Signs and symptoms of diabetes
Diabetes is often referred to as a silent killer since it is quite easy to miss its symptoms. Individuals can experience different signs and symptoms and at times there could be no signs at all. The development of type 1 diabetes is normally sudden and dramatic. Its symptoms are often mild or absent especially ion people who are suffering from type II diabetes. The early symptoms of type II diabetes are often subtle and harmless. Over time, one ends up developing diabetes complications even if one did not have any symptoms. These include excessive thirst and an increase in urination. This is because there is an excessive buildup of glucose in the blood and kidneys are forced to overwork. If kidneys are not able to keep up the excess sugar is excreted through urine hence frequent urination (Mathew, 2008). The other symptom is fatigue that is caused by dehydration from the increase in urination. The other symptom is weight loss since the loss of sugars through urination can lead to loss of calories. Blurred vision is also a symptom of diabetes since high levels of sugars in the blood end up pulling fluids from tissues such as the lenses of the eyes. This affects an individual’s ability to focus. Another symptom is slow healing of sores or frequent infections.
Treatment and prevention of diabetes
If one has a family history, they are exposed to other risk factors or have been diagnosed with pre-diabetes, there are some healthy living tips that one can follow to prevent the onset of diabetes. Numerous studies suggest that leading healthy lifestyles like eating healthy, losing weight and an increase in physical activity can lead to the reduction of progression of diabetes type II and help in controlling type 1 diabetes. Regular physical activity has numerous benefits such as lose weight, lowering the levels of blood sugar and boosting the sensitivity to insulin that assist in keeping the level of blood sugar within the required range (Mathew, 2008). Lifestyle changes have to be complemented with medications that help in controlling the levels of blood glucose, cholesterol and high blood pressure that lead to deaths of many diabetes patients. Working together with a healthcare team can enable an individual to set their personal treatment goals, monitor their critical health and be able to successfully manage diabetes while at the same time preventing any complications that can arise from diabetes (Semple&Olshan, 2000).
Short and long-term consequences of diabetes
Short-term effects of diabetes can occur anytime when an individual has diabetes. Long-term results, on the other hand, develop when an individual has suffered from diabetes for a long period. Some of the short-term consequences include low levels of glucose in the blood also known as hypoglycemia. This can be due to too much insulin, too much exercise or lack of enough food. Another short-term consequence is high blood glucose or hyperglycemia. Long-term consequences of diabetes can be seen in various parts of the body like eyes, kidneys, nerves, heart and blood vessels (Semple&Olshan, 2000). Individuals suffering from diabetes have a high risk of developing eye problems such as cataracts, retinopathy and glaucoma. Diabetes patients are also at risk of developing kidney diseases due to high levels of blood sugar. Another long-term consequence of diabetes is the damage of nerves known as diabetic neuropathy. Individuals suffering from diabetes are at risk of developing heart and blood vessel problems such as stroke, blockage of blood vessels.
