Diabetes is a serious chronic disease that is characterized by high levels of sugar in the blood. This situation arises when the pancreas stops producing insulin or the insulin produced doesn’t work properly. When the level of glucose is elevated in the blood, the pancreas releases insulin to control the high levels. If left untreated, diabetes can result in serious health complications such as blindness, kidney failure, and nerve damage.
Types of Diabetes:
There are three types of diabetes. These are diabetes Type 1, Type 2 and gestational. All three have their own symptoms and impact. In Type 1 diabetes, the pancreas releases little or no insulin at all. In Type 2 diabetes, the pancreas releases the insulin but not enough to fulfill the body need or the cells that uptake the blood glucose will lose its sensitivity to insulin. Gestational diabetes is an uncommon type of disease that occurs during pregnancy.
Signs And Symptoms of Diabetes :
The signs and symptoms differ from one type to another. The symptoms of Type 1 diabetes occur suddenly without much notice. The symptoms of Type 2 diabetes appear slowly and sometimes go unnoticed. The following are the common symptoms of diabetes:
- Excessive thirst
- Excessive urination
- Fatigue
- Weight loss
- Nausea
- Irritability
- Yeast infections
- Blurry vision
- Skin wounds or infections that are slow to heal
- Numbness and tingling in the feet.
How To Diagnose Diabetes :
If you suspect any of the above symptoms, it’s recommended to consult your doctor immediately. Doctors perform several tests in order to diagnose the disease. Fasting blood glucose test, random blood glucose test and HbA1c test are the primary tests that doctors recommend to diagnose the disease.
How Diabetes is Treated:
Physicians generally recommend serious lifestyle changes and dietary schedule as part of the treatment. There are few highly effective medications that are prescribed by the doctors to treat the disease. These medications include Actos, Actoplus Met, Januvia and Novolog. It is however important to consult your doctor before starting any medication for diabetes.