Diabetes
Diabetes is a very common metabolic disorder that is diagnosed through high levels of glucose in the body. The most common symptoms are increased appetite, thirst and need to urinate. The implications of diabetes to your health if left untreated can be catastrophic.
Men and women suffer from diabetes at a similar rate, with near 500 million people around the world having been diagnosed. There are two main types of diabetes, namely 1 and 2, with the latter rounding up about 90% of the overall cases. Thatβs good news, as type 1 is less severe, although estimates indicate an upward trend of diabetes cases. Keep reading for details on what is diabetes, how to treat it and the medications that can help you address your glucose levels.
What is Diabetes?
Blood glucose is the main source of energy for humans, which is acquired through food consumption. When blood sugar, which is another name used for blood glucose, is very high, then you are suffering from the very common disease called diabetes.
Diabetes results from limited or no production of insulin, which is a hormone that regulates glucose, by transferring it into the body cells to produce energy. If diabetes is not treated, there are various potential health issues that could appear, due to increases glucose in the blood. The following are the main diabetes types:
- Type 1 β is the classification used to characterize individuals that their system produces no insulin at all. This happens due to the immune system destroying the respective cells, which makes the daily consumption of insulin a pre-requisite for living. Type 1 diabetes is more common in children and younger people
- Type 2 β is the classification employed to group diabetes patients that either produce smaller amounts of insulin or normal but badly regulated. Type 2 diabetes is much more common
How to treat Diabetes
Due to the main cause of diabetes being insulin deficiency or mismanagement, the main ways to treat diabetes involve inducing it to the body.
Type 1 diabetes patients must take insulin daily, with every meal. In contrast, type 2 diabetes patients can manage their glucose levels through their food, exercise and overall daily choices. Medication might also help, while insulin will also be required at times. There are different types of insulins available, all catering to distinct diabetes patients:
- Rapid Acting
- Short Acting
- Intermediate Acting
- Long Acting
Likewise, there are different means through which diabetes patients could receive their insulin, such as needle, inhaler, injection, pen, jet injector, and pump.
Diabetes Drugs & How they Work
Besides injecting insulin into your body, there are other ways to manage diabetes. As we mentioned, your lifestyle and habits could help if you suffer from type 2 diabetes, as well as:
- Metformin and Pioglitazone, which are liquid medications that help the body produce lower sugar in your blood, while also helping your system manage insulin better. You can order both of the above right from our platform
Your doctor is likely to prescribe additional drugs to help you treat type 2 diabetes, as these would have even better results. There are certain side-effects that might come with injecting insulin to treat any diabetes types, so we advise that you speak to your doctor if you experience anything unusual.