All about AHEAD diabetes awareness

AHEAD Nigeria promotes the importance of the family in diabetes treatment, care, prevention, and education.

The lack of diabetes education makes recognizing warning signals difficult for everyone, not just parents. This is a problem because type 2 diabetes, which accounts for 90% of all diabetes, has milder symptoms. One-in-two diabetics are undiagnosed. Most have type 2 diabetes.

Diabetes Mellitus

Diabetes stops your body from effectively utilizing food's energy. Diabetes happens when:

Understanding how the body utilizes food for energy helps with diabetes (a process called metabolism).

Cells make up your body. Cells need basic food to create energy. Much of what you eat or drink breaks down into glucose. Glucose supplies daily energy.

Blood arteries and blood convey sugar from the stomach or liver to where it is utilized (muscles) or stored (fat). Sugar alone can't enter cells. The pancreas releases insulin into the blood, which permits sugar into cells for energy.

Chris Stocker with Diabetes 365 notes “When sugar enters cells, blood sugar drops. Without insulin, sugar can't enter cells for energy. Sugar rises. "Hyperglycemia" means high blood sugar (high blood sugar). It’s imperative that people living with diabetes stick to a strict diet.”

Diabetes Kinds

Type 1 and type 2 diabetes:

• Type 1 diabetes results from damaged pancreatic beta cells. In type 1 diabetes, the pancreas creates little or no insulin, so sugar can't enter cells for energy. Type 1 diabetics inject insulin to manage blood sugar. Type 1 diabetes is most frequent in those under 30, although it can affect anybody. 10% of diabetics have type 1. Life insurance for type 1 diabetics is often times challenging to obtain.

• In type 2 diabetes, the pancreas doesn't create enough insulin or it doesn't perform effectively. 9/10 diabetics have type 2. This kind usually affects adults over 40, however, risk factors might cause it in youth. Diet, weight management, and exercise can sometimes control type 2 diabetes. Oral glucose-lowering medicines or insulin injections are additional options (shots).

Gestational diabetes, surgery, medications, diseases, and other reasons can also cause diabetes.

Diabetes Causes:

Diabetes Symptoms

Diabetes Management

You Can Manage Your Diabetes By:

What you do every day at home influences your blood glucose more than your doctor can do every few months.

Insulin Pumps:

Insulin pumps are tiny, computerized devices you carry on your belt, in your pocket, or under your clothing. They give insulin 24/7 with a cannula. Needle inserted cannula beneath the skin. The needle is then withdrawn, leaving only the tube. Cannulas are changed every 2-3 days.

Pump users should check their glucose levels using a continuous or fingerstick monitor. The insulin pump may be adjusted for exercise and stress. A pump user enters food consumption and blood sugar readings to calculate insulin dosages for food and high blood sugar.

An insulin pump reduces insulin injections and provides a more constant and customizable insulin supply.

Can I Use Diabetes Medications And Insulin?

Yes. When used as instructed, insulin and oral medicine can help regulate blood sugar. A common combo treatment involves daytime oral medicine and night time insulin.

Once you start taking insulin, you'll need to test your blood sugar more regularly to prevent lows. Type 2 diabetics benefit from combination therapy. If you use oral medication, your doctor may switch to insulin injections. This adjustment helps type 2 diabetics regulate their blood sugar.

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