Diabetes Health Types, Symptoms And Diet

Diabetes Symptoms, Causes, Diagnosis, Treatment and Diet

As an adult, diabetes is something that can creep up on you without any warning. Well, that's not quite true - there are definite warning signs for adult-onset diabetes, but they're often ignored or mistaken for other things. Since diabetes is a serious disease, it's important to recognize these signs as early as possible in order to minimize health problems and other complications. This is especially true of overweight adults, who are very much at risk of diabetes.

The classic signs of adult diabetes are frequent urination and constant thirst. The thirst is actually a side-effect of the urination, since the body is trying to prevent dehydration. Frequent or excessive urination is particularly a sign of diabetes insipid us, a form of diabetes that is hormonal in nature, unlike the more common diabetes mellitus, which is due to abnormal levels of insulin and/or resistance to insulin's effects.

What is Diabetes?
Diabetes is usually a lifelong (chronic) disease in which there are high levels of sugar in the blood. Diabetes (diabetes mellitus) is classed as a metabolism disorder. Metabolism refers to the way our bodies use digested food for energy and growth. Most of what we eat is broken down into glucose. Glucose is a form of sugar in the blood. Patients with high blood sugar will typically experience polyuria (frequent urination), they will become increasingly thirsty (polydipsia) and hungry (polyphagia).
 

 If diabetes is not treated or managed well, then a patient may suffer hypoglycaemia (hypo) when blood sugar levels fall dangerously low. If a 'Hypo' is not treated quickly then it may result in a coma or even death. Diabetes-related complications start small but get bigger.

Over time complications develop without most people knowing – gradually the blood vessels all over the body become damaged. This means that the many tiny cells which they take blood to also become damaged.

Blood vessel damage leads to problems with the organs they supply for example, eye damage can lead to blindness if left untreated; the skin on the toes and feet degrades and can get gangrenous; the kidneys can start to fail; blood vessels supplying the brain and heart can become damaged which can lead to stroke and heart attack.

In people with diabetes, hardening of the arteries (atherosclerosis) of the blood vessels happens very rapidly  this is another complication that can lead to heart attack and stroke quite quickly if the disease is not well-managed.
 

Symptoms Or Signs Of Diabetes A Common
Diabetes  is a condition in which the body can not regulate the content of sugar in the blood so glucose or sugar which is usually transported into the cells of the body as an energy source instead scattered in the bloodstream, and even go wasted in the urine. Regulation of blood sugar by the body is done with the help of the hormone insulin from the pancreas.
 

Symptoms or signs of diabetes are common are:

• Dehydration
• constant thirst
• Increased frequency of urination
• Fatigue
• Weight loss
• Impaired vision
• Wound healing is a long

High blood sugar levels will eventually cause damage to blood vessels and nerves that lead to impaired function of the eyes, kidneys and nerves as well as increase the risk of heart attack, stroke and impotence.

There are three main types of diabetes mellitus (DM)

• Type 1 DM results from the body's failure to produce insulin, and presently requires the person to inject insulin or wear an insulin pump. This form was previously referred to as "insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus" (IDDM) or "juvenile diabetes".

• Type 2 DM results from insulin resistance, a condition in which cells fail to use insulin properly, sometimes combined with an absolute insulin deficiency. This form was previously referred to as non insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) or "adult-onset diabetes".

• The third main form, gestational diabetes - This type affects females during pregnancy. Some women have very high levels of glucose in their blood, and their bodies are unable to produce enough insulin to transport all of the glucose into their cells, resulting in progressively rising levels of glucose.

Healthy Food Selections

A diabetes diet is not as bad as it sounds. In selecting your foods ask yourself the question: what healthy foods would I want to have in my refrigerator and pantry that I know I will eat? The point is to eat healthy by making savvy selections within the food groups you will enjoy. Here is a list that will provide the range of wholesome delights to assist your decisions:

• Eat lots of fresh fruit. Fruits contain sugars, so you will need to count it as part of your carbohydrate intake. If you are working with a low glycaemic index, most fruits fall within the marker and are encouraged, they may include: apples, cantaloupes, cherries, berries, papaya, peaches, pears, plums, tangerines, oranges and grapes.

• Eat 5 servings of non-starchy vegetables, these include: cucumber, carrots, cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, celery, eggplant, bean sprouts, baby corn, spinach, tomato, mushrooms, and kale.

• Starchy foods such are sweet potatoes and similar tubers are rich in carbohydrates and fibre; these must be counted and noted in your diary.

• Eat whole grains. Have brown rice as your stir-fry; eat whole grain pasta with your favourite tomato sauce and peppers; and have a bowl of oats for breakfast. Some more choices for grains include: popcorn, whole wheat flour, wild rice, buck wheat flour, and quinoa. These contain carbs and will need to be counted.

• Choose non-fat dairy. A good way to get calcium and protein is with dairy. Select quality dairy without sugar and fat free. Examples are: fat-free or 1% milk, plain non-fat yoghurt, and unflavoured soya milk.

• Include fish in your meals 2-3 times per week. Examples: catfish, sardines, tuna, salmon, tilapia, and cod.

• Include lean meat and alternative sources of protein. Lean meat and meat substitutes are great sources of protein; try to minimize the amount of saturated fat and total fat when consuming meat. Dried beans and peas are delicious selections and can be used as protein substitutes; dried beans and peas however, contain starch and should be included in your sugar count.