Diabetes - Definition, Causes, Types and Treatment
Posted on: 14/Nov/2015 2:50:20 PM
Diabetes - this is looked upon with vigor and fury, but it need not be so. This is certainly not an alien ailment among us, humans. The condition has always been wide-spreading across the globe at all times. Initially, it was considered as a disease of the rich, but with changing lifestyle habits, diabetes has become very common among our family members, relatives, neighbors and others.
Considering India, there has been a drastic rise in the total number of diabetic patients in the past three decades for which the main reason is lifestyle changes. While there are people who are aware of being diabetic, there are few others who do not even realize the same. The population of those who are unaware of being diabetic is surging too. By being aware of diabetic and fighting it out with proper medicines and lifestyle habits, it is very easy to escape from the disease.
Diabetes - What exactly it is?
The food we eat breaks down into glucose and gets mixed with blood. This in turn gives our body the needed energy. Our body cells cannot make use of the glucose directly. To break it down further, the Pancreas in our body secrets Insulin hormone. The insulin gets mixed with our blood and helps in making use of glucose. By this process, the overall sugar level in our body is kept under control.
The problem arises when there is malfunctioning of pancreas in secreting enough level of insulin which eventually hurdles proper maintenance of sugar levels. Such a condition is termed as diabetes.
Types of Diabetes:
· Type – 1 diabetes
· Type – 2 diabetes
· Gestational diabetes
· Secondary diabetes
· Maturity onset diabetes of the young (MODY)
Above are the four types of diabetes. There are certain test you ought to take annually. What are the these mandatory tests? Here is the list:
· Retina
· Albumin and Creatinine levels in blood
· Tests on foot
· HbA1C Test
· Cholesterol test
· Liver test (LFT)
· ECG
Insulin Pump:
Those who suffer with type-1 diabetes ought to take insulin throughout their life. Instead of using insulin injection, you may choose to make use of insulin pump that utilizes advanced technologies. This comes in the size of a mobile phone. When this is fixed to the stomach, it observes the functioning of pancreas and injects the necessary quantity of insulin to your body.
Glycemic Index:
Glycemic index indicates the rate at which digestion takes place in our body and gets mixed with blood. In general, this figure will be the least for fibre rich food.
What to eat?
Diabetics are recommended to eat fibre rich food of which greens stand on top. You can consume one variety of greens per day. All vegetables except tuberous vegetables are good for consumption. Boiled or steam cooked fish and chicken can be had, but not fried ones. As per the recommendations by doctors, nuts like Badam can also be had. Apple, Guava, Orange, Papaya, etc are some of the fruits good for diabetic patients. Egg white is good too. A consumption of 1500 calories per day is more than enough for diabetic patients.
