Managing Diabetes By Pierre Mouchette | Bits-n-Pieces More than one hundred million Americans are living with diabetes or prediabetes. It is a condition where blood glucose levels are higher than usual but not enough to be considered diabetes. Individuals with diabetes must regularly check their blood glucose (blood sugar) and take immediate action if it is too high or low. They must constantly consider how all meals, physical activity, and stress will affect their blood glucose levels.
Types of Diabetes Additionally, how individuals with diabetes manage their blood glucose levels depends on the type of diabetes they have. The most common are type 1, type 2, and gestational diabetes. With type 1 diabetes, your body does not produce enough insulin, which signals the body's cells to let glucose inside. This situation occurs when the body cannot produce enough insulin due to the immune system, your body's defense against germs and foreign substances, which mistakenly attacks and destroys the cells in the pancreas that make insulin. Type 2, the most common type, occurs when the body's cells have trouble using insulin or does not produce enough insulin to manage the glucose in your blood. Both types may develop at any age, but type 1 is most frequently diagnosed in children and young adults, while type 2 is most prevalent in middle-aged and older adults. Gestational diabetes happens only during pregnancy but increases the chance of developing type 2 later in life. Diabetes symptoms can vary depending on type, but some shared symptoms include increased thirst, hunger, and urination. Indications of type 1 can begin quickly over a few weeks, and type 2 symptoms develop over the years, causing it to be less noticeable. Blood Glucose Control Many people with diabetes check their blood glucose with a blood glucose meter. This portable machine measures how much glucose is in the blood. You take a drop of blood by pricking your fingertip with a specialized needle, then apply that blood to a diagnostic test strip. The reading meter shows you how much glucose is in your blood. Individuals with type 1 and some with type 2 correct and manage their blood glucose with injections of synthetic insulin. A missed or incorrect dose could lead to complications. Having diabetes increases your risk for blindness, heart disease, stroke, kidney failure, and amputation. Help From Technology Scientists are testing promising technologies to help people better manage their diabetes. For example, artificial pancreas systems automatically monitor blood glucose levels and provide insulin or a combination of insulin and other vital hormones. The devices vary in how easy they are to set up and use. Several different devices are now being tested on more people for extended periods. Researchers are looking at safety, user-friendliness, participants' physical and emotional health, and cost. Of course, safety is a priority for researchers. Other scientists are utilizing different methods to replace insulin more effectively. For instance, smart insulins would become active only when needed. Researchers are also seeking ways to regenerate or replace insulin-producing cells and to stop the body from attacking them. These technologies will help make managing diabetes more manageable and will help make people who use them healthier. While future tools may make it easier to manage diabetes, you can learn how to manage it with the tools we have now to live a long and healthy life. Medications, glucose monitors, and insulin pumps are all available now to help with diabetes. If you have diabetes, talk with your healthcare provider about your options.
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