How You Know You Have Diabetes

If you’re over 40 years old, it’s time to stop ignoring the early signs and symptoms of diabetes. 300 million people have diabetes around the world, so if you don’t yet have any of the common symptoms, your risk factors are still increasing daily as you age. Following this guide will help you identify and address the symptoms of diabetes, with tips on what you can do to prevent your risk of heart attack, stroke, blindness, kidney failure, and the removal of your toes or feet. Don’t ignore the signs.

Early signs of Diabetes

There’s hunger and fatigue. The food you eat is converted into glucose that your cells need for energy. That being said, cells require insulin to bring glucose into the cell. If your body cannot produce enough insulin or your cells are resistant to the insulin it creates, the glucose will not enter the cells and you will not have energy. As a result, you will feel hungrier and more tired than usual.

Higher urination frequency and increased thirstiness. Most people will urinate at least four to seven times in a 24-hour period, but people with diabetes may need to urinate more often. Why is this? Typically, the body reabsorbs the glucose that is passing through the kidneys. As diabetes pushes your blood sugar levels up, your kidneys may not be able to retain the extra fluids in your body. In response, your body may urinate more, which takes even more fluid out of your system. As a result, you’ll have to go more often. You might pee more, too. Considering how much you’re peeing, you might also be more thirsty. When you drink more water, you’ll pee more, too.

Other signs that your body is trying to hold on to water include dry mouth and itchy skin. With hot and humid conditions, you might become dehydrated and your mouth might become dry. If your skin is dry, you may feel itchy.

With vision getting blurry. As fluid levels in your body rise, the lenses in your eyes can swell. They can change their shape, and they often can’t focus.

Immune system issues

The human body usually guards itself against invasion by trillions of microbes, some harmful and some not, through an elaborate defense system. Nevertheless, there are some conditions that contribute to an over-susceptible immune system, making it difficult for some infections to resist. For example, when an open wound occurs, it makes it easier for bacteria to enter and cause an infection, for example, due to the presence of pus. However, our defense system against invading pathogens is enabled by various features of our body. Examples include, but are not limited to, intact skin and mucosal surfaces as well as the production of reactive oxygen species, cytokines, and chemokines.

Sadly, diabetes weakens the immune system of the host. If the individual also has damaged peripheral nerves, it can weaken their immunity as well. Insulin deficiency, or too little insulin, can lead to hyperglycemia or a condition of high blood sugar. Therefore, as noted by the American Diabetes Association, individuals with diabetes are more susceptible to infectious diseases since their immune systems cannot defend against invaders. Many studies have been done to understand how diabetes negatively impacts the body’s ability to fight off infections. These mechanisms include suppressing cytokine production, dysfunctional immune cells, and the failure to kill bacteria.

Weight Loss Without Trying

If weight loss is unexplainable, the doctor must first determine the cause. Treatment of the underlying condition may cause the patient to lose weight if weight loss is indeed the only symptom. In other cases, the patient may be sent to see a nutritionist.

An example would be your doctor recommending that you consume a nutritional shake for extra calories, or that you add flavor enhancers to your food in order to improve the taste and compel you to eat more. Your doctor may also recommend that you see a dietitian for advice and guidance.

Prediabetes risk factors

There are various factors that lead to prediabetes the most common ones are: 

– Having excess weight or being obese

– Being 45 years of age or more

– A history of type 2 diabetes within one’s family

– When you exercise less than three times per week.

– He/She is known to have a history of heart disease or stroke.

– If you have high cholesterol or high blood pressure

– To have Metabolic Syndrome.

– Suffering from polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)

– Known to have diabetes during pregnancy

– Giving birth to a baby over nine pounds in weight

– Being of a black, Hispanic/Latinx, Native American, Asian American, or Pacific Islander heritage.

Diabetes and Immunity: Tips for Good Health

The following are ways in which you can maintain a strong immune system with diabetes: 

1. Eat those foods that support your immune system, it is a wise idea to speak to your doctor about the same.

2. Healthy weight management will have an effect on your immune system. It is important to never skip a meal and eat smaller, more frequent portions of food at one time.

3. In order to stay healthy, be sure to make regular exercise a habit in your daily routine. In addition to helping you maintain your weight, exercise will improve your immune system and help your circulation.

4. Check your blood glucose on a regular basis to ensure it remains in a safe range.

5. Make use of probiotics to assist the immune system. Probiotics are necessary bacteria that should be in the body. In addition to taking probiotic supplements, it’s good to incorporate natural probiotic foods into one’s diet such as yogurt.

6. Some other ways to boost your immunity system include drinking herbal tea and drinking black tea which are natural sources of a particular nutrient known to aid in regulating the body’s blood sugar levels.

7. Stress is believed to be the most important reason for weakened immunity by various experts. When you are stressed, hormones are released to lead to immunity loss in the body. Practice activities like yoga and meditation to reduce and eliminate stress from your life.

8. To make sure your immune system is strong, you need to be sound asleep. All of the work you do to strengthen your immunity system will be for nothing if you don’t get enough sleep.

9. Finally, quit smoking and drinking to boost immunity.

Thereby, by following the easy steps given, you can boost your immunity system even with diabetes and lead a healthy, happy life!