Diabetes

Diabetes is a chronic disease that occurs when the pancreas is unable to produce insulin in sufficient quantities, or when the body is unable to effectively use the insulin it produces.

What is insulin?

Insulin is a hormone that controls blood sugar levels. Hyperglycemia, also known as high blood sugar, is a common result of an imbalance in blood sugar control, and over time it leads to serious damage to many of the body’s systems, especially the nerves and blood vessels.

Types of diabetes

There are two types of diabetes:

Type 1 diabetes:

It was previously known as prediabetes. Insulin-dependent or diabetes that appears in adolescence or childhood. This type is characterized by a lack of insulin production, and requires taking insulin daily. The factors that cause type 1 diabetes are unknown, as are the ways to prevent it. Symptoms of this disease include excessive urination, thirst, constant hunger, weight loss, blurred vision, and fatigue. These symptoms may appear suddenly.

Type 2 diabetes:

It was previously called non-insulin-dependent diabetes or adult-onset diabetes. Type 2 diabetes results from the body not using insulin effectively. More than 95% of diabetics suffer from type 2 diabetes. This pattern is often caused by excessive body weight and inactivity. The symptoms of this type may be similar to those of type 1, but they may appear less often. Therefore, the disease may be diagnosed several years after the symptoms began, that is, after complications of the disease appear. Until recently, this type of diabetes was only observed in adults, but it is now increasingly occurring in children as well.

Gestational Diabetes

Gestational diabetes, as it is clear, occurs during pregnancy, which is hyperglycemia such that the blood glucose level exceeds the normal level but does not reach the level necessary for the diagnosis of diabetes. Women with gestational diabetes are more likely to develop complications during pregnancy and delivery. These women are more likely to develop type 2 diabetes in the future and perhaps even their children. Gestational diabetes is diagnosed by prenatal screening.

Negative effects of diabetes

• Damaging the heart, blood vessels, eyes, kidneys, and nerves.
• Adults with diabetes are two to three times more likely to have heart attacks and strokes.
• Poor blood flow and neuropathy (nerve damage) in the feet increase the risk of foot ulcers and foot rot, which may eventually require amputation. Ultimately.
• Diabetic retinopathy is one of the main causes of blindness, and occurs as a result of long-term accumulation of damage to the small blood vessels in the retina. About one million people have become blind as a result of diabetes.
• Diabetes is one of the main causes of kidney failure.

Preventing diabetes

• Working to achieve and maintain a healthy weight through: Follow a healthy diet while limiting sugars and saturated fats.
• Practice physical activity - that is, at least 30 minutes of moderate and regular physical activity during most days of the week. Weight control requires more physical activity.
• Avoid tobacco use, as smoking increases the risk of cardiovascular diseases.

Information source: World Health Organization< /b>