Risk Factors For Type 2 Diabetes
Four of the main risk factors for developing type 2 diabetes are:
- age being over the age of 40
- genetics having a close relative with the condition, such as a parent, brother or sister
- weight being overweight or obese
- ethnicity being of south Asian, Chinese, African-Caribbean or black African origin, even if you were born in the UK
What Are Key Differences Between Type 1 Diabetes And Type 2 Diabetes
When comparing type 1 vs type 2 diabetes, there are a few major differences:
- Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune condition. You cant reverse type 1 diabetes, you can only manage it. Type 2 diabetes can be reversed with effective intervention and lifestyle changes.
- In type 1 diabetes, your pancreas is unable to produce insulin, whereas in type 2 diabetes, your insulin production is limited, and the response of your body to that insulin is decreased.
- A person with type 1 diabetes could die without their insulin medication. A person with type 2 diabetes should avoid treatment with insulin, unless their pancreas is completely failing.
Diabetes And Healthy Eating
If you have diabetes its important to include a wide variety of nutritious and healthy foods in your diet, and to avoid snacking on sugary foods.
Enjoy a variety of foods from each food group be sure to include foods high in fibre and low in fat and reduce your salt intake. Its helpful to consult with a dietitian to review your current eating plan and provide a guide about food choices and food quantities.
Also Check: Which Pancreatic Cells Release Insulin And Glucagon
Why Diabetes Damages Your Bodies Cells
When you have diabetes, you dont have enough insulin in your blood . Insulin controls the movement of blood sugar into the cells of the body.
For body cells to continue growing and working, they need energy . When there is no insulin, body cells cannot get the blood sugar they need. This leads to the blood sugar accumulating in the blood .
Have you ever watched soil soak up water? Just like that, excess blood sugar in the blood will get water out of your bodies cells, shrinking them and making them unhealthy. If this continues for a long period, your cells will continue to damage and eventually die.
How Do I Use This
This section looks at the different systems in the body, how the bodys organs work and how they can be affected by diabetes.
The pancreas is recognised by many of us as having an effect on blood sugar levels but there are many more organs which play a role in diabetes.
Choose a system by hovering over it and see the role that different organs, hormones and responses play in ensuring the body functions. Guides to hormones, bodily processes or biological functions can be under the biological system that they are most relevant to.
Read Also: Normal A1c Score
What Are The Common Side Effects Of Metformin
Another great thing about metformin is that, compared to other diabetes medications, it typically causes mild side effects. The most common side effects of metformin are related to stomach discomfort, like gas, upset stomach, nausea, diarrhea, or cramping.
You can limit these side effects by:
- Starting with a low dose of metformin and gradually increasing the dose. This gives your body time to get used to the new medication.
- Taking metformin with food. Taking the medication with food will help you feel less sick or nauseous.
- Taking an extended-release version of metformin. Instead of all the medication being released into your body and absorbed at once, metformin ER is released and absorbed over an extended period of time. This makes it easier on your digestive system.
How Do Health Problems From Diabetes Begin
If your diabetes is not well controlled, the sugar level in your blood goes up. This is called hyperglycemia . High blood sugar can cause damage to very small blood vessels in your body. Imagine what happens to sugar when it is left unwrapped overnight. It gets sticky. Now imagine how sugar sticks to your small blood vessels and makes it hard for blood to get to your organs. Damage to blood vessels occurs most often in the eyes, heart, nerves, feet, and kidneys. Lets look at how this damage happens.
Read Also: Insulin Effect On Phosphate
Darker Area Of Skin That Feels Like Velvet
A dark patch of velvety skin on the back of your neck, armpit, groin, or elsewhere could mean that you have too much insulin in your blood. This is often a sign of prediabetes.The medical name for this skin condition is acanthosis nigricans.
Acanthosis Nigricans
Often causing darker skin in the creases of the neck, AN may be the first sign that someone has diabetes.
Take action
- Get tested for diabetes
How Does Type 2 Diabetes Relate To Insulin Resistance
Insulin resistance causes type 2 diabetes, but a person can have insulin resistance without having type 2 diabetes. Diabetes is about energy in and energy out, explains Dr. Chistofides. In the case of type 2 diabetes, there is a mismanagement between how the body matches energy intake and energy demand. Insulin insensitivity is the symptom of this energy mismanagement that can lead to insulin resistance.
If you have a diet high in processed foods with added sugar, initially your body will keep releasing insulin as it tries to absorb and use glucose. If you have prediabetes and dont limit your over-consumption of sugary foods, heres what can happen:
Don’t Miss: What Is A Normal A1c For A Non Diabetic
Outbreak Of Small Reddish
When these bumps appear, they often look like pimples. Unlike pimples, they soon develop a yellowish color. Youll usually find these bumps on the buttocks, thighs, crooks of the elbows, or backs of the knees. They can form anywhere though.
Eruptive-xanthomatosis
These bumps appear suddenly and clear promptly when diabetes is well-controlled.
When these bumps appear, they often look like pimples. Unlike pimples, they soon develop a yellowish color. Youll usually find these bumps on the buttocks, thighs, crooks of the elbows, or backs of the knees. They can form anywhere though. No matter where they form, they are usually tender and itchy. The medical name for this skin condition is eruptive xanthomatosis.
Take action
- Tell your doctor about the bumps because this skin condition appears when you have uncontrolled diabetes.
- Talk with your doctor about how to better control your diabetes.
Hearing Smell And Taste
Your vision isnt the only sense thats at risk. Diabetes doubles your chances for hearing loss. Prediabetes ups your chances by 30%. Experts arent sure why. The reason could be nerve damage, but more research is needed to know for sure.
You may lose your hearing slowly so that you arent even aware. If you ask people to repeat themselves a lot, get your hearing checked.
Diabetes even affects the nerves that handle these senses. If you take insulin, you may be more likely to have trouble noticing scents. This may make food taste off. You may even catch a whiff of something thats not there.
Experts suspect it could stem from nerve damage or a glitch that starts in the brain. It may be an early sign of trouble with thinking skills. People who have Alzheimers disease or dementia often report problems with their sense of smell before their diagnosis.
Also Check: How Many Points Does Metformin Lower Blood Sugar
Who Gets Diabetes What Are The Risk Factors
Factors that increase your risk differ depending on the type of diabetes you ultimately develop.
Risk factors for Type 1 diabetes include:
- Having a family history of Type 1 diabetes.
- Injury to the pancreas .
- Presence of autoantibodies .
- Physical stress .
- Exposure to illnesses caused by viruses.
Risk factors for prediabetes and Type 2 diabetes include:
- Family history of prediabetes or Type 2 diabetes.
- Being African-American, Hispanic, Native American, Asian-American race or Pacific Islander.
- Being overweight.
Risk factors for gestational diabetes include:
- Family history of prediabetes or Type 2 diabetes.
- Being African-American, Hispanic, Native American or Asian-American.
- Being overweight before your pregnancy.
- Being over 25 years of age.
How Does Diabetes Affect Your Heart Eyes Feet Nerves And Kidneys
Blood vessels are located throughout our bodys tissues and organs. They surround our bodys cells, providing a transfer of oxygen, nutrients and other substances, using blood as the exchange vehicle. In simple terms, diabetes doesnt allow glucose to get into cells and it damages blood vessels in/near these organs and those that nourish nerves. If organs, nerves and tissues cant get the essentials they need to properly function, they can begin to fail.Proper function means that your hearts blood vessels, including arteries, are not damaged . In your kidneys, this means that waste products can be filtered out of your blood. In your eyes, this means that the blood vessels in your retina remain intact. In your feet and nerves, this means that nerves are nourished and that theres blood flow to your feet. Diabetes causes damage that prevents proper function.
You May Like: Can Type 2 Diabetics Donate Blood
How Diabetes Affects The Skin
Diabetes affect on the skin is usually a result of its affect on the nerves and circulation which can lead to dry skin, slow healing of cuts, burns and wounds, fungal and bacterial infections and loss of feeling in the foot.
People with diabetes are recommended to have their feet checked at least once a year. The effect of diabetes on the feet is often referred to as diabetic foot
What Are The Risk Factors For Diabetes
Risk factors for type 1 diabetes are not as well understood as those for type 2 diabetes. Family history is a known risk factor for type 1 diabetes. Other risk factors can include having certain infections or diseases of the pancreas.
Risk factors for type 2 diabetes and prediabetes are many. The following can raise your risk of developing type 2 diabetes:
- Being obese or overweight
- Ethnic background: Hispanic/Latino Americans, African-Americans, Native Americans, Asian-Americans, Pacific Islanders, and Alaska natives are at greater risk.
Recommended Reading: How To Keep Blood Sugar From Dropping
Metformin: How Does It Work And What Does It Do Exactly
Do you, a close friend, or a relative have type 2 diabetes or prediabetes? If so, you might have heard of metformin. It is one of the most popular diabetes drugs in the U.S. If you are diagnosed with prediabetes or type 2 diabetes, metformin is likely the first medication your doctor will prescribe to keep your blood sugar under control.
Since its so popular, lets learn how it works in the body.
What Is Diabetic Ketoacidosis
Diabetic ketoacidosis is a life-threatening condition. It happens when your liver breaks down fat to use as energy because theres not enough insulin and therefore glucose isnt being used as an energy source. Fat is broken down by the liver into a fuel called ketones. The formation and use of ketones is a normal process if it has been a long time since your last meal and your body needs fuel. Ketones are a problem when your fat is broken down too fast for your body to process and they build up in your blood. This makes your blood acidic, which is a condition called ketoacidosis. Diabetic ketoacidosis can be the result of uncontrolled Type 1 diabetes and less commonly, Type 2 diabetes.Diabetic ketoacidosis is diagnosed by the presence of ketones in your urine or blood and a basic metabolic panel. The condition develops over several hours and can cause coma and possibly even death.
Also Check: Metformin Dose Range
How To Manage Bad Breath Caused By Diabetes
No one likes to have a bad breath or carry a bad body odor. The same can be managed with a few simple guidelines. Following are a few tips that need to be followed:
- Ensure that you are brushing your teeth twice daily and that your teeth are clean at all times
- Keep your mouth moist throughout the day by drinking water regularly. However, try to keep your body dry to the maximum possible extent by using a body powder as that will keep sweat and bacteria away.
- Avoid smoking
- Consult your doctor and use appropriate deodorants under the armpits that will help to fight the foul smell
- Chew mints and gums that are sugar-free
- Keep monitoring the levels of your blood glucose
- Use anti bacteria soap to maintain a good hygiene
- Pay regular visits to your dentist
- Finally, if the smell is regular, you should not avoid it and paying a visit to the doctor is a must.
As is clear from the above post, diabetes and bad odor are very much related to one another. It is important to remember that bad breath and bad odor could be a sign of some serious condition and as such, you need to be really careful while dealing with the same. The amount of precaution that you need to take to avoid an embarrassing experience of this sort further increases if you suffer from a condition like diabetes.
What Types Of Diabetes Require Insulin
People with Type 1 diabetes need insulin to live. If you have Type 1 diabetes, your body has attacked your pancreas, destroying the cells that make insulin. If you have Type 2 diabetes, your pancreas makes insulin, but it doesnt work as it should. In some people with Type 2 diabetes, insulin may be needed to help glucose move from your bloodstream to your bodys cells where its needed for energy. You may or may not need insulin if you have gestational diabetes. If you are pregnant or have Type 2 diabetes, your healthcare provider will check your blood glucose level, assess other risk factors and determine a treatment approach which may include a combination of lifestyle changes, oral medications and insulin. Each person is unique and so is your treatment plan.
Don’t Miss: Can Type 2 Diabetics Eat Bananas
Diabetes: 12 Warning Signs That Appear On Your Skin
Diabetes can affect many parts of your body, including your skin. When diabetes affects the skin, its often a sign that your blood sugar levels are too high. This could mean that:
-
You have undiagnosed diabetes, or pre-diabetes
-
Your treatment for diabetes needs to be adjusted
If you notice any of the following warning signs on your skin, its time to talk with your doctor.
Can Diabetes Cause Hearing Loss
Scientists dont have firm answers yet but there appears to be a correlation between hearing loss and diabetes. According to the American Diabetes Association, a recent study found that hearing loss was twice as common in people with diabetes versus those who didnt have diabetes. Also, the rate of hearing loss in people with prediabetes was 30% higher compared with those who had normal blood glucose levels. Scientists think diabetes damages the blood vessels in the inner ear, but more research is needed.
Recommended Reading: Can You Lose Weight With Diabetes
Diabetes And Breath Smell
Breath can smell due to chemical changes, says Susan L. Besser, MD, with Mercy Medical Center, Baltimore, and Diplomate American Board of Obesity Medicine and board certified by the American Board of Family Medicine.
Uncontrolled diabetes causes the bodys pH to be off which can cause unusual breath smells, says Dr. Besser.
When blood sugar rises to unacceptable levels, the body is forced to break down fat for energy more fat than what the body normally breaks down.
The body also breaks down muscle which it is never supposed to do.
The bodys preferred fuel source is glucose . When the supply runs out, the breakdown of fat and muscle causes the blood to become acidic due to chemicals called ketones in the blood.
These ketones can make the breath have a chemical odor because the body is trying to rid the ketones via exhalation.
The chemical odor resembles nail polish remover because the compound in nail polish remover is acetone. However, the breath may also smell somewhat fruity or sweet.
What Do Your Blood Vessels Do
Blood vessels are like a network of pipelines in your body. This network helps transport blood to all body parts, which in turn delivers oxygen and other nutrients like glucose to the bodys cells.
Your body has three main types of vessels: arteries, veins, and capillaries. The structure of vessels is layered like the rings of an onion. The innermost ring is called the endothelium, and it helps promote a steady blood flow through your blood vessels.
Recommended Reading: Sugar Content In Bananas Diabetes
About Type 2 Diabetes
Diabetes is usually a lifelong condition that causes a person’s blood glucose level to become too high.
The hormone insulin produced by the pancreas is responsible for controlling the amount of glucose in the blood
There are two main types of diabetes:
- type 1 where the pancreas doesn’t produce any insulin
- type 2 where the pancreas doesn’t produce enough insulin or the body’s cells don’t react to insulin
This topic is about type 2 diabetes.
Read more about type 1 diabetes
Another type of diabetes, known as gestational diabetes, occurs in some pregnant women and tends to disappear after birth.