What is diabetes?

Diabetes is a chronic disease that occurs when the pancreas is no longer able to make insulin, or when the body cannot make good use of the insulin it produces.

Insulin is a hormone made by the pancreas, that acts like a key to let glucose from the food we eat pass from the bloodstream into the cells in the body to produce energy. All carbohydrate foods are broken down into glucose in the blood. Insulin helps glucose get into the cells.

According to idf.org, not being able to produce insulin or use it effectively leads to raised glucose levels in the blood (known as hyperglycemia). Over the long-term high glucose levels are associated with damage to the body and failure of various organs and tissues.

What are the different types of diabetes?

The most common types of diabetes are type 1, type 2, and gestational diabetes.

Type 1 diabetes

If you have type 1 diabetes, your body does not make insulin. Your immune system attacks and destroys the cells in your pancreas that make insulin. Type 1 diabetes is usually diagnosed in children and young adults, although it can appear at any age. People with type 1 diabetes need to take insulin every day to stay alive.

Type 2 diabetes

If you have type 2 diabetes, your body does not make or use insulin well. You can develop type 2 diabetes at any age, even during childhood. However, this type of diabetes occurs most often in middle-aged and older people. Type 2 is the most common type of diabetes.

Gestational diabetes

Gestational diabetes develops in some women when they are pregnant. Most of the time, this type of diabetes goes away after the baby is born. However, if you’ve had gestational diabetes, you have a greater chance of developing type 2 diabetes later in life. Sometimes diabetes diagnosed during pregnancy is actually type 2 diabetes.

Other types of diabetes

Less common types include monogenic diabetes, which is an inherited form of diabetes, and cystic fibrosis-related diabetes.

Symptoms

In type 1 diabetes, symptoms are often sudden and can be life-threatening; therefore it is usually diagnosed quite quickly. In type 2 diabetes, many people have no symptoms at all, while other signs can go unnoticed being seen as part of ‘getting older’.

Therefore, by the time symptoms are noticed, complications of diabetes may already be present.

Common symptoms include:

  • Being more thirsty than usual

  • Passing more urine

  • Feeling tired and lethargic

  • Always feeling hungry

  • Having cuts that heal slowly

  • Itching, skin infections

  • Blurred vision

  • Unexplained weight loss (type 1)

  • Gradually putting on weight (type 2)

  • Mood swings

  • Headaches

  • Feeling dizzy

  • Leg cramps

Exercise and diet tips

If a doctor diagnoses a person with type 2 diabetes, they will often recommend making lifestyle changes to support weight loss and overall health.

A doctor may refer a person with diabetes or prediabetes to a nutritionist. A specialist can help a person with diabetes lead an active, balanced lifestyle and manage the condition.

1739 diabetes disease
A good diet helps diabetes treatment. Photo: Askdrray

According to Medical News Today, steps a person can take to embrace a lifestyle with diabetes include:

  • Eating a diet high in fresh, nutritious foods, including whole grains, fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, low-fat dairy, and healthy fat sources, such as nuts.

  • Avoiding high-sugar foods that provide empty calories, or calories that do not have other nutritional benefits, such as sweetened sodas, fried foods, and high-sugar desserts.

  • Refraining from drinking excessive amounts of alcohol or keeping intake to less than one drink a day for women or two drinks a day for men.

  • Engaging in at least 30 minutes of exercise a day on at least 5 days of the week, such as of walking, aerobics, riding a bike, or swimming.

  • Recognizing signs of low blood sugar when exercising, including dizziness, confusion, weakness, and profuse sweating.

People can also take steps to reduce their body mass index (BMI), which can help some people with type 2 diabetes manage the condition without medication.

Slow, steady weight loss goals are more likely to help a person retain long-term benefits.

Using Insuline

People with type I diabetes and some people with type 2 diabetes may need to inject or inhale insulin to keep their blood sugar levels from becoming too high.

Various types of insulin are available, and most are grouped by how long their effect lasts. There are rapid, regular, intermediate, and long-acting insulins.

Some people will use a long-acting insulin injection to maintain consistently low blood sugar levels. Some people may use short-acting insulin or a combination of insulin types. Whatever the type, a person will usually check their blood glucose levels using a fingerstick.

This method of checking blood sugar levels involves using a special, portable machine called a glucometer. A person with type I diabetes will then use the reading of their blood sugar level to determine how much insulin they need.

Self-monitoring is the only way a person can find out their blood sugar levels. Assuming the level from any physical symptoms that occur may be dangerous unless a person suspects extremely low glucose and thinks they need a rapid dose of glucose.

Self-monitoring tips

Self-monitoring blood sugar levels is vital for effective diabetes management, helping to regulate meal scheduling, physical activity, and when to take medication, including insulin.

While self-monitoring blood glucose (SMBG) machines vary, they will generally include a meter and test strip for generating readings and a lancing device to prick the skin for obtaining a small quantity of blood.

Refer to the specific instructions of a meter in every case, as machines will differ. However, the following precautions and steps will apply to many of the machines on the market:

  • Make sure both hands are clean and dry before touching the test strips or meter

  • Do not use a test strip more than once and keep them in their original canister to avoid any external moisture changing the result.

  • Keep canisters closed after testing.

  • Always check the expiration date.

  • Older meters might require coding prior to use. Check to see if the machine currently in use needs this.

  • Store the meter and strips in a dry, cool area.

  • Take the meter and strips into consultations, so that a primary care physician or specialist can check their effectiveness.

A person who is self-monitoring diabetes uses a device called a lancet to prick the skin. While the idea of drawing blood might cause distress for some people, the lancing of the finger to obtain a blood sample should be a gentle, simple procedure.

Take the following precautions:

  • Clean the area from which the sample will come with soapy, warm water to avoid food residue entering the device and distorting the reading.

  • Choose a small, thin lancet for maximum comfort.

  • The lancet should have depth settings that control the depth of the prick. Adjust this for comfort.

  • Many meters require only a teardrop-sized sample of blood.

  • Take blood from the side of the finger, as this causes less pain. Using the middle finger, ring finger, and little finger may be more comfortable

  • While some meters allow samples from other test sites, such as the thighs and upper arms, the fingertips or outer palms produce more accurate results.

  • Tease blood to the surface in a “milking” motion rather than placing pressure at the lancing site.

  • Dispose of lances in line with local regulations for getting rid of sharp objects.

While remembering to self-monitor involves lifestyle adjustments, it need not be an uncomfortable process.

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