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Learning About Diabetes
Diabetes is the common name for diabetes mellitus. It is a chronic disease caused when insulin levels in the blood are at an unstable level, leading to blood sugar levels in the body rising above normal levels.
With diabetes, the patient will now have a sugar metabolism disorder. This prolonged phenomenon will cause more and more sugar to accumulate in the blood, leading to bad effects on health.
Diabetes has 3 forms: type 1 diabetes, type 2 diabetes, and gestational diabetes. By measuring glucose concentration in the blood, doctors will know what kind of diabetes a patient has.
Is Diabetes Dangerous?
This is a dangerous disease that seriously affects the health of those afflicted, especially when not treated early. Diabetes is one of the 3 leading causes of death from disease worldwide, after heart disease and cancer.
Diabetes, in the long run, will weaken the immune system, causing the body to lose feeling and wounds to take longer to heal than usual. Complications will affect the nervous system, cardiovascular system, kidneys, and vision.
In Vietnam, diabetes is on the rise. According to statistics from the Ministry of Health, the number of diabetic patients has continuously increased in the past 10 years. In 2017, 5.5% of the population had this disease.
This number will continue to increase in the future. It is predicted that by 2045, the prevalence of diabetes in Vietnam will be 7.7% of the population, presenting at a relatively young age from 20 to about 79 years old.
Cause of Diabetes
Type 1 diabetes: When the pancreas does not produce enough insulin, the body has a serious shortage in the blood, causing diabetes. However, type 1 diabetes is quite rare at only 10% and is primarily found in the elderly and young children.
Type 2 diabetes: This type is more common, accounting for 90 – 95%. The reason is that the body is resistant to insulin. Or, to put it more accurately, even though the body can still produce insulin, it cannot convert glucose into energy.
Before identifying the signs of diabetes, let’s find out who is at risk of developing diabetes:
• Those living an unhealthy lifestyle.
• People who have a habit of eating a lot of greasy foods and fast food high in calories and fat.
• Obese individuals, especially those with abdominal obesity.
• It can also be caused by genetics. When a parent has diabetes, the children are in a high-risk group.
• Unstable working hours, as staying up late may increase the prevalence of diabetes by 50%.
• Regular fasting and skipping breakfast can cause lower blood sugar levels and possibly a craving for sweet supplementation. When the body consumes too much sugar, it leads to the overproduction of insulin and potential disease.
• Women with polycystic ovary disease are also at risk of developing an insulin disorder.
• People with severe snoring are also 50% more likely to develop diabetes than normal people.
Diabetes Symptoms
Diabetes is a dangerous disease. So, what are the signs and symptoms of its early stages that create opportunities for prevention and treatment?
Occupied with busy lives and work schedules, people often do not pay close enough attention to their health, even in the face of warning signs from their bodies. Without an appropriate response, the illness will worsen over time.
Therefore, you should take time to rest and listen to your body more. Some of the early symptoms of diabetes that you should be aware of are as follows:
Constantly Thirsty
When blood sugar is high, your body activates a mechanism that separates the water in the cells and pumps it into the blood. This is for the purpose of diluting excess blood sugar.
At this time, dehydrated cells cause the body to produce a feeling of thirst. This makes you want to drink water to compensate. But patients feel that no matter how much water they drink, they still feel thirsty.
Frequent Urination
One of the most common signs of diabetes besides thirst is frequent urination. The explanation for this phenomenon is that as your body wants to remove excess sugar from the excretion line, the kidneys will have to work harder, causing you to urinate frequently.
Unexplained Weight Loss
When nutrients are absorbed from food, the glucose in the food is converted into energy to sustain the body’s activities. But with diabetes, the body can longer convert glucose into energy. Seriously lacking in energy, the body has to compensate by getting energy from the muscles and fat.
Weight loss results from this fat loss and weakening of the muscles. Sometimes people might be pleasantly surprised about losing weight, but when it is for unknown reasons, it is a concern, and you should go to a doctor to find out the cause.
Feeling Tired And Hungry
When the body lacks insulin due to its inability to convert chemicals from food into energy, blood sugar soars and the body must find ways to get rid of the excess sugar. This leads to a craving to replace the missing energy, leaving the person feeling hungry and lacking in energy.
Dry Mouth, Itchy Skin
When the excretory system has to work overtime, the body dehydrates, leading to a lack of moisture and dry skin. When the skin is dry, many people experience itchy skin. There is also often a feeling of thirst and a dry mouth.
Yeast Infection
A common sign of diabetes, whether male or female, is a yeast infection, usually appearing in skin folds where there are the ideal conditions of high humidity and warm temperatures. Yeast causes infections, most commonly on the fingers and toes or on the genitals.
Wounds Slow to Heal
The sugar that accumulates in the blood over a long period of time affects blood circulation, which damages the nervous system and reduces the body’s resistance. When a patient with diabetes has open wounds, they become very difficult to heal, sometimes even causing widespread sores. Damage to the nervous system also makes many people feel numb and causes pain in their legs.
Nausea
Another condition that may add to the above signs of diabetes is the occurrence of nausea. This is a dangerous development as the burning of fat for energy produces ketones that accumulate in the blood. It may threaten the life of the patient.
Treatment of Diabetes
You should see a doctor for regular checkups every year, not only when you have signs of diabetes. These checkups are essential for the early detection of diseases and the overall monitoring of your health.
Doctors will base their findings on the information you provide about your symptoms and family history. The diabetes test results and index will provide an accurate conclusion about whether you have diabetes or not.
There are many approaches to diabetes treatment. But one common feature is that patients must follow a strict, scientific diet as directed by their doctor. It is crucial that you monitor the disease closely and continuously and periodically re-examine it.
With type 1 diabetes, because the body cannot produce insulin on its own, the patient must take insulin for the rest of his life.
With type 2 diabetes, there is a difference. If you make a positive and scientific lifestyle change, including eating and exercise habits, the condition can be reduced and controlled. Depending on the condition, the doctor will prescribe more oral drugs and injections to control your blood sugar level.
for prevention before it’s too late
There are many factors that lead to diabetes that cannot be prevented. But having a healthy lifestyle reduces your chances of developing the disease. Therefore, it is not only when you recognize the signs of diabetes that you should worry about seeing a doctor, but right now. Let’s positively change our living habits to protect against “attacks” from the disease on the body.
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The site cannot and does not contain medical advice. The medical information is provided for general informational and educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional advice. Before taking any actions based on such information, we encourage you to consult with the appropriate professionals.