Diabetes is a health condition in which the blood sugar levels of the person don’t remain normal or the body fails to produce the insulin that helps to maintain the normal sugar levels. Whenever the person eats food, that food is broken down and get converted into glucose/sugar and enters the bloodstream. When the level of glucose entering the bloodstream rises, it signals the pancreas to release insulin to maintain the normal glucose levels. This insulin helps to regulate blood sugar levels in the bloodstream and helps to enter into the body cell to be used as energy. If the person is diabetic, either the body fails to procedure enough insulin or cannot make the insulin. In such a condition, the patient has to depend upon oral medication or insulin shots to maintain normal blood sugar levels. There are several facts and myths regarding this concept. In this article, we have mentioned some of the most interesting facts about diabetes. Let’s scroll further to know the details.
1. Common types of Diabetes
Type 2 diabetes is one of the most common types of diabetes in the entire world. According to the survey, more than 90-95% of diabetic people are infected with type 2 diabetes. It is a type of diabetes in which the body of the patient fails to maintain the normal sugar levels or the body fails to produce enough insulin. Following an active lifestyle can help an individual to reduce the risks of getting type 2 diabetes.
2. No sugar, please!
Most people believe that a diabetic person can never enjoy eating sweets due to the sugar content in the meal. But the fact is diabetes is not only caused by eating too much sugar but several other factors like consuming excess carbohydrates, eating extra calories, avoiding any form of physical activity, and obesity. For maintaining the appropriate sugar levels, the person should take regular insulin shots, perform a 30-40 minutes physical activity, and count the intake of carbohydrates.
3. Third category of diabetes
Most people believe that there exist only two types of diabetes; type 1 diabetes and types 2 diabetes. There is a third category of diabetes which is known as gestational that is developed in pregnant women during their pregnancy. This type of diabetes is usually developed in women who never had any history of diabetes in life. Gestational diabetes goes away once the baby is born but the mother remains at high risk of developing type 2 diabetes later in life.
4. Roller coaster of emotions
According to the surveys, diabetic people tend to suffer more emotionally in comparison to others. This occurs due to several reasons like anxiety, depression, stress, hormonal changes, and inability to enjoy the favorite dish. The daily intake of the medicines or the insulin shots makes the person dependent upon the medication which ultimately reduces the morale of the individual. Taking expert advice or opinion can be helpful in controlling mood swings and bringing motivation in life.
5. Most diabetic countries
The cases of diabetes all over the world are increasing day by day. A few of the most common reasons for the increased numbers are excess intake of carbs, lack of exercise, stress, and poor lifestyle. According to the statistical reports of the year 2021, China is said to be the most diabetic country with more than 100 million diabetic patients, followed by India, Pakistan, and United States.
6. Leading cause of death
According to several reports, it is believed that millions of people around the globe are diabetic and some of them are even unaware of this health condition. Diabetes is mentioned at number 7 amount the list of the diseases causing death in the United States. Death from diabetes occurs due to several reasons like excess intake of alcohol, smoking, and carbohydrates, lack of exercise, inability to get treatment, poor lifestyle, etc.
7. Cure of diabetes
Diabetes is called a chronic health condition in which the body of the person fails to maintain the blood sugar levels within the normal range or the body fails to produce insulin in the body naturally. Though diabetes is a life-long disease, it can be cured with proper management. Diabetes can be cured or controlled by following a balanced diet with fewer contents of carbohydrates, doing regular exercise for almost 30-40 minutes a day, working on stress management, and taking care of other health issues. Apart from following this routine, a diabetic person should also regularly consume the oral medication or insulin shots recommended by the doctors.
8. Risk of amputation
An amputation is an act of cutting off or losing a body part like a finger, toe, foot, hand, arms, etc. that can severely impact the normal lifestyle of the person. People with high diabetes are at high risk of such conditions as uncontrolled diabetes leads to the damage of the blood vessels that ultimately leads to the loss of amputation of the body part. Uncontrolled diabetes can also lead to blindness, kidney failure, ulcers, heart diseases, strokes, etc. All such conditions can be avoided if proper management of diabetes is done by taking proper medication and following a healthy lifestyle.
9. No-added sugar products
With the changing trends, more and more people are becoming health conscious. Considering the health conditions of the people, several healthy products are introduced in the market. Many chocolate bars, snacks, and several other products are now labeled as no-added-sugar products which means that either no sugar is added to the products or any substitute of the sugar like artificial sweeteners are added into the product to enhance the taste. It must be noted that though these products are less in sugar content but have high levels of carbohydrates and calories that are ultimately get converted into glucose levels. Hence, it is recommended to read the contents of any product before buying it.
10. Serious diabetes
According to medical science, diabetic people who are on insulin shots have more serious diabetes in comparison to those who are dependent upon oral medication. In type 1 diabetes, the patient is unable to control diabetes due to an immune disorder in which the pancreas is affected. In such a condition, the patient has to take regular insulin shots to ensure that their sugar levels remain normal. In the case of type 2 diabetes, the patient is more dependent upon the oral medication or a combination of both oral medication and insulin shots to ensure stability in the sugar levels.