Diabetes is a disease in which blood glucose levels are above normal. Those who suffer from this disease may have problems converting food to energy. In addition, the body will not get enough insulin and the amount of glucose in the blood increases.
In a few years, the high blood glucose may damage nerves and blood vessels leading to complications such as stroke, blindness, heart disease, kidney disease, nerve problems, gum infections, and amputation.
Many people do not find out they have the disease until they suffer from complication, which of course will be too late to cure as the body will already be damaged.
The signs and symptoms can be so mild that some people might not even notice and suspect that they have diabetes. The most common symptoms include blurred vision, unhealed sores, increased thirst and hunger, fatigue, weight loss, and increased urination at night.
Finding out early if you have diabetes is important because treatment can prevent damage to the body. One of the preventions you can take, based on a report of a recent study, is by having the right amount of sleep.
Those who get too much or not enough sleep may increase diabetes risks. Dr. Henry Klar Yaggi from Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut, who lead the study, assumed those who sleep less than 6 hours per night, as well as those who sleep more than 8 hours, were at significantly increased risk for developing diabetes, compared to those who sleep 7 to 8 hours.
What else can you do to beat diabetes and live healthier without being worried about this disease? Here are things you can do to control your diabetes:
1. Weight Control - By controlling your weight, you will make your blood glucose levels normal. If you are overweight, it is difficult for your body to make and use insulin properly. Insulin is produced to help the body to use and store the blood glucose. Use the Body Mass Index (BMI), a measure of body weight relative to height, to see whether you are underweight, normal weight, overweight, or obese.
2. Physically Active - You can walk, bike, take the stairs, dance, swim and do other outdoor activities that will keep cholesterol and blood pressure under control. Being extra active while staying indoor can also increase the number of calories you burn, such as walking around while you are talking on the phone, getting up to change the TV channel instead of using the remote control, working in the garden or cleaning up the house.
3. Aerobic - You might not know this activity can lower your blood glucose and improve your body's ability to use insulin. Doing aerobic for 30 minutes a day, most days of the week, provides many benefits for your health. You can either take an aerobic class.
4. Following A Healthful Meal Plan - Having a meal plan can have big impact on your blood glucose. You can get sick if the blood glucose goes too high due to eating too much food containing lots of fat and calories. It is better to look at the serving sizes of the food you eat. Take more fruits and vegetables and lessen your salt intake.
5. Taking Diabetes Test - If you are potential to get diabetes, taking diabetes test is strongly recommended. The doctor will be able to explain about your condition after you have done a fasting blood glucose test or an oral glucose tolerance test.
So, the important thing is to control or prevent diabetes by balancing the blood glucose levels. If you can't control them, the possibility of suffering diabetes will be higher.
