What Is Diabetes? how does diabetes affect the body?

When you hear the word "diabetes," the first thing that comes to mind is probably elevated blood sugar levels.

Blood sugar is an often-overlooked aspect of your overall health. It can lead to diabetes if it is out of balance for an extended length of time. 

Diabetes has a negative impact on the body. Your body's capacity to make or utilize insulin, a hormone that permits your body to convert glucose (sugar) into energy, is a trusted source.

When diabetes is detected early, it can be effectively treated. When left untreated, however, it can lead to a variety of consequences, including:

1.  cardiac disease
2.  stroke
3. injury to the kidneys
4. 4. nervous system damage

Normally, your body will break down sugars from meals and utilize them for energy in your cells after you eat or drink.

Your pancreas must create the hormone insulin to do this. Insulin aids in the process of sucking sugar from the bloodstream and storing it in the cells as energy.

If you have diabetes, your pancreas produces either too little or no insulin. Insulin is unable to be utilized efficiently.

As a result, blood glucose levels rise while the rest of your cells go without much-needed energy. This can result in a wide range of issues that impact practically every major bodily system.

 Hypoglycemia is a condition in which the blood sugar level falls below normal. Hypoglycemia is a symptom of both Types I and Type II diabetes. It happens when a person's blood sugar, or glucose, is too low. While hypoglycemia is frequently caused by diabetic medication, it can be caused by a variety of factors and affect anybody. Low blood sugar is a symptom of this illness.

Because high glucose levels in a diabetic's blood influence the central nervous system over time, nerves in numerous regions of the body are affected as well. The nerves in the foot are the most commonly affected. It is here, farthest from the brain, that persons with diabetes who have nerve damage typically experience no sensations of cold, discomfort, or even heat.

Type II diabetes has been identified in many persons who are not overweight or who do not consume a lot of sugar. It happens to everyone. There are also some signs that it might be a hereditary condition. If you have a first-degree relative with diabetes, you have a high risk of inheriting the disease.

This is a disorder caused by the mother's inability to utilize the insulin produced naturally in her body during pregnancy. It's caused by hormones released during pregnancy, which make the mother insulin resistant. The mother gradually develops hyperglycemia, or elevated blood glucose levels.

Although Type II Diabetes normally strikes later in life, more young people are being diagnosed with the condition every day. Prediabetes affects around 54 million individuals in the United States, according to the American Diabetes Association. Prediabetes is characterized by blood glucose levels that are greater than usual but not high enough to be classified as Type II diabetes.

These medications act by causing the pancreas to release more insulin. These medicines are effective at decreasing blood glucose levels, but they also increase the risk of hypoglycemia. Hypoglycemia is a condition in which the blood sugar level is abnormally low. Because of this potentially serious adverse effect, sulfonylureas are frequently combined with other medications, the most popular of which is Glucophage, also known as Metformin.

The majority of today's food is cultivated inorganically with chemical fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides, and fungicides, and is derived from genetically modified (GMO) seed.

Diabetes has several different types.

The impact of diabetes on your body is also determined by the kind. Type 1 and type 2 diabetes are the two most common kinds of diabetes.

Type 1 diabetes, often known as juvenile diabetes or insulin-dependent diabetes, is a disease of the immune system. Your immune system targets the insulin-producing cells in your pancreas, preventing your body from making insulin. You must take insulin to survive if you have type 1 diabetes. The majority of persons are diagnosed with type 1 diabetes as children or young adults.

Insulin resistance is linked to type 2. Type 2 diabetes used to affect mostly the elderly, but how it affects a growing number of young people. Certain lifestyle, nutritional, and exercise behaviors are to blame for this.

When you have type 2 diabetes, your pancreas stops producing enough insulin. This makes it difficult to extract sugar from the bloodstream and store it in the cells for energy. This can eventually lead to the requirement for insulin therapy.

Early stages of diabetes, such as prediabetes, can be effectively managed with a well-balanced diet, exercise, and frequent blood sugar monitoring. This may also help to avoid the onset of type 2 diabetes.

Diabetes is manageable. If necessary lifestyle adjustments are implemented, it may potentially go into remission.

High blood sugar that develops during pregnancy is known as gestational diabetes. Diet and exercise are usually enough to control gestational diabetes. It also usually goes away when the baby is born.

Pregnancy difficulties might be increased if you have gestational diabetes. It can also put both the birthing parent and the kid at risk of developing type 2 diabetes later in life.

The endocrine, excretory, and digestive systems are all interconnected.

Other hormones are utilized to convert fat into energy if your pancreas produces little or no insulin, or if your body can't utilize it. High quantities of hazardous substances, such as acids and ketone bodies, might result, potentially leading to diabetic ketoacidosis.

Diabetic ketoacidosis is a significant diabetic condition. Among the signs and symptoms are:

•  Extreme thirst
•  frequent urination
•  and exhaustion

The increased amounts of ketones in the blood may generate a pleasant odor on your breath. Diabetic ketoacidosis can be confirmed by high blood sugar levels and an excess of ketones in the urine. This disorder, if left untreated, can result in loss of consciousness or possibly death.

Type 2 diabetes causes a condition known as a diabetic hyperglycemic hyperosmolar syndrome (HHS). It is characterized by extremely high blood glucose levels without the presence of ketones.

With this condition, you might get dehydrated. There's a chance you'll pass out. HHS is more likely among those who haven't been diagnosed with diabetes or who haven't been able to control it adequately. A heart attack, stroke, or infection can all contribute to it.

Gastroparesis can be caused by high blood glucose levels. This is when your stomach refuses to empty entirely. Blood glucose levels may rise as a result of the delay. As a result, you may encounter the following:

• nausea 
• vomiting 
• bloating 
• heartburn

Have you recently been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes?

With this 5-part email series, you can jumpstart your type 2 diabetes treatment. Get advice, support, and useful hints on a diet, medication, and other topics. Click here to get free access 

Damage to the kidneys

Diabetic kidney disease can harm your kidneys and impair their capacity to filter waste from your blood. If your doctor finds microalbuminuria or high protein levels in your urine, it might mean your kidneys aren't working correctly.

Diabetic nephropathy is a kidney condition caused by diabetes. This illness does not manifest symptoms until it is advanced. If you have diabetes, your doctor will evaluate you for nephropathy to help prevent irreversible kidney damage or kidney failure.

The integumentary system is a mechanism that protects the body from the elements.

Diabetes can harm your skin, which is the biggest organ in your body. Your body's lack of moisture caused by high blood sugar can cause the skin of your feet to dry and crack, in addition to dehydration.

After bathing or swimming, make sure your feet are fully dry. You can apply petroleum jelly or light lotions to these regions, but don't let them become too wet.

Moist, warm folds in the skin are susceptible to fungal, bacterial, or yeast infections. These tend to develop in the following areas:

• between fingers and toes
• the groin
• armpits
• corners of the mouth

Redness, blistering, and itching are some of the symptoms.

Calluses can form as a result of high-pressure areas under your foot. These have the potential to become infected or to create ulcers. If you develop an ulcer, visit a doctor right once to reduce your chances of losing your foot.

You may also be more susceptible to:

• boils
• folliculitis (infection of the hair follicles)
• styes
• infected nails

Uncontrolled diabetes can also result in three skin conditions:

Eruptive xanthomatosis is characterized by hard yellow pimples surrounded by a crimson ring.

Thick skin develops as a result of digital sclerosis, most often on the hands or feet.

Diabetic dermopathy can result in dark areas of the skin. There is no need to be concerned, and no therapy is required.

These skin issues normally go away after your blood sugar is under control.

Have you recently been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes?

With this 5-part email series, you can jumpstart your type 2 diabetes treatment. Get advice, support, and useful hints on a diet, medication, and other topics. Click here to get free access