What is Diabetes?
Diabetes is a chronic disease that can cause severe health problems. If a person has diabetes that means that their blood sugar (glucose) level is too high. High blood sugar can destroy vital organs such as your kidneys, liver and eyes. The disease can also damage your nerves and blood vessels. When you eat your body converts the food that you eat into sugar (glucose). Your blood carries the sugar throughout your body. An organ in your body called the pancreas, produces insulin which enters the blood and helps the body break down the glucose, so that it can enter the body’s cells. If your pancreas does not produce enough insulin, or if the insulin does not work properly, the glucose will be unable to enter the body’s cells. The result is that your blood will retain high levels of glucose, which will cause you to have diabetes.
Who Gets diabetes
- It is estimated that about 24 million Americans have diabetes, and about 50% of those who have diabetes are women. The three most common types of diabetes are Type 1 diabetes, Type 2 diabetes and Gestational diabetes.
- Gestational diabetes only occurs in pregnant women
- Type 1 diabetes occurs at about the same rate in men as it does in women. The disease is more common in Caucasians than in other ethnic groups.
- Type 2 diabetes is most common in older people and in people who are overweight. People who are African-Americans, Hispanic-Americans/Latinos, and American Indians are at a higher risk for diabetes than Caucasians.
Gestational Diabetes
Women are at risk for Gestational Diabetes when they are pregnant. The disease occurs in about 5% of pregnancies. During pregnancy, the body produces hormones which prevent its insulin from doing its job. Your body will adjust for this situation by producing extra insulin. In some women the extra insulin still is not enough, and the women will get gestational diabetes. Gestational Diabetes will usually end when the pregnancy is over. However, women who get Gestational Diabetes have a high risk of developing type 2 Diabetes when they get older. Women who get gestational diabetes can have problems during pregnancy and are at a higher risk of having a baby that is born with a birth defect.
Signs of diabetes in pregnancy are:
- Frequent urination
- Extreme thirst
- Fatigue
- Tingling in the hands and feet
- Blurry vision
Treatments for gestational diabetes
- Insulin or oral medications
- A healthy diet
- Exercise
Type 1 Diabetes
Type 1 Diabetes, which is also known as juvenile diabetes, is usually diagnosed in children and adolescents. This disease is often diagnosed in a female when she gets a virus or urinary tract infection. Some other signs of type 1 diabetes in women are:
- Frequent urination
- Extreme thirst
- Extreme fatigue
- Unexplained weight loss
- Tingling or numbness in hands or feet
- Blurry vision
Treatments for type 1 diabetes
Treatment for type 1 diabetes includes taking insulin injections or getting an insulin pump. Doctors will also advise patients to get regular exercise, maintain a healthy weight, and to control blood pressure and cholesterol levels.
Type 2 Diabetes
Type 2 diabetes is the most common form of diabetes. About 90% of people with diabetes have type 2 diabetes. In type 2 diabetes either the body does not produce enough insulin or the cells ignore the insulin.
Signs of type 2 diabetes in women are:
- All of the symptoms that occur in Type 1 diabetics occur in Type 2 diabetics
- Frequent infections
- Slow healing cuts or bruises on the skin
- Infection of the bladder, skin or gums
Factors that increase the risk for type 2 diabetes are:
- Age : Being 45 years or old.
- Overweight: Overweight adults get diabetes at a higher rate than others.
- Family history: Having a mother, father, brother, or sister with diabetes.
- Race: African Americans and Hispanics get diabetes at a higher rate than Caucasians.
- Pregnancy: Women that get gestational diabetes when pregnant are at a higher risk for type 2 diabetes
- Other health problems: having high blood pressure or high cholesterol can also increase your risk of getting type 2 diabetes
Treatments for Type 2 Diabetes
- Insulin or oral medication
- A healthy diet
- Proper weight maintenance
- Regular physical activity
Living with diabetes
In order to live a healthy lifestyle with diabetes you will have to:
- Follow your doctor’s orders
- Take prescribed medicines as directed
- Eat healthy
- Maintain a healthy weight
- Exercise
While diabetes is a serious disease many women that have diabetes, but take care of themselves, are able to live a healthy fulfilling lifestyle.
Resources:
http://www.womenshealth.gov/publications/our-publications/fact-sheet/diabetes.cfm#a
