Diabetes Mellitus

What are the types of diabetes?

• Type 1 diabetes (total lack of insulin): Type 1 diabetes, also known as juvenile diabetes or insulin-dependent diabetes, is a chronic condition in which the pancreas produces little or no insulin.
• Type 2 diabetes (inadequate insulin and insulin resistance): In type 2 diabetes, the body does not use insulin properly which is called insulin resistance. At first, the pancreas makes extra insulin to make up for it, but over time it is not able to keep up and can’t make enough insulin to maintain normal blood glucose.
•  Gestational diabetes (diabetes acquired during pregnancy):  Gestational diabetes is a condition in which a woman without diabetes develops high blood sugar levels during pregnancy, and usually reversible after giving birth. It can occur at any stage of pregnancy, but is more common in the second half of the gestation period.
  

What are the symptoms of diabetes?

Sometimes, diabetes causes no symptoms and remains undetected for a long period of time. The most commonly reported symptoms of diabetes for men and women are:

Diabetes symptoms common in men and women

• Unintentional weight loss
• Tiredness that does not go away
• Blurred eye vision
• Feeling of excessive thirst
• Frequent urination

Diabetic symptoms, specifically in women:

• Vaginal and oral yeast infections or vaginal thrush
• Polycystic ovary syndrome
• Urinary infections

When should one consult a doctor?

If you or someone in family is at increased risk for diabetes, discuss with your doctor or an endocrinologist immediately. Also, if you observe any symptoms of diabetes, like frequent urination, excessive thirst or sudden weight loss, bring it to the notice of your doctor/endocrinologist. A regular check-up with the endocrinologist can help keep a check on blood glucose levels and prevent the complications of diabetes.

What are the normal blood sugar levels for diabetes?

Fasting blood sugar levels-

• For a person without diabetes: 70–99 mg/dl (3.9–5.5 mmol/L)
• Official ADA recommendation for someone with diabetes: 80–130 mg/dL (4.4–7.2 mmol/L)

Blood sugar levels 2 hours after meals:

• Normal for person without diabetes: Less than 140 mg/dl (7.8 mmol/L)
• Official ADA recommendation for someone with diabetes: Less than 180 mg/dL (10.0 mmol/L)

Normal blood sugar levels during pregnancy:

• Fasting sugar less than 95 mg/dL
• Blood sugar level less than 120 mg/dL – 2 hours after eating.

What is the normal HbA1c level?

For people without diabetes, the normal range for the hemoglobin A1c level remains between 4% and 5.6%. Hemoglobin A1c levels between 5.7% and 6.4% mean you have a higher chances of getting of diabetes. Levels of 6.5% or higher mean you have diabetes.

How can diabetes be prevented?

While there is no permanent cure for diabetes, it can be prevented or delayed by controlling the risk factors in people who are prone to develop diabetes. Some such measures include:

• If overweight/obese, weight reduction
• Regular physical exercise
• Low calorie diet plan
• Quit smoking
• Reduce alcohol intake

To know more about diabetes, its complications and their treatment, you can request a callback and our experts will call you and answer all your queries. Our team of diabetes doctors in Hyderabad are well-versed in the management and treatment of diabetes and its associated conditions.

What are common triggers of high blood sugars?

Monitor your blood sugars regularly. Also, look for common triggers of high blood sugar levels. They include food, exercise, medication, stress and hormonal changes.

Food:

• Have you had a high fat meal? If so, sugar levels tend to be high for long hours.
• Are you tracking sugar load? If so, ensure you enjoy the optimal calorie count and total carbohydrates per serving. They directly increase the blood sugars.
• Did you binge eat? That is something you must avoid. A diabetic should eat small amounts more frequently for a steady sugar level.
• Do you say yes to alcohol? Moderate to excessive alcohol intake disrupts body’s response to insulin. Thereby, hyperglycemia becomes difficult to manage.

Exercise:

Exercise affects our body in different ways. Exercises improve body’s response to insulin (insulin sensitivity) thus burning more sugar from the blood. If your body lacks insulin during workouts, blood sugars may stay dangerously high.

However, if you notice high blood sugar levels during exercise, it means that you are over-exerting. The body is pushing more sugar into blood to compensate this physical stress. Recap and rework on all physical activities. Also, do not miss any medicine or insulin.

A perfect balance between medicine, food, destress and exercise is essential in managing blood sugars.

How to self-manage high blood sugar levels?

Every diabetic experiences high blood sugar (hyperglycemia) at least once in their lifetime. Challenges in managing blood sugars vary based on the type of diabetes you are suffering from. So, it is important to have a personalized action plan approved by the doctor.

Call your doctor:

Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus: You must already be using insulin on regular basis. With a high blood sugar episode, you may need a higher dose than usual. Discuss with your doctor to understand the extent of blood sugar spike and suitable insulin doses.

Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: Based on the extent and duration of high blood sugars, your doctor may or may not prescribe medicine, insulin or change their dose. Talk to your doctor as soon as possible.

Avoid exercises until sugar levels normalise:

As advised by ADA (American Diabetes Association), avoid exercising when –

• Blood sugars increase beyond 250 mg/dl and urine tests detect ketones.
• Blood sugars increase beyond 300 mg/dl without ketones in urine.

Manage sick day:

It is common to have above normal sugar levels when you are ill, injured or infected. Talk to your doctor for a better sick day management to control hyperglycemia.

Manage stress:

Emotional stress can be hard to manage immediately. On a long run, mindfulness and relaxation therapy improves not only blood sugars but also overall well being and health. So, invest some time on activities such as yoga, meditation and deep breathing every day.

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