Diabetes is a metabolic disorder that causes blood sugar levels to be higher than usual. And why is that a danger? Well, let us put it this way - the food you eat is the primary source of energy for your body and the fuel that keeps you going through everyday activities. This energy is derived from the glucose (or sugar) present in the food. Insulin is a hormone (a chemical substance in the body) produced by the pancreas that helps pump the glucose from the food into the body cells, where all the energy is produced. As a result, your blood glucose level is "normal" since most of it is inside the cells (where it should be!) for energy production; this happens in a healthy person or a non-diabetic.
How many days has it been since you last ate your favourite dessert or whole-heartedly enjoyed a lavish meal? Because every time you indulge in one, your body sounds the alarming bell with the symptoms of your blood being "high on sugar." Sounds familiar? Well, it should, if you have diabetes - a disease that is on an ever-increasing rise among the young and the old alike.
If you are someone with diabetes or have a loved one suffering from the same, you would know that diabetes is characterized by very high blood glucose levels, also known as blood sugar. Naturally, the first question that anyone with diabetes would ask is whether there is any treatment for diabetes. To answer that, we will take you back almost 100 years.
The 20th century saw one of the significant breakthroughs in medical science with the discovery of insulin - a marvel in the sphere of treatment for diabetes that changed diabetic patients' lives forever. Before the discovery of insulin in 1921, diabetics did not live for long, doctors could not do much to help, and the patients have put on so strict diets that they died of starvation sooner than diabetes itself. But thanks to the advancement in scientific research, insulin soon began to be produced on a commercial scale. Today, insulin is available in many forms as a treatment for diabetes. Also, there is diabetes treatment in homeopathy, which we will talk about in the subsequent sections.
Even though we have come a long way in keeping diabetes under control in individual patients, several factors such as lifestyle choices and heredity (genetics) continue to threaten the lives of many with the "silent killer" diabetes. According to the latest data published by the International Diabetes Federation (South-east Asia region), India has a whopping 77,005,600 (and counting) number of diabetic adults with a prevalence rate of 8.9%.There is no permanent cure for diabetes. You can always take steps to keep the blood glucose level under control and stay healthy. So, when you ask what are the causes of diabetes, we would say that there is no one single factor that can lead to this disorder.
There is no permanent cure for diabetes, but the sooner it is diagnosed, the better. It is also imperative that you understand the disease to fight it better. So, if you have diabetes or know someone with diabetes, here is all you need to know about the condition.
Types- The hormone insulin sends out signals to take glucose (sugar) out of the bloodstream and put it into the cells. Problems arise when the muscles, liver, or body fat cells ignore or resist those signals, leading to insulin resistance. But what causes insulin resistance to develop?
Aging, genetics and ethnicity play crucial roles in developing insulin resistance. But the immediate and driving force behind this condition includes an unhealthy lifestyle characterized by lack of physical activity, excess body weight, excessive belly fat, smoking, and even a lack of sleep.
As insulin sensitivity develops, your body tries to fight back by producing more and more insulin. Over time, your pancreas cells that are overworking to produce insulin eventually get worn out and fail to keep pace with the consistently increasing demand for more insulin. Insulin resistance leads to a steady rise in blood glucose levels, and the individual may soon develop prediabetes or even type 2 diabetes. Insulin resistance may also lead to the onset of liver ailments, such as non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.
There are three main types of diabetes - type 1 diabetes, type 2 diabetes, and gestational diabetes.
Type 1 Diabetes
Earlier known as juvenile diabetes, type 1 diabetes is the severest form of the disease. Also known as insulin-dependent diabetes, around 5% of diabetics are known to develop this version of the disorder. It previously went by the name of "juvenile diabetes" because it was mostly seen to affect children and teenagers. However, individuals of any age can be at risk of developing type 1 diabetes. What about the treatment for diabetes type 1? People with type 1 diabetes require daily injections of insulin to keep their blood sugar levels under control. If such patients do not have access to regular insulin, they may die.
Type 2 Diabetes
The most common type of diabetes, affecting almost 90% of adults, is non-insulin-dependent diabetes or type 2 diabetes. This type of diabetes is also known as adult-onset diabetes since it is typically seen to develop after 35. However, an increasing number of young adults, adolescents, and children are also seen to develop type 2 diabetes.
Type 2 diabetes is characterized by a condition known as "insulin resistance" when the pancreas produces sufficient insulin, but the body cannot respond effectively. Since insulin cannot work correctly, the level of glucose in the blood keeps building up. But this does not stop the pancreas from releasing more insulin, and in some patients, a point may be reached when the pancreas is completely exhausted. Eventually, the body produces lesser amounts of insulin, causing blood sugar levels to rise even higher.
Gestational Diabetes
Gestational diabetes or diabetes during pregnancy is associated with several unfortunate pregnancy outcomes. Gestational diabetes mellitus, or GDM, is a serious threat to pregnant women and can adversely affect both the mother and the child's health.
Most women with gestational diabetes experience severe pregnancy-related complications, including high blood pressure, unusually large weight of babies at birth, and difficult labor. Such females with gestational diabetes carry the risk of developing type 2 diabetes, mostly within 3 to 6 years post-delivery. Additionally, children exposed to high blood sugar levels in the womb are predisposed to becoming overweight or obese and are at an increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
According to the data generated by the International Diabetes Federation in 2019, around 223 million women (aged between 20 and 79) are affected by diabetes. If that sounds too much, things are about to worsen as the number of affected women is expected to rise to 343 million by 2045. Around 16% or 20 million live births had hyperglycemia (high blood sugar) during pregnancy, out of which an approximate 84% were solely due to gestational diabetes. That makes almost 1 in 6 births affected by gestational diabetes!
Pre Diabetes
Prediabetes is when your blood sugar level is higher than usual but not high enough to be considered a more severe form, such as type 2 diabetes. If timely prediabetes treatment is not done, both adults and children become susceptible to developing type 2 diabetes. Further, if you already have prediabetes, the long-term damage of diabetes to vital organs such as the heart and kidneys may have already started. However, the silver lining is that with proper and timely lifestyle changes, it is possible to stop prediabetes from progressing into type 2 diabetes.
Prediabetes treatment includes consuming healthy foods, regularly engaging in physical activity, and maintaining healthy body weight. Such changes to lifestyle can significantly help in bringing the blood sugar level back to normal. Prediabetes does not usually have any signs or symptoms, but some people may develop darkened skin in certain areas of their body. Affected areas may include the armpits, neck, knuckles, elbows, and knees. However, you should visit a doctor if you have moved onto type 2 diabetes and show symptoms like frequent urination, increased thirst, excessive hunger, fatigue (feeling of tiredness), and blurred vision.
What causes Pre Diabetes?
The exact reason why prediabetes occurs is not known. But genetics and family history appear to play a crucial role. A lack of routine physical exercise or activity and being obese with excess fat around the waistline is also considered to be significant factors responsible for prediabetes and the gradual progression towards type 2 diabetes.
But what is evident is that individuals with prediabetes do not process the blood sugar properly. Consequently, there is a build-up of sugar in the blood instead of reaching the cells of the tissues and organs where it could be used to produce energy.
The food you eat is digested, and the sugars enter the bloodstream. The hormone insulin is produced by the pancreas and is responsible for pumping the sugar into the cells. As the insulin allows the sugars to enter the cells, the blood sugar level begins to drop, and subsequently, the pancreas slows down the release of insulin into the blood. But this orchestrated process messes up when you have prediabetes. Either your pancreas stops making enough insulin or your body's cells are resistant to insulin. As a result, the sugar cannot enter the cells, and its level spikes up in the blood.
- Symptoms - Since prevention is always better than cure, the best way to manage diabetes is to ask yourself how to prevent diabetes from happening. So here are some tips on how to prevent diabetes from getting the best of you:
â— Assess the risk factors and check if you are likely to develop diabetes
â— Watch your weight
â— Include exercise into your daily routine
â— Eat a healthy and balanced diet
â— Go for periodic medical checkups and keep a tab on blood glucose, cholesterol, and blood pressure levels
â— Reduce the intake of alcohol and limit the consumption of processed foods
Signs & symptoms
The first step to diabetes treatment in homeopathy, or for that matter, any treatment for diabetes, is the diagnosis of the disease through the correct identification of the signs and symptoms. These signs and symptoms may also be considered the side effects of diabetes that may go unnoticed before they worsen. So, what symptoms of diabetes should you look out for before consulting a doctor? Have a look.
Symptoms for Type 1 diabetes
The onset of type 1 diabetes can be rapid, even before you notice. The following are the symptoms for type 1 diabetes that should serve as warning signals Increased thirst
â— Extreme or excessive hunger
â— Quick and sudden weight loss
â— Increased urination
â— Extreme fatigue or feeling of tiredness
â— Nausea, abdominal pain, and vomiting
â— Unusual and unexplained irritability
â— Blurred vision
â— Itchy skin
â— Unpleasant odour of the breath
Symptoms for Type 2 diabetes
The side effects of diabetes type 2 or the signs and symptoms of type 2 diabetes are more or less similar to type 1. However, the onset of type 2 diabetes is comparatively slower, and the symptoms might not even be noticeable, causing the patient to live for several years without being diagnosed. Hence, most people tend to overlook and ignore the warning signs under the pretext of overworking, aging, or hot weather. Nevertheless, if you ask that what symptoms of diabetes (type 2) are cautionary, here are some:
â— Excessive thirst
â— Dry mouth
â— Frequent urge to urinate
â— General tiredness and lack of energy
â— Recurrent skin infections
â— Blurred vision
â— Numbness or tingling in the feet and hands
Using Insulin - Insulin may not cure diabetes permanently, but it is quite a life-saver for millions of people worldwide. Taking insulin helps keep the blood sugar level under control and is the best type 1 diabetes cure, and for some patients, it is also a cure of type 2 diabetes.
Based on this record, your doctor may prescribe the insulin dose and a schedule suitable for you. Most patients with diabetes need a minimum of two insulin shots per day. Some people may require three to four shots, depending on the level of blood glucose. Most regular insulins are long-acting ones and generally need to be taken 15 to 30 minutes before a meal. Typically, insulin is injected under the skin with a tiny needle. It can also be taken with the help of an insulin pen. You should consult your doctor on how to inject the insulin precisely.
Symptoms in Men & Women -
General Symptoms
If you have diabetes, you will notice one or more of the following symptoms irrespective of your sex:
â— Increased hunger and thirst
â— Increased urination
â— Sudden weight loss
â— Tiredness
â— Blurred vision
â— Nausea
â— Skin infections
â— Slowed wound healing
â— Dark patches in the skin
â— Sweet or fruity odour of the breath
â— Increased irritability
â— Numbness in hands and feet
Symptoms in Women
Diabetic women may experience additional signs and symptoms, including:
â— Vaginal thrush, oral, and vaginal infections, characterized by soreness, itching, vaginal discharge, and painful intercourse.
â— Urinary tract infections with symptoms such as painful urination, burning sensation, and cloudy or bloody urine
â— Sexual dysfunction caused due to a loss of sensation
â— Polycystic ovary syndrome, characterized by irregular periods, acne, weight gain, and infertility.
If you are someone with diabetes or have a loved one suffering from the same, you would know that diabetes is characterized by very high blood glucose levels, also known as blood sugar. Naturally, the first question that anyone with diabetes would ask is whether there is any treatment for diabetes. To answer that, we will take you back almost 100 years.
The 20th century saw one of the significant breakthroughs in medical science with the discovery of insulin - a marvel in the sphere of treatment for diabetes that changed diabetic patients' lives forever. Before the discovery of insulin in 1921, diabetics did not live for long, doctors could not do much to help, and the patients have put on so strict diets that they died of starvation sooner than diabetes itself. But thanks to the advancement in scientific research, insulin soon began to be produced on a commercial scale. Today, insulin is available in many forms as a treatment for diabetes. Also, there is diabetes treatment in homeopathy, which we will talk about in the subsequent sections.
Even though we have come a long way in keeping diabetes under control in individual patients, several factors such as lifestyle choices and heredity (genetics) continue to threaten the lives of many with the "silent killer" diabetes. According to the latest data published by the International Diabetes Federation (South-east Asia region), India has a whopping 77,005,600 (and counting) a number of diabetic adults with a prevalence rate of 8.9%.
There is no permanent cure for diabetes, but the sooner it is diagnosed, the better. It is also imperative that you understand the disease to fight it better. So, if you have diabetes or know someone with diabetes, here is all you need to know about the condition.
Exercise & Diet - The most dreadful aspect of any disease is the diet restrictions that come with it. Diabetes is no different, and hence, the diet for diabetic patients must be well regulated and monitored to keep the blood sugar levels under control. Moreover, a healthy diet and regular exercise are the best possible cure for type 2 diabetes. Following are some useful tips you can follow and incorporate while planning a diet for diabetic patients:
â— Eat foods that are rich in protein and high in fiber. High fiber foods prevent a rapid spike in blood glucose levels.
â— Increase your dietary intake of healthy fats in the form of nuts, fish oils, olive oil, avocado, etc.
â— Eat more fresh vegetables and choose whole fruits over juices.
â— Cut down on packaged, processed, and fast foods, especially those high in refined sugar.
â— Avoid foods rich in trans-fats, such as baked and deep-fried foods
A daily exercise regime is equally important in maintaining a healthy blood sugar level. Studies have shown that a change in lifestyle involving at least 150 minutes of exercise per week decreased the chances of developing type 2 diabetes by 58%. While every movement counts, here are some essential exercise tips you can begin with:
â— Use the stairs instead of the elevator
â— Taking frequent standing breaks if you have a desk job
â— Walk for at least 30 minutes every day
â— Engage in aerobic exercises ( dancing, swimming, running, walking, basketball, or any activity that increases your heart rate).
â— You may also do weight training to boost your upper body strength.
Diabetes Prevention - Since prevention is always better than cure, the best way to manage diabetes is to ask yourself how to prevent diabetes from happening. So here are some tips on how to prevent diabetes from getting the best of you:
â— Assess the risk factors and check if you are likely to develop diabetes
â— Watch your weight
â— Include exercise into your daily routine
â— Eat a healthy and balanced diet
â— Quit smoking
â— Reduce the intake of alcohol and limit the consumption of processed foods
â— Go for periodic medical checkups and keep a tab on blood glucose, cholesterol, and blood pressure levels
Diabetes in pregnancy - Diabetes in pregnant females is known as gestational diabetes. It is also associated with excessive sugar levels in the blood and puts the well-being of both the mother and the child at risk. Even though it does not cause any prominent symptoms, increased thirst and frequent urination could be warning signs of gestational diabetes. Obesity, lack of physical activity, and family history are possible risk factors of diabetes in pregnancy.
Diabetes in children - Children are most commonly affected with type 1 diabetes, also known as juvenile diabetes. The child's body stops producing insulin, which has to be made up for through insulin injections. Diabetes in children can be quite overwhelming, given that the child is suddenly exposed to an altered lifestyle that may be emotionally harsh. Even though there is no permanent cure or treatment for diabetes in children, it can be kept under check with regular blood sugar monitoring and insulin delivery.
How the insulin problem developed?
The hormone insulin sends out signals to take glucose (sugar) out of the bloodstream and put it into the cells. Problems arise when the muscles, liver, or body fat cells ignore or resist those signals, leading to insulin resistance. But what causes insulin resistance to develop?
Aging, genetics, and ethnicity play crucial roles in developing insulin resistance. But the immediate and driving force behind this condition includes an unhealthy lifestyle characterized by lack of physical activity, excess body weight, excessive belly fat, smoking, and even a lack of sleep.
As insulin sensitivity develops, your body tries to fight back by producing more and more insulin. Over time, your pancreas cells that are overworking to produce insulin eventually get worn out and fail to keep pace with the consistently increasing demand for more insulin. Insulin resistance leads to a steady rise in blood glucose levels, and the individual may soon develop prediabetes or even type 2 diabetes. Insulin resistance may also lead to the onset of liver ailments, such as non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.