Diabetes mellitus is a group of metabolic or autoimmune disorders that affect how your body creates and / or uses blood sugar. Glucose is important for your health as it is an important source of energy for the cells that make up your muscles and tissues. It is also your brain’s main source of energy. No matter what type of diabetes you have, it can lead to excess sugar in your blood. Sustained periods of high blood sugar levels (hyperglycemia) can lead to serious health problems affecting one’s eyes, heart, kidneys and many other parts of your body.
1-Type 1 diabetes - This is also called insulin-dependent diabetes. It used to be called juvenile-onset diabetes, as it used to often begin in childhood. Type 1 diabetes is an auto-immune condition. It happens when your body attacks your pancreas with antibodies. The organ is damaged and does not make insulin. Your genes might cause type 1 diabetes. It could also happen because of problems with cells in your pancreas that make insulin.
2-Type 2 diabetes - This is also called non-insulin-dependent or adult-onset diabetes. But over the last couple of decades it has become more common in children and teens. About 90% of people with diabetes have type 2 diabetes. When you have type 2 diabetes, your pancreas usually creates some insulin. But either it is not enough or your body does not use it like it should. Insulin resistance, when your cells don’t respond to insulin, usually happens in fat, liver and muscle cells.
3-Gestational diabetes - Pregnancy usually causes some form of insulin resistance. If this becomes diabetes, it is termed asgestational diabetes. Doctors often spot it in the middle or late pregnancy. Because the mother’s blood sugars travel through the placenta to the baby, it is important to control gestational diabetes to protect the baby’s growth and development. Gestational diabetes may go away after child birth. But in some women it can become type 2 diabetes weeks, months or even years later.
Prediabetes means that your blood sugar levels are higher than usual, but not high enough for you to be called a type 2 diabetic. It also means that you are at high risk of developing type 2 diabetes. During prediabetes you may not have any of the classic symptoms that diabetes has. Prediabetes is also called borderline diabetes, impaired fasting glucose, impaired glucose tolerance, impaired glucose regulation or non-diabetic hyperglycemia. At this stage you can do a lot of things to reduce your risk of developing type 2 diabetes in consultation with a doctor or a diabetes educator.
These include:
- Frequent urination, especially at night
- Being very thirsty
- Feeling more tired than usual
- Losing weight without trying to
- Genital itching or thrush
- Cuts and wounds take longer to heal
- Blurred vision
- Increased hunger
These symptoms can be seen in adults as well as in children.
Also not all individuals are the same. The symptoms you experience may not exactly match those of other people. However, the most common symptoms are increased thirst, increased urination, feeling tired and losing weight.
Risk factors for diabetes depend on the type of diabetes.
Risk factors for type 1: Although the exact cause of type 1 diabetes is unknown, factors that may signal an increased risk include:
- Family history
- Environmental factors
- Damaging immune system cells (antibodies)
- Geography
Risk factors for type 2 include:
- Weight
- Inactivity
- Family history
- Race or ethnicity
- Age
- Gestational diabetes
- Polycystic Ovary Syndrome
- High blood pressure
- Abnormal cholesterol and triglyceride levels
Risk factors for gestational diabetes include:
- Age
- Family or personal history
- Weight
- Race or ethnicity
Pregnant women can develop gestational diabetes. Some women are at greater risk than others.
Long term complications of diabetes develop over a period of time. The longer you have diabetes and the less controlled your blood sugar levels are, the higher the risk of your developing these complications. Eventually, if not paid heed to, these complications can be life-threatening. Possible complications include:
- Cardiovascular disease
- Nerve damage
- Kidney damage
- Eye damage
- Foot damage
- Skin infections
- Hearing impairment
- Alzheimer’s disease
- Depression
While the treatment and management of type 1 and type 2 diabetes vary, some parts of how you can manage them overlap. Your doctor will tell you how often you should check your blood glucose levels. The goal is to stay within a specific range.
Follow these simple tips to manage your blood sugar levels within range if you are a type 2 diabetic:
Include foods rich in fiber and healthy carbohydrates in your diet. Eating fruits, vegetables, and whole grains will help keep your blood glucose levels steady.
- Eat at regular intervals
- Don't overeat
- Control your weight and keep your heart healthy.
- Get about half an hour of any form of aerobic exercise daily. Exercise helps regulate blood sugar levels.
Your doctor will explain how to recognize the early symptoms of blood sugar that’s too high or too low and what to do in each situation. Not everyone with type 2 diabetes needs to use insulin. If you do, it’s because your pancreas isn’t making enough insulin on its own. It’s crucial that you take insulin as directed. There are other prescription medications that may help as well.
If you have diabetes or have a family member with diabetes, you may have heard about coaching for people with diabetes. So what exactly does a diabetes educator do?
A diabetes educator:
- will help you work towards your much needed diabetes-related goals. These normally are in the direction of a reduced HbA1c.
- will work with you on food and medical interventions. While food interventions are taken care of by the diabetes educator, the diabetes educator will direct you to your doctor (with enough data) for medication re-adjustments.
- has the required training and experience to support someone with diabetes and may even be diabetic themselves.
- is a highly empathetic professional and trained to look at things holistically.
- will help you understand the ramifications of a badly managed diabetes and its effect on the medical, personal, professional, social, emotional and financial aspects of your life.
- does not replace your doctor.
Finally, diabetes education is misunderstood as quick 10 minute-calls. It is in fact a series of well scheduled 45-60 minute video calls with the diabetic and the caretaker. These sessions include diabetes education, exhaustive discussions and guidance on the immediate short-term goal/s undertaken.