Diabetes is a chronic disease characterized by increased blood sugar levels, which can cause damage to several organs if not treated.
There are five main types of diabetes: type 1 diabetes, type 2 diabetes, type 3 diabetes, gestational diabetes and prediabetes. The main cause of diabetes is poor diet, especially excessive consumption of sugary and processed foods and lack of physical exercise.
Diabetes treatment usually involves making changes to your lifestyle, especially your diet and physical exercise. But medications, such as oral antidiabetics or insulin, may also be needed.
Diabetes symptoms
Classic symptoms of diabetes include:
- Exaggerated feeling of thirst;
- Increased hunger;
- Frequent urge to urinate;
- Dry mouth;
- Easy fatigue;
- Vision changes.
Typically, the symptoms of type 2 diabetes appear throughout life and are mainly due to poor eating habits, especially excessive consumption of sugar and carbohydrates, as well as lack of physical exercise.
The symptoms of type 1 diabetes are generally identified during childhood or adolescence and may also include other more generalized signs such as difficulty gaining weight, itching all over the body or irritability and sudden mood changes.
In the case of gestational diabetes, the symptoms are rarer and, therefore, the woman usually discovers that she has diabetes during routine prenatal exams, especially after taking a glucose test.
Don’t ignore your symptoms!
Main types of diabetes
Diabetes can be divided into 4 main types:
- Diabetes type 1: It is the least common type and appears from birth, being considered an autoimmune disease, as the immune system itself attacks the cells in the pancreas responsible for producing insulin. Thus, insulin is not produced, glucose is not transported to the cells and ends up accumulating in the blood;
- Type 2 diabetes: is the most common type and occurs due to insulin resistance that appears throughout life, usually due to bad eating habits. This resistance decreases the action of insulin in the body and causes glucose to accumulate in the body;
- Gestational diabetes: is a type of diabetes that only occurs during pregnancy and is related to the production, by the placenta, of other hormones that block the action of insulin;
- type 3 diabetes: is a type of diabetes that is not yet officially recognized and could be caused by the brain’s difficulty in responding to the insulin produced by the body, due to changes in the receptors for this hormone in neurons;
- Prediabetes: happens when the blood sugar level is increased but is not yet high enough to diagnose diabetes.
In addition to these, diabetes can also be divided into other rarer types such as latent autoimmune diabetes in adults or diabetes triggered by medication use.
Another condition, known as diabetes insipidus, although it has a similar name, is not considered a type of diabetes, as it occurs when the kidneys remove excess fluid from the body, and is not directly related to insulin or blood sugar levels. .
Causes of diabetes
The causes of diabetes vary depending on the type of diabetes:
1. Type 1 diabetes
The exact cause of type 1 diabetes is not known, however, it is known that the immune system identifies the ß cells of the pancreas, responsible for the production of insulin, and causes their destruction, which is why it is known as an autoimmune disease.
Since it is not caused by lifestyle, type 1 diabetes can be present from birth and is identified during childhood or adolescence.
2. Type 2 diabetes
Type 2 diabetes is mainly caused by poor eating habits, especially excessive consumption of foods with sugar or carbohydrates. Furthermore, having a sedentary lifestyle can also contribute to the onset of diabetes.
People with fat accumulation in the abdominal region also appear to be at greater risk of type 2 diabetes, as fat cells appear to contribute to insulin resistance.
3. Gestational diabetes
Gestational diabetes develops mainly due to the hormones that are produced by the placenta during pregnancy. These hormones appear to partially block the action of insulin, making it easier to increase blood sugar levels during pregnancy.
Still, women who are overweight, who gained a lot of weight during pregnancy, who have previously had gestational diabetes, or who have a family history of type 2 diabetes appear to be at greater risk of developing gestational diabetes.
How to confirm the diagnosis of diabetes
The diagnosis of diabetes can be made with a set of blood tests that allow the amount of glucose to be assessed.
However, one of the most used tests, which is generally included in routine exams, is the fasting blood glucose test. This test measures the amount of glucose in the blood after a fasting period of at least 8 hours, with the reference values being:
- Normal: inferior a 99 mg/dL;
- Prediabetes: entre 100 a 125 mg/dL;
- Diabetes: above 126 mg/dL.
When fasting glucose values are altered in at least 2 measurements on different days, it is normally recommended to take another test to confirm the values and help with the diagnosis. However, the doctor may also order other tests, such as glycated hemoglobin or the glucose tolerance test (OGTT).
How to know if it is diabetes
To better understand the results of the glucose test, select the test performed in the calculator below and enter your result:
How the treatment is carried out
The main objectives of diabetes treatment are to improve quality of life, alleviate symptoms, and prevent the development of more serious health complications.
Although some precautions are considered general to treat any type of diabetes, such as planning the type of food you eat and exercising regularly, treatment may vary slightly depending on the type of diabetes:
1. Type 1 diabetes treatment
The main treatment for type 1 diabetes is the daily use of injectable insulin, because, as the body cannot produce the hormone, insulin needs to be injected into the body. Normally, a slow-acting injection is given at the beginning of the day to maintain a basal level of the hormone in the body, but it is also necessary to measure blood glucose before and after meals to assess whether it is necessary to make an extra injection, usually of a rapid or ultra-rapid insulin.
In addition to insulin, it is also recommended to maintain a meal plan, especially regarding the amount of sugar and carbohydrates consumed, as well as adopting an active lifestyle, with regular physical exercise.
2. Type 2 diabetes treatment
The treatment of type 2 diabetes does not always need to be done with medication because, depending on blood sugar levels, it may be possible to control glucose just by making lifestyle changes, especially in the diet, by reducing the intake of sugary foods and carbohydrates. , as well as regular physical exercise.
In cases where it is necessary to use medication, the doctor may prescribe the use of two different types:
- Oral antidiabetics: they are the first line of drug treatment for type 2 diabetes and help keep sugar levels controlled through several mechanisms, whether by stimulating the production of insulin by the pancreas, eliminating glucose through the urine or reducing the production of glucose by the liver;
- Insulin: is used when oral antidiabetics were not sufficient to control glucose or when antidiabetics are not a treatment option, as in the case of people with kidney failure.
If using insulin, it is important to carry out a daily and regular assessment of capillary blood glucose, especially before and after meals using a glucometer, which is a device that measures capillary blood glucose.
3. Gestational diabetes treatment
The treatment of gestational diabetes is essentially done with changes in diet and regular exercise, as these are natural measures that allow controlling blood glucose levels.
However, if lifestyle changes are not enough to control sugar levels and if blood sugar levels are always very high, the doctor may advise the use of oral antidiabetics or insulin, and it is also important to regularly measure blood sugar levels. blood sugar levels at home, using a device to measure blood sugar levels.
Diabetes diet
One of the most important steps to controlling diabetes is adjusting your diet, which should be mainly based on reducing the consumption of sugar and foods rich in carbohydrates. Ideally, the diet should be guided by a nutritionist, who will take diabetes and personal tastes into account.
There are some foods that are considered “forbidden”, as you should avoid consuming them in excess as much as possible, such as:
- Sweets in general;
- Sugary drinks;
- Alcoholic beverages.
Other foods, such as fruit, rice or pasta, although they can be eaten, should be consumed in moderation. There are also foods that help to better control diabetes, such as whole grains, legumes or oilseeds, for example.
This type of diet can be followed in cases of confirmed diabetes, but it can also be done by those with pre-diabetes, as it allows you to regulate blood glucose levels, preventing the development of diabetes.
Diabetes in pregnancy
Diabetes during pregnancy, also known as gestational diabetes, is a relatively common condition that can happen even in women who have never had high blood glucose levels before.
This type of diabetes occurs due to the production of hormones by the placenta that partially block the effect of the body’s insulin, making blood sugar levels rise more easily.
Gestational diabetes must be identified as soon as possible to avoid complications in the baby’s development or premature birth. For this reason, during prenatal consultations, the doctor usually orders glucose tests. Treatment consists of changing your lifestyle, eating a healthier diet and exercising, but in some cases it may also include the use of medication.
Diabetes in children
Diabetes can also develop in children, causing childhood diabetes. The most common type of diabetes during childhood is type 1 diabetes, however, with the dietary changes that have occurred over the years, type 2 diabetes has also become more common, mainly due to excessive consumption of industrialized products, fast food and sugary foods, as well as an increase in sedentary lifestyle.
See which symptoms are most common in children.
Childhood diabetes should be treated as early as possible to avoid developmental delays, as well as to prevent the onset of chronic diseases at a young age.
Possible complications
When diabetes is not treated properly, blood sugar levels can remain high for a long time and cause damage to various organs. For this reason, the main complications of diabetes include:
Furthermore, high sugar levels also increase the risk of infection, as sugar facilitates the growth and development of fungi and bacteria, and people with diabetes often experience recurrent urinary infections, for example.
By favoring the development of various microorganisms and hindering blood circulation, diabetes also causes problems with wound healing.
