Diabetes is a chronic health problem that affects the way your body breaks down food to produce energy. When your body is unable to move sugar (glucose) from your bloodstream into your cells, you have too much sugar in your blood. Over time, such high blood sugar levels can damage your blood vessels and result in diabetes. It can also increase your risk of developing certain other fatal health conditions.
When it comes to diabetes, prevention is the best policy!
The 4 types of diabetes and their defining factors.
Prediabetes
Being diagnosed with prediabetes means that your blood sugar levels are higher than the normal level but not high enough to be qualified as type 2 diabetes. However, prediabetes can be a precursor to type 2 diabetes. You can only know about it from your blood test reports.
Type 1 Diabetes
It is an autoimmune disorder that can't be prevented. A combination of your genetics and other environmental factors triggers the immune system to attack the insulin producing cells of the pancreas. When the body's immune system starts to destroy insulin producing cells, there is no insulin to move glucose out of the blood. Type 1 diabetes is usually diagnosed in children and teens. People having a family history of type 1 diabetes are at an increased risk.
Type 2 Diabetes
It is the most common diabetes worldwide. Type 2 diabetes mainly occurs because of insulin resistance - which means that the body is not able to utilize the insulin made by pancreas how it should and the glucose doesn’t move out from blood into the cells. The excess buildup of sugar in the bloodstream starts creating a problem for the pancreas, making it produce less insulin.
Gestational Diabetes
Gestational diabetes happens to some women during their pregnancy due to elevated levels of certain female hormones. It can create health challenges for expecting mothers and their newborns. Almost 50% of all pregnant women with gestational diabetes are at an increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
How to lower your risk of developing diabetes
The most important point for lowering your risk of diabetes is to understand your risk factors - family medical history is an essential aspect to know. For diabetes prevention is the best solution. Read further to know what you can do to lower your risks:
Create a well-balanced, nutritious meal plan
Time your meals and eat in controlled portions
Avoid carbs, refined sugars, saturated fats and processed foods
Maintain a healthy weight
Keep yourself physically active, even if it is walking for 30 minutes
Exercise at least 5 days a week
Get full body health checkup done annually
If you are at high risk for diabetes, get blood sugar tests done every 3 months
A fitness checkup has the tests that can analyze the sugar levels in your bloodstream and inform you how your insulin function is performing. Book it now to understand your risk levels and modify your lifestyle to prevent diabetes and other critical health conditions.
