The rise in blood sugar also known as blood glucose leads to diabetes. Glucose comes from the food you eat and is needed to energize your body. Glucose is also stored in our liver and muscles. Your blood always consists of some amount of glucose in it because glucose is one of the main ingredients to supply energy to your body. Anything in excess is not good, similarly having too much of glucose in your blood is not healthy.
People get Type 1 diabetes before 30 years of age. Insulin is a must for people diagnosed with type 1 diabetes because their bodies cannot produce enough of it. Insulin converts the food we consume into energy for the body to work more efficiently. Most people make insulin in their pancreas (a gland near the stomach that secretes a fluid). If you have type 1 diabetes, your body does not produce insulin. Insulin helps glucose from the foods you eat to be spread to all parts of your body and be used for energy.
If you find out that you have type 2 diabetes, to lower your blood glucose one need to eat healthy foods, exercise, and lose weight. If the above-mentioned things don’t work out then you may need diabetes pills to reduce your blood glucose levels. After a few more years, you will have to intake insulin for your body to produce enough of it.
Gestational diabetes is a form of diabetes that affects pregnant women. For the remainder of their life, having it increases their risk of developing diabetes, most commonly type 2. Because of this the child may turn up to be overweight and also can be prone to type 2 of diabetes.
People with diabetes use complementary or different methods to cure diabetes. Some of these methods may be effective, others can be ineffective or even harmful. Patients who use complementary and alternative medicine need to let their doctors or health advisors know what they are doing.
Financial Help for Diabetes Care
The government provides many health care services for people who are 65 years and older, one of which is known as Medicare. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has established the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) to help children without health insurance.
Recent state and Federal laws, however, may help. Many states now have made it mandatory for insurance companies to cover diabetes supplies and education. The Health Insurance Portability Act, passed by Congress in 1996, limits insurance companies from refusing coverage because of an already existing condition.
Medicaid is a state health care program for people needing financial help. Your income must be below a certain level to qualify for Medicaid funds.
Most HMOs cuts down the costs by limiting the choice of doctors, restricting access to specialists as the fees charged by them are quite high, reducing hospital stays, and focusing on preventive care.
Taking care of diabetes will also help you to reduce your risk for other health problems. The high amount of blood in glucose can also affect the blood vessels and can even cause heart attacks or strokes. It can also spread to different parts of the body leading to blindness, kidney failure, loss of toes or feet, gum problems, or loss of teeth.
The good news is that when you take care of your diabetes, you can reduce or avoid these problems.
