile diabetes.
Type 2 diabetes: A person with type 2 diabetes still makes insulin, unlike the person with type I diabetes, but the cells do not respond to it as well as they once did.
Gestational diabetes: Pregnant women can develop this type of diabetes when the body becomes insensitive to insulin during pregnancy. Gestational Diabetes doesn’t happen to all women, and it usually disappears shortly after giving birth.
Overweight and diabetic?
Some types of diabetes have been present since childhood, and not all are caused by being overweight or staying sedentary. How you manage diabetes depends on the type you have.
Steps a person can take to embrace a diabetes-friendly lifestyle:
Diabetic patients can benefit significantly from a diet rich in veggies, fruits and proteins.
- Eat a diet rich in fresh, nutritious whole grains, fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, low-fat dairy, and healthy fats like nuts.
- Avoid high-sugar foods, such as sweetened sodas, fried foods, and high-sugar desserts, which provide empty calories or calories with no other nutritional value.
- Avoid excessive alcohol consumption or limit consumption to one or two drinks per day for women and two drinks per day for males.
- Walk, aerobics, riding a bike, or swimming for at least 30 minutes five days a week.
- When exercising, recognize the symptoms of low blood sugar, such as dizziness, confusion, weakness, and excessive sweating.
People can also take initiatives to lower their body mass index (BMI), which can help some people with type 2 diabetes manage their illness without medication. Weight loss objectives that are slow and steady are more likely to provide long-term benefits.
Takeaway
A diverse range of issues can contribute to medication non-adherence and soon-adherence to psychological, demographic, and social factors awareness is necessary.
It is essential to work closely with your doctor, which will help you manage your diabetes by focusing on changes in your daily life.
Doctors suggest people have a good support network. It is vital to raise concerns about diabetes and help to adjust the plan to help ensure that targets meet, and no complications develop.