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Tsungai Chekerwa-Machokoto
People who are obese (more than 20 percent over their ideal body weight for their height), are at particularly high risk of developing type 2 diabetes and its related medical problems. Obese people have insulin resistance. With insulin resistance, the pancreas has to work overly hard to produce more insulin. But even then, there is not enough insulin to keep sugars normal

After an influx of emails on the topic of diabetes, I have decided to shed more light with more information on the topic. After that article, a certain lady called Maegan Jones based out of San Francisco, California in the US, reached out and told me of a website that is dedicated to dealing with issues to do with diabetes. Due to technology our articles are constantly responded to by people across the entire globe

One of the topics that I found particularly interesting was the hilarious list, “29 Things Only a Person with Diabetes Would Understand”. This list would really resonate with diabetics because it provides emotional support and understanding in a comical way, and I thought you might enjoy it as well.

Maegan said “Our mission is to help empower people of the world with information so that they may lead healthier lives”. That is precisely my sentiments so I hope you find this informative as well.

First of all, diabetes mellitus (what we call diabetes) is a chronic, life-long condition that affects your body’s ability to use the energy found in food. There are three major types of diabetes: type 1 diabetes, type 2 diabetes and gestational diabetes.

All types of diabetes have something in common. Normally, your body breaks down the sugars and carbohydrates you eat into a special sugar called glucose. Glucose fuels the cells in your body. But the cells need insulin, a hormone, in your bloodstream in order to take in the glucose and use it for energy. With diabetes mellitus, either your body doesn’t make enough insulin, it can’t use the insulin it does produce, or a combination of both.

Since the cells can’t take in the glucose, it builds up in your blood. High levels of blood glucose can damage the tiny blood vessels in your kidneys, heart, eyes, or nervous system. That’s why diabetes, especially if left untreated, can eventually cause heart disease, stroke, kidney disease, blindness, and nerve damage to nerves in the feet.

Type 1 diabetes is also called insulin-dependent diabetes. It used to be called juvenile-onset diabetes, because it often begins in childhood but not all the time. My husband was diagnosed in his late 30s.

Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune condition. It’s caused by the body attacking its own pancreas with antibodies. In people with type 1 diabetes, the damaged pancreas doesn’t make insulin. This type of diabetes may be caused by a genetic predisposition. It could also be the result of faulty beta cells in the pancreas that normally produce insulin.

Diabetes is a condition not a disease. So a condition can be navigated carefully, one just needs to adjust. People with type 1 diabetes can lead long, active lives if they carefully monitor their glucose, make the needed lifestyle changes, and adhere to the treatment plan.

By far, the most common form of diabetes is type 2 diabetes, accounting for 95 percent of diabetes cases in adults. It is also called the silent killer because people are not thoroughly informed about it. So when the symptoms start showing, people don’t know what they mean.

Type 2 diabetes used to be called adult-onset diabetes, but with the epidemic of obese and overweight children, more young adults are now developing type 2 diabetes. Type 2 diabetes was also called non-insulin-dependent diabetes

Type 2 diabetes is often a milder form of diabetes than type 1. Nevertheless, type 2 diabetes can still cause major health complications, particularly in the smallest blood vessels in the body that nourish the kidneys, nerves, and eyes. Type 2 diabetes also increases your risk of heart disease and stroke.

With Type 2 diabetes, the pancreas usually produces some insulin. But either the amount produced is not enough for the body’s needs, or the body’s cells are resistant to it. Insulin resistance, or lack of sensitivity to insulin, happens primarily in fat, liver, and muscle cells.

People who are obese (more than 20 percent over their ideal body weight for their height), are at particularly high risk of developing type 2 diabetes and its related medical problems. Obese people have insulin resistance. With insulin resistance, the pancreas has to work overly hard to produce more insulin. But even then, there is not enough insulin to keep sugars normal.

There is no cure for diabetes. Type 2 diabetes can, however, be controlled with weight management, nutrition, and exercise.

Unfortunately, type 2 diabetes tends to progress, and diabetes medications are often needed. If you have diabetes, it is critically important to monitor your glucose levels closely, it will save your life.

Diabetes that’s triggered by pregnancy is called gestational diabetes (pregnancy, to some degree, leads to insulin resistance). It is often diagnosed in middle or late pregnancy. Because high blood sugar levels in a mother are circulated through the placenta to the baby, gestational diabetes must be controlled to protect the baby’s growth and development.

Fortunately though, gestational diabetes usually resolves itself after pregnancy. Having gestational diabetes does, however, put mothers at risk for developing type 2 diabetes later in life. Up to 10 percent of women with gestational diabetes develop type 2 diabetes. It can occur anywhere from a few weeks after delivery to months or years later.

The symptoms that these things could be happening in your body are: hunger and fatigue, urinating more often and being thirstier, having a dry mouth and itchy skin and having blurred vision. If you see any of these things happening to you or your loved one, it is important to hurry to a doctor, you could save their life.

My husband’s life was saved because when his friend noticed the rate at which he was drinking water and peeing, he advised him to get checked by a doctor. That advice was priceless. Believe or not, I had never really paid attention to the issue of diabetes. I guess I never thought it would ever affect me. It is important to take time to read and discuss diabetes because it is called a silent killer for a reason.

I hope that as we go through the second half of the year, we spread awareness about this condition and help save a life. If you have any further questions, do not hesitate to contact me and I’ll assist to the best of my capacity. More importantly, visit your doctor if you notice anything out of the ordinary.

Tsungai can be reached on [email protected] .