Diabetes Symptoms, Risk Factors, and Prevention

Diabetes is one of the diseases most people struggle with in today’s world. This disease can be triggered by genes or environmental factors like viruses. While it is important to manage your diabetes before it results in life-threatening issues, it is also advantageous to be equipped with the knowledge of its early signs. Are you experiencing frequent urination, vision issues, feelings of hunger and tiredness, yeast infection, increased thirst, or slow healing of wounds? Worry no more, Humble, TX endocrinology has you covered.

Diabetes Signs and Symptoms

For diabetes patients, some of the early signs and symptoms that you may experience include:

·       Increased thirst

·       Irritability

·       Poor vision

·       Increased hunger

·       Frequent urination

·       Sudden weight loss

·       Ketone presence in your urine

·       Fatigue

While type one diabetes more commonly manifests during childhood or adolescence, type two diabetes is common in adults above forty years.

Causes of Type One Diabetes

Even though the cause of this type of diabetes is still unknown, in this case, your immune system attacks your pancreas, destroying your beta cells, cells responsible for insulin production. This allows the build-up of sugar in your bloodstream.

Causes of Type Two Diabetes

Here, your cells resist the action of insulin, and your pancreas is unable to produce enough insulin to overcome the resistance resulting in sugar build-up in your bloodstream.

Gestational Diabetes Causes

During your pregnancy, certain hormones are produced by your placenta for your pregnancy sustenance. These hormones increase your cells’ insulin resistance. If your pancreas can not keep up the insulin production with its demand, it results in less glucose being utilized in the cell and the build-up of blood sugar in your bloodstream.

Risks Associated with Type One Diabetes

The risks of contracting type one diabetes are heightened by certain factors, including:

·       History of your family. You are more susceptible to this type of diabetes if any of your family members have it.

·       Environmental factors. Being exposed to environmental factors that favor this disease increases your risk of contracting it.

·       The presence of an autoantibody is the presence of cells that damage your immune system.

·       Your geography, some countries are more susceptible and have higher numbers of this type of diabetes cases compared to others.

Type Two Diabetes Risk Factors

Certain factors are involved in increasing your risks of contracting this type of diabetes; these factors include:

·       Age

·       Race

·       Inactivity

·       Weight

·       Family history

·       Gestational diabetes

·       Polycystic ovary syndrome

·       High blood pressure

·       Abnormal triglyceride and cholesterol levels

Gestational Diabetes Risk Factors

For pregnant women, some of the factors that increase chances of contracting this type of diabetes include:

·       Age

·       Previous history

·       Ethnicity or race

·       Weight

Complications Associated with Diabetes

After a long time with diabetes, some health complications may arise; some of these complications include:

·       Cardiovascular disease

·       Nerve damage

·       Nephropathy

·       Retinopathy

·       Skin condition

·       Foot damage

·       Hearing impairment

·       Depression

·       Alzheimer’s disease

·       Excess growth

·       Low blood sugar

Prevention Measures

Some of the prevention measures that can be practiced to prevent diabetes include:

·       Losing excess weight

·       Engage in physical activities

·       Consuming healthy food

Talk to A Specialist in Endocrinology

Diabetes, if properly managed, can be controlled to avoid other health complications and, in a worse scenario, death. Take charge of your health, contact Juan Carlos Zubieta, MD, MPH, a specialist at Humble, TX endocrinology.