Detect and prevent diabetes
Written by:What is diabetes and what types are there?
Diabetes mellitus is a chronic disease that is acquiring epidemic proportions worldwide, in both developed and underdeveloped countries. Roughly there are 2 types of diabetes, juvenile or childhood diabetes, also called type 1 diabetes, which is treated with insulin and adult or type 2 diabetes that is treated with oral hypoglycemic agents, ie drugs that help to act on the insulin hormone. In type 1 diabetes treatment is insulin with diet while in type 2 diabetics the treatment is based on oral hypoglycemic agents, ie drugs that allow modulating or adjusting the insulin reserve to maintain regular concentrations of blood glucose. In both, it is essential to follow regular schedules and a balanced diet.
In the case of children, what signs can alert us to the presence of the disease?
In children, the main warning signs are an unexplained weight loss, an unusual tiredness and the need to drink and urinate a lot, as well as the presence of blurred vision. All these symptoms, or one of them, should make the family take their child to see their GP or their pediatrician quickly.. These signs also manifest in the adult.
Can it be prevented?
In fact, diabetes, especially that of adults, is known to be and can be prevented with frequent physical activity and with a moderate diet it is possible to prevent the onset of diabetes. The onset of diabetes is very linked to overweight and obesity, so much so that there is a cause-effect relationship between the relative risk of diabetes and excess weight, therefore, by regression, if we lose weight we decrease the risk relative of becoming diabetic.
How important is diet?
In diabetes, both type 1 and type 2, diet is of paramount importance. It is impossible to control any type of diabetic without it observing a minimum hygienic-dietary measures, ie schedules and amount of carbohydrate intake. Diet has a fundamental effect in the control of diabetes to the point that many diabetes are controlled only with diet, at least in the early stages when we have an insulin reserve that is sufficient to ensure control of sugar concentrations in blood. Therefore making a diet and losing 10% of body weight most adult diabetes manage to control the first 6 months.