Diabetes: Diabetes Symptoms and How to Control Diabetes

Sugar, candies, and cakes are a thing that everyone craves. It is often difficult to satisfy your taste buds that always crave dessert after every meal. But, with the increasing cases of diabetes across the country, it has become one of the major causes of concern among healthcare professionals. 

According to a study done by the International Diabetes Federation in 2017, approximately 72.9 million adults in India have been diagnosed with diabetes. With a population of 1.38 billion people, India has approximately 11.2% of diabetic cases from the urban areas themselves. The number of diabetic cases is expected to rise to around 134 million people by 2045 in India. Diabetes occurs in two major forms, that is, type I diabetes and type II diabetes. According to research done in 2015, the cases of type I diabetes increase by about 3 - 5% every year. Another study done in 2016, states that the cases of type II diabetes have increased by about 8% in the past ten years in the urban areas of the country. 

With such a high prevalence of diabetes in the country, it is very important to diagnose the condition at an early stage and maintain the blood sugar levels within an optimum range. Thus, in this article, let us discuss the easily identifiable symptoms of diabetes and the ways by which you can effectively treat it.

Symptoms of Diabetes

Diabetes is caused when the sugar levels in the blood rise. The increase in blood sugar levels can be detected through various symptoms in your body.

General symptoms of diabetes

There are some symptoms of increased blood sugar level that can be observed in both type I and type II diabetes in males as well as females. These symptoms include:

• Increased thirst
• Frequent urination
• Increased hunger
• Weight loss
• Blurry vision
• Urge to urinate frequently
• Sores that don’t heal
• Extreme fatigue

Symptoms of type I diabetes

There are certain symptoms that occur specifically in type I diabetes, that is, the autoimmune disease. The type I specific symptoms include:

• Extreme hunger
• Unintentional weight loss
• Increased thirst
• Urge to urinate frequently
• Tiredness
• Blurry vision
• Mood swings

Symptoms of type II diabetes

There are certain symptoms that are observed specifically in patients suffering from type II diabetes. These specific symptoms include:

• Increased thirst and hunger
• Blurry vision
• Increased urge to urinate
• Sores that do not heal
• Tiredness
• Recurrent infection

Diabetic Symptoms in Males

The symptoms of diabetes are common in males and females. However, there are certain symptoms that are specifically observed in males. These male-specific symptoms of diabetes include:

• Erectile dysfunction
• Decreased sex drive
• Poor muscle strength

Diabetic Symptoms in Females

Just like males have certain specific symptoms of diabetes, women too have some gender-specific symptoms. The symptoms of diabetes that are specific for the females include:

• Yeast infection
• Urinary tract infection or UTI
• Dry and itchy skin

Treatment of Diabetes

The complete cure of diabetes is not possible, therefore, you will have to live with diabetes for the rest of your life. However, you can surely control your blood sugar levels within an optimum range to avoid any future complications. Lifestyle modification is the key to treating diabetes. Certain ways that can help in the treatment of diabetes include:

Diet

A healthy and adequate diet is very important for the treatment of not only diabetes but other medical conditions as well. The certain dietary guidelines that you should follow if you are a diabetic include:

• You should eat at least 3 meals in a day.
• Do not skip any meal of your day.
• Take a diet that is rich in carbohydrates.
• Include a variety of fruits and vegetables in your diet.
• Avoid eating food that contains empty calories, that is, food that is high in fat, sugar, or alcoholic content.

Exercise

Adequate exercise is very important for maintaining your overall health. Exercise helps in the treatment of diabetes and its associated risk of heart attack and stroke. The various by which regular exercise can help your health include:

• Proper exercise facilitates the use of insulin in your body, thereby, lowering the blood sugar level directly.
• It keeps your weight in check.
• It gives you more energy for your day.
• It also keeps your cholesterol levels low.

Timely medicines

The medicines prescribed for diabetes ensure that your blood sugar levels are within the optimum range. It is very important for you to take your medicines on time, in the right dosage, and according to the rules prescribed by your doctor. Missing the blood sugar medicines can result in a spike in the blood sugar levels leading to fatal complications. Diabetic medicines are present in various forms:

• Oral medicines for diabetes: Oral medicines are prescribed to diabetic people at an initial stage. These medicines enable your body to make more insulin and also facilitate its use in the body efficiently. 
• Insulin injections: With uncontrolled diabetes, the doctor may recommend you insulin injection, pump, or pen. These injections inject a specific dose of insulin into your body. The injections must be taken as per the recommendation of the doctor only.
• Insulin therapy: The therapy is generally used for the treatment of type I diabetes. However, sometimes it can be used for the treatment of type II diabetes as well. 

Maintaining a healthy weight

A healthy weight is very important to lead a healthy life. Obesity can lead to various health complications in the future, therefore, you must always strive to maintain a healthy weight at all times. The ways by which a healthy weight can help you include:

• Maintaining a healthy weight will help your body utilising insulin more efficiently
• A healthy weight lowers your blood pressure which decreases your risk of heart disease.

Takeaway 

Diabetes is a common lifestyle disease prevalent in India. The disease has various symptoms which you can easily observe in yourself. The maintenance of the levels of sugar in your blood is very important as otherwise, it can lead to various health problems. Now that you know the symptoms of diabetes and the ways by which you can control it, you will better be able to diagnose the condition at an earlier stage and manage it efficiently so as to avoid any complications in the future.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. What is the best way to control diabetes?

   The best way by which the levels of blood sugar can be controlled include:

   • Having a healthy diet
   • Maintaining an optimum weight
   • Regular exercise
   • Taking medicines timely and as per the prescription of the doctor

2. How can I prevent diabetes naturally?

   There are certain natural ways by which you can prevent diabetes. These ways include:

   • Taking smaller meals
   • Reduce your intake of coffee
   • Chewing gum
   • Include fruits and vegetables in your diet
   • Add vinegar to your salad
   • Be active

3. How can I control my diabetes without medicine?

   There are certain natural ways by which you can try controlling your diabetes naturally. Following these simple lifestyle modifications can help you manage diabetes without the need for medicines. These include:

   • Regular exercise
   • Healthy diet
   • Maintaining a healthy weight
   • Reducing the intake of sugar and fat