What is Diabetes?

Diabetes mellitus is a medical condition in which the body has more than normal blood sugar levels. Commonly referred to as diabetes, the condition is caused when the body is either unable to use the insulin effectively or the pancreas is unable to produce enough insulin. Insulin is a hormone that assists in breaking down glucose into energy. Diabetes has two common types but there are other types as well such as gestational diabetes, which occurs in women during pregnancy. SRL Diagnostics is well equipped to run tests for all types of diabetes.

Types

Type 1 diabetes and Type 2 diabetes are the two common diabetes types. Type 1 diabetes is an uncommon but severe type of diabetes and is referred to as juvenile diabetes because it mostly affects children and teenagers. It is an autoimmune disease, in which the body’s immune system starts attacking the insulin making islet cells in the pancreas, preventing them from producing enough insulin.

Type 2 diabetes is the most common type and can develop in anyone at any age. More than 90% of people suffering from diabetes have type 2 diabetes. It is caused when the person’s body is unable to make effective use of the insulin produced in the body.

When to see a doctor?

Tiredness, fatigue and frequent feeling to pee are some of the early diabetes symptoms that a person must consider and see the doctor.

Symptoms

Discussed below are the signs and symptoms of type 1 and type 2 diabetes.

Type 1 Diabetes

• Frequent urination
• Rapid and unexplained weight loss
• Nausea and vomiting
• Abdominal pain
• Increased thirst
• Blurred vision
• Feeling irritated
• Extreme hunger
• Loss of consciousness

Type 2 Diabetes

The symptoms of Type 2 diabetes are similar to that of Type 1 diabetes. However, the onset of type 2 diabetes is slow, symptoms are not easily noticeable, and people often confuse them with aging, weather, and sedentary lifestyle problems.

Causes

Causes of diabetes type 1  are still not known to the medical experts. It has not been discovered yet what makes the immune system attack its own body. Some scientists relate it to certain types of genes but there is no clarity.

Causes of diabetes type 2 are associated with an unhealthy lifestyle combined with certain genetics. Unhealthy eating habits such as consuming too much caffeine, sugar, and processed food, not eating on time, too much time between meals or eating late at night are few causes of type 2 diabetes. However being overweight and dealing with stress also increases the chances of having Type 2 diabetes.

Diagnosis

As the patient visits a doctor, he/she is asked for various information related to both the symptoms and the lifestyle. The doctor then prescribes diabetes test for diagnosis and to know the amount of the patient’s blood sugar level to proceed further with the medication. Here at SRL Diagnostics, we make sure that the patient goes through these tests with ease and convenience.

Treatment

Diabetes treatment is possible and easy. It is a combination of medicines, food, and lifestyle. Where some people are able to control and maintain their blood sugar level by closely following a rigorous eating routine, some people need medication and insulin treatment. The medicines often include metformin, sulfonylureas, DPP-4 inhibitors etc. SRL Diagnostics provides complete assistance in patient’s treatment with regular check-ups and reports.

Tests for diabetes

The diabetes blood tests are; Fasting Glucose test, Glycated haemoglobin (A1C) test, and Random Glucose test. The fasting glucose test is done on an empty stomach after fasting for a minimum of 8 hours, while the other two can be done at any time.

Diet

A diabetes diet is a diet that allows a person to maintain a required blood sugar level in the body by doing the following:

• Not consuming more than the required amount of carbohydrate
• Consuming Fresh fruits and vegetables
• Limiting processed and fried food
• Increasing whole grains and lean protein
• Eating at intervals of 2 to 3 hours.