Diabetes
Diabetes is a chronic disease characterized by increased blood glucose. This increase in
glucose is commonly known as "high sugar". Over time, excess glucose in the blood can
cause health problems.
Glucose is the energy our body needs to function/work.We get it from food through
digestion, a process by which glucose goes into the blood and is stored in the liver to
be used when we need it. Insulin, a hormone produced by the pancreas, is essential for
the body's cells to use glucose.In people with diabetes, the pancreas is not able to
segregate the necessary insulin or the body does not use the hormone properly.
Types and characteristics of diabetes
There are three main types of diabetes:
Type 1 diabetes
It is an autoimmune disorder that causes the body's immune system to attack the
insulin-secreting cells of the pancreas. As a result, this causes the body to produce little
or no insulin.Type 1 diabetes is usually diagnosed in children and young adults,
although it can appear at any age.People with type 1 diabetes have to use insulin every
day to survive.
Type 2 diabetes
Type 2 diabetes is the most common. Initially, hyperglycaemia is the result of the
body's inability to respond adequately to insulin, which is defined as insulin
resistance.Type 2 diabetes can appear at any age, even during childhood. However,
this type of diabetes appears more frequently in middle-aged and elderly people.
Gestational diabetes
Gestational diabetes is diabetes that occurs/appears for the first time during
pregnancy and, in most cases, disappears after childbirth. However, it should be noted
that having gestational diabetes increases the risk of having it again in subsequent
pregnancies, and that having had gestational diabetes makes the risk of developing
type 2 diabetes particularly high between three and six years after childbirth and may
occur in women under 40 years of age.
Diagnosis and treatment of diabetes
Your doctor, or other health professional, can diagnose diabetes, pre-diabetes, and
gestational diabetes through blood tests. Blood tests show if your blood glucose level
is too high. The most common tests to diagnose diabetes and pre-diabetes are:
Fasting plasma glucose: this test is performed when you have been fasting for
at least 8 hours.
Random plasma glucose test: performed regardless of whether the patient is
fasting or non-fasting.
Glycosylated haemoglobin (A1c) test: measures the average blood glucose
level over the past three months.
Diabetes cannot be cured, but the patient can take a number of/ some/a fewsteps to
manage the disease.
Depending on the type of diabetes you have, blood sugar control, insulin and oral
medications may influence your treatment. But a healthy diet, maintaining a healthy
weight and regular physical activity are important factors in diabetes control.
Recommended diet for diabetes
Diet is crucial to the diabetes control, which is why it is essential to maintain a
balanced and healthy diet.
Following a healthy eating plan and being physically active can help you keep your
blood glucose in your target range. There is no set percentage of calories for all people
with diabetes. Diet should therefore be based on an individualised assessment of each
person.
Source: https://www.msd.es/stories/diabetes/?
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Violeta Sanchez Molina
