Urbanization has caused many people to adopt poor dietary lifestyles. Furthermore, physical inactivity and excess drug consumption, especially alcohol, have led to abdominal obesity. Although diabetes is one of the most common chronic diseases affecting today’s generation, not many acknowledge its seriousness. Samantha Murray is a physician assistant in Gaithersburg, MD, at Doctor’s First, and is extensively informed and experienced in preventative medicine. She provides patients with the necessary education for how they can improve their lives to prevent the complications that come from having diabetes.
What is diabetes?
One of the key factors influencing your health is the vascular system, blood, and its components. For you to perform regular activities, you need to eat. The nutrients from food make up blood sugar, also known as glucose, and insulin is the main hormone for controlling glucose levels in the blood. However, diabetic patients have a problem synthesizing insulin, causing blood glucose levels to rise, a problem that can be catastrophic to almost all body systems. However, the effects depend on which diabetes type a patient has.
Types of diabetes
Type 1 diabetic patients have problems in their immune systems. Their bodies detect insulin-producing cells as foreign substances and attack them in the pancreas, causing blood sugar to accumulate. Most type 1 patients receive a diagnosis as children. Patients are required to take regular doses of synthetic insulin.
Type 2 diabetics are those whose bodies are resistant to the effects of insulin. Most times, these patients are older. To control this type of diabetes, a doctor usually recommends an insulin prescription. However, those with an early diagnosis can get better if they choose to make healthy lifestyle changes, like choosing to exercise.
Gestational diabetes develops in pregnant women. However, management of the disease involves exercise and maintenance of a healthy and balanced diet. Furthermore, this type of diabetes usually resolves post-partum. Women with gestational diabetes are at risk of having pregnancy complications or can develop type 2 diabetes later in life.
Prevention of diabetes
Medical practitioners like Samantha Murray encourage patients to recognize the burden that comes with high blood sugar. The best interventions are those that favor prevention. For example:
- Education: People will address the need for improvement only when they understand the seriousness of the disease. Health professionals should implement programs to help make people aware of the risk factors and complications of diabetes in order to help them understand why preventative measures are necessary.
Most preventative strategies include:
- Self-assessment to gauge a person’s risk for diabetes: After understanding your health status, you will appreciate the measures you can take to improve or sustain your well-being.
- Healthy lifestyle choices: Stay active by ensuring you exercise regularly to improve cardiovascular function, promoting the breaking down of glucose into energy. Also, avoid excess consumption of unhealthy substances like foods with many calories like fast foods or sodas. Furthermore, drink plenty of water and get enough sleep: both simple activities that significantly impact your health.
High blood sugar puts you at risk of developing heart disease or having a stroke which can cause death. Book an appointment at Doctor’s First to get early detection and management of diabetes.
