diabetes; Its types, symptoms, complications, and the most important advice for the patient

 diabetes; Its types, symptoms, complications, and the most important advice for the patient

Diabetes; is undoubtedly suffering and deprivation. It was a noisy party, as usual at weddings. Everyone sat happily wishing happiness for the newlyweds. Each invitee, of course, held a plate of sweets in his hands and happily ate from the delicious sweets. He alone was sitting far away, as was his custom at any gathering, unable to approach the dishes or eat the tempting sweets. Like everyone, from time to time someone comes and asks him, “Why don’t you eat? Should I bring you a plate?” He answers sadly, “No, I am diabetic.”

content list

- What is diabetes?

- Types of Diabetes

- Type 1 diabetes

- Type 2 diabetes

- Diabetes risk factors

- 8 early symptoms of diabetes

- What is the cumulative blood sugar analysis?

- Tips for diabetics

- Complications of diabetes

This article is in support of diabetics everywhere, and an explanation of what they suffer from because of this chronic disease, which may affect young and old, and even children are not spared from it. If you are sick with diabetes and want to know more about it, or know a patient with it and care about him and want to know how you care for it, or perhaps your family history carries people with this disease and you are afraid of contracting it and want to know how to protect yourself from it, then you need to read this article.

We will learn together about what is diabetes? What are its types? Can it be cured? What are the different types of symptoms? The effect of diabetes on the body, its complications, risk factors, and the most important advice for the patient.

What is diabetes?

God gave us an amazing body and gave it the system by which it works. For it to be able to live, it needs energy, part of which the body obtains through glucose. Diabetes is an increase in the level of glucose in the blood above the normal range, which is from 70 to 90 mg/dl in the case of fasting for 8 hours, and 70 to 140 mg/dl in the case of random measurement. The human body works to regulate the level of glucose in the blood through insulin, and an increase or decrease in the level of glucose in the blood beyond the normal level causes many complications.

The pancreas is the leader in the process of maintaining blood glucose levels, as it is in a constant state of alert. The function of the pancreas is to secrete insulin through what are known as “beta cells.” When a person eats food and the blood sugar level rises, the pancreas secretes insulin into the blood.

Insulin performs its function in maintaining the level of glucose in the blood by stimulating the brain and various cells of the body to consume glucose and produce energy, and the level of glucose in the blood decreases.

So what causes excess glucose? Insulin stimulates the liver to store excess glucose in the form of glycogen, which is broken down when the blood glucose level decreases and turns into glucose that cells can use to produce energy.

Therefore, in a normal state, the body maintains the level of glucose in the blood continuously. Excess glucose is stored, and when hungry, fasting, or not eating, it uses the glucose that was previously stored. In diabetes, an imbalance occurs and the level of glucose in the blood continues for a long time, which may lead to serious complications.

An image containing a small shopping cart containing a treatment used in diabetes, such as insulin, syringes, and a blood sugar measuring device.

What is Diabetes?

Types of Diabetes

Diabetes occurs as a result of a defect in insulin production, or the inability of insulin to deal with cells within the body. Types of diabetes include the following:

Type 1 diabetes

It is an autoimmune disease that causes a defect in the immune system and attacks the beta cells in the pancreas, which are responsible for insulin secretion. Insulin secretion stops or is very reduced, and it cannot be prevented. It represents 5% of all infections.

Type 2 diabetes

Insulin is secreted from the pancreas, but the body's cells cannot deal with it. To understand how this happens, we must understand the mechanism of insulin action. The surface of the cells contains insulin receptors. Insulin combines with its receptors, so the cell allows glucose to pass through. In the second type, the receptors cannot combine with insulin, and the level of glucose in the blood continues to rise and represents 95% of the total number of people with diabetes.

In addition to the above, gestational diabetes is a type of diabetes that affects some pregnant women.

Diabetes risk factors

An image containing a blood sugar measuring device, showing the result as high, when talking about the factors causing diabetes

Diabetes risk factors

Type 1 diabetes is caused by an immune defect that cannot be avoided. As for type 2, several factors may increase the chance and speed of developing it, including:

- Genetic factors and a history of the disease in the family.

- overweight.

- Lack of exercise.

- Unhealthy food.

- Suffering from high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and triglycerides.

- In women, the incidence increases if the woman suffers from gestational diabetes.

- Smoking.

- Stress and constant exposure to pressure.

8 early symptoms of diabetes

An image containing the word diabetes symptoms, and drawings of a cartoon woman suffering from symptoms

What are the symptoms of diabetes?

Despite the seriousness of the complications of diabetes, early detection of the disease makes it easier to control. Some symptoms appear that indicate the possibility of diabetes, and one or all of the symptoms may appear. The top 8 early symptoms of diabetes include:

- Increasing the number of times you urinate above the normal daily average, which is 6 to 8 times, for the kidneys to try to get rid of excess glucose.

- Permanent thirst, which is caused by increased urination and the body’s attempt to compensate for lost fluids.

- Feeling of tingling and numbness resulting from poor blood circulation.

- Delayed wound healing, especially in the extremities, due to poor blood circulation.

- Constant feeling of fatigue; Because cells are unable to use glucose and convert it into energy.

- Unexplained weight loss; This is to use fat cells as an energy source instead of glucose.

Blurred vision and puffy eyes are also early symptoms of diabetes.

- Feeling constantly hungry; Because cells are unable to use glucose.

What is the cumulative blood sugar analysis?

Cumulative sugar analysis, or what is known as (HbA1c), is a blood test used to diagnose diabetes, by knowing the level of glucose in the blood during the last three months, because three months is the period that red blood cells that contain hemoglobin live, which is what... Glucose attaches to it, and according to the results of the cumulative sugar analysis, it is divided into:

- If the percentage is between 4% and 5.6%, the person does not have diabetes.

- If the percentage is between 5.7 and 6.4%, then he is at risk of contracting the disease.

- A ratio of 6.5 or higher is a sign of diabetes.

Tips for diabetics

There are some important tips for any diabetic patient, which help prevent complications of this disease and help the diabetic patient live his life normally. These tips are the following:

- Conduct frequent checks of blood sugar levels.

- Take insulin or other medications as prescribed by the doctor.

- Exercise daily for about half an hour.

- Stay away from smoking.

- Reduce stress and learn how to control stress.

- Make sure to sleep enough times a day, from 7 to 9 hours.

- Checking the levels of triglycerides and cholesterol in the blood and maintaining them within the normal range.

- Control the blood pressure reading within the normal range, and not exceed 140/90 mm Hg.

- Maintain up-to-date vaccinations, such as influenza vaccines, hepatitis B vaccines, and other vaccines.

- Do not take aspirin daily except after consulting the treating physician and with a prescription appropriate to the situation.

- Dental care by brushing the teeth twice a day and once with floss.

- Follow your dentist if your gums are red, swollen, or bleeding.

It is important to pay attention to the condition of the feet by washing them, drying them, moisturizing them, checking for sores and redness in them, and seeing a doctor if necessary.

- Careful planning of meals to create a special diet for a diabetic patient, including the following points:

- Eat whole grains such as brown rice and oats, in addition to low-sugar fruits and non-starchy vegetables.

A- To follow a low-fat, low-calorie diet, such as following the Mediterranean diet and the DASH diet, which are among the best types of diet.

These previous diets contain vegetables, beans, whole grains, fruits, and low sugar, and they are diets rich in dietary fiber.

- Eat legumes such as lentils and beans.

- Maintaining appointments with specialists and medical care professionals, such as a private doctor and a nutritionist.

- Drink enough water to keep the body hydrated.

- Do not skip breakfast, as it is important for starting metabolism.

Reducing salt intake, which raises the risk of high blood pressure, heart disease, and strokes:

The amount of salt per day may be limited to a maximum of one teaspoon, which is equivalent to 6 grams.

- Maintaining an intake of certain grams of carbohydrates.

- Monitor the nutritional information on purchased food products to ensure you only eat healthy food.

-Don't care about so-called diabetes foods; Because they can contain high calories and increase blood glucose levels.

- Reducing the intake of red meat; This is because it is related to heart disease.

- Replace red meat with seafood, eggs, unsalted nuts, and legumes such as beans, lentils, and peas.

- Replace tea and hot drinks with cinnamon drinks; Because it works to reduce the level of glucose in the blood.

- Avoid consuming soft drinks, refined sugars, and high-fat dairy products, and also avoid consuming high fructose corn syrup, and stay away from artificial sweeteners.

- Maintaining a healthy weight.

In addition to the above, it is important to choose healthy fats; Saturated fats raise the risk of high cholesterol and heart disease, and these bad fats are found in ghee, cakes, biscuits, and butter, so they must be replaced with healthy fats found in unsalted nuts, avocado seeds, olive oil, and sunflower oil. Here you can find out:

- The best fruit for diabetics, and the 10 best fruits for diabetics.

- The best foods for diabetics.

- Herbs that lower sugar quickly.

- Forbidden foods for diabetics.

Complications of diabetes

Continuing to increase the rate of glucose in the blood, and not regulating it for a long time can lead to serious complications, including:

- Complications on the heart and coronary arteries. According to the American Heart Association, most diabetic patients have heart problems and suffer from atherosclerosis.

- Complications on the kidneys and on the arteries that deliver blood to the kidneys. It causes an imbalance in the body’s filtration system. The body fills with water and loses a lot of hemoglobin.

- Complications on the eye and retina:

Diabetes affects the nerves of the eye, causing a lack of blood supply to the retina, or bleeding in the retina, and it may lead to clouding of the lens of the eye.

- Complications on the brain and nerves that may lead to a stroke due to atherosclerosis, and clots may occur in the brain.

- Complications on peripheral nerves:

The higher the level of glucose in the blood, the greater the damage to peripheral nerves, numbness and loss of sensation in the extremities, and the occurrence of diabetic foot.

Lack of urinary control is a complication of diabetes.

- Vaginal dryness in women.

- Erectile dysfunction in men.

We learned about diabetes, its types, symptoms, complications, and the danger of the glucose level remaining high in the blood. Therefore, you must go to the doctor as soon as you feel the symptoms we mentioned, whether they occur in all of them or some of them. One of the mistakes that the patient makes is trying to get treatment without going to the doctor. Or performing fasting and random blood sugar tests, etc., which are important, of course, but they are tests for daily follow-up.

The doctor makes the correct diagnosis, performs an HbA1c analysis, determines the type of sugar, and determines the appropriate treatment. Diabetes complications can be avoided by adhering to treatment and the doctor’s advice, and the patient can live normally as long as he maintains the blood glucose level.