Diabetes is a medical condition where the blood sugar level of our body rises. Glucose is the main source of energy for our body and comes from the food we eat. Meanwhile, people suffering from diabetes struggle with the natural process of generating energy. The insulin hormone in their body faces difficulty in breaking and digesting food.
This disease affects numerous people in different ways. If not taken proper precautions, it leads to various problems like swelling and pain in ankles, kidney damage, eyesight problems, Alzheimer’s and whatnot!
Apart from the medicinal therapy, people have also started using diabetic compression socks as a daily measure to keep the pain in check.
Main Causes of Diabetes
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Weight
Diabetes happens when our cells get resistive towards the work of insulin. The more fat tissues one has, the harder the work of insulin gets. Thus, being overweight increases the chances of acquiring type two diabetes.
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Inactivity
Moving around and exercising increases our metabolism. A higher metabolism rate results in our body digesting food and receiving energy more effectively.
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Age
The risk of diabetes increases with age, which can result from less exercise and a loss of muscle mass. Type two diabetes is more common among children, teenagers and adolescents. However, type 1 diabetes usually occurs in old age.
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PCOS
PCOS is a common disease in females, and this condition is often identified by excessive hair growth, irregular menstrual periods, and obesity. This condition increases the vulnerability to diabetes.
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High Blood Pressure
Having blood pressure over 140/90 mm Hg is linked to proneness of diabetes.
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Hereditary
Diabetes can also be passed onto a person through genes. If anyone in the family, especially the parents, are diagnosed with diabetes, they may transfer a dormant gene of diabetes to their offspring that could be triggered at any point in their life. Hence, people who have anyone in their family suffering from this disease are automatically more prone to its occurrence in their life.
Symptoms to Look for
Well, the symptoms may vary depending on how much one’s blood sugar is elevated. The signs of type one diabetes are not very evident. Whereas the symptoms of type two diabetes may appear at the early stages. The most common symptoms are:
- Increased thirst
- Blurred vision
- Unexplainable weight gain or weight loss
- Fatigue
- Slow-healing sores
- Frequent infections such as gum or skin infection
- Excessive urination
Ways to Cope With Diabetes
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Exercise
Exercising releases hormones like adrenaline which makes us feel good, and it also helps increase our metabolism rate. As such, regular exercising improves the quality and duration of our life.
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Medication
Some may think that diabetes could be cured by home remedies. Well, this disease can be life-threatening and so it is advised to get it checked by a doctor to assess its severity before deciding not to go for the regular medication.
Taking medicines is a sustainable and long-lasting way of fighting this problem.
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Daily Habits
Well, apart from the synthetic treatments, one should also make some lifestyle changes in their routine. An increase in regular physical activity marks a good start.
One can also use things like diabetic compression socks if they feel pain in their legs or ankle. Instead of popping painkillers, diabetic compression socks act like a side-effect free method of treatment.
One should also try to avoid eating extra sweets. Eating at fixed times during the day helps the body in breaking food quicker to release energy.
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Reduce The Alcohol Consumption
Our liver is responsible for releasing stored sugar whenever our sugar levels fall low.
Whenever we consume alcohol, our blood sugar level might get low for as long as 24 hours. If our liver is busy breaking down alcohol, it may not be able to perform the function of releasing sugar when it gets low in our body.
This imbalance can be very unhealthy for our bodies.
Therefore, patients with diabetes should either avoid or strictly limit their alcohol consumption.
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Menstruation
Before the actual periods start, a week before it and a week after it, our hormone levels fluctuate, and so do our blood sugar levels. The best thing one could do is to understand the pattern of their body.
See if the sugar level is on the rise or is low, then consume food accordingly.
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Managing stress
High levels of stress release hormones that are not good for our health. Distress not only affects our mental peace, but it also affects our blood sugar levels and might boost them, which will be a risk for your life. Therefore, the best thing you can do is try and anticipate your stressors and prepare to manage your stress accordingly.
