Diabetes
Diabetes is a situation that affects the processing of blood sugar in the body. (COVID-19) et al., 2020) Type 2 diabetes is a condition whereby the body doesn’t produce adequate insulin to keep glucose levels normal or the body resists insulin, a hormone that controls how sugar dissolves into the body cells.
Insulin is a hormone which is produced in the body by the pancreas and it is released when you eat. (Kousar, 2019) Insulin acts as a medium of transport for glucose from the bloodstream to cells in the body where it is used as energy. Type 2 diabetes makes the body to be resistant to insulin whereby the body doesn’t use insulin as it is supposed to which makes the pancreas to overwork to produce more insulin. (mayo clinic, 2020) As time goes by, the cells of the pancreas lose the ability to produce insulin. Lack of enough insulin in the body leads to glucose build up in the bloodstream which leaves the cells of the body starved for energy.
When your body is not able to use insulin well to dissolve glucose into the body cells, this makes the body to depend on different sources of energy in the body tissues, organs and muscles. This comes with a number of side effects in the body, which are not easily noticeable and maybe ignored at first. These symptoms include:
- general body weakness
- weight loss
- excessive thirst
- frequent urination
- dry mouth
- itchy skin
- blurry vision
- constant hunger
Failure to take action, levels of blood glucose in the body remain high and in which the symptoms becomes more severe and dangerous. The symptoms include:
- slow healing of cuts or sores
- yeast infections
- foot pain
- feelings of numbness in your extremities
Diabetes type 2 can be controlled medically or through the lifestyle of a person. (Knibbs, 2020) The lifestyle changes include weight loss, healthy eating i.e, taking in low amounts of calories, taking vegetables and fruits frequently and high fiber content foods. Being physically active also reduces the chances of having diabetes type 2. The lifestyle of a person may not actively help in control of diabetes type 2, hence the need of medication .Some of the medication include:
- It reduces the amount of glucose the liver produces and makes the body to react better to the little amount of insulin produced.
- These combination of drugs makes the body produce more insulin.
- SGLT2 inhibitors. These help the kidneys filter out more glucose.
- It is injected into the body mostly at night.
References
(COVID-19), C., Health, E., Disease, H., Disease, L., Management, P., & Conditions, S. et al. (2020). Type 2 Diabetes. Retrieved 10 September 2020, from https://www.webmd.com/diabetes/type-2-diabetes
Kousar, S. (2019). Type 1 Diabetes: Causes, Symptoms and Treatments, Review with Personal Experience. Current Research In Diabetes & Obesity Journal, 11(4). doi: 10.19080/crdoj.2019.11.555817
mayo clinic. (2020). Type 2 diabetes – Symptoms and causes. Retrieved 10 September 2020, from https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/type-2-diabetes/symptoms-causes/syc-20351193#:~:text=Type%202%20diabetes%20develops%20when,seem%20to%20be%20contributing%20factors.
Knibbs, J. (2020). Type 2 diabetes: Do you regularly feel this way? A warning sign of high blood sugar levels. Retrieved 10 September 2020, from https://www.express.co.uk/life-style/health/1333438/type-2-diabetes-symptoms-causes-constant-tiredness-sleep-deprivation-high-blood-sugar