What is diabetes?
Types of diabetes
- Type 1 diabetes: this type of diabetes occurs when insulin is either absent or present in very small amounts; in such cases insulin must be injected. Type 1 diabetes mostly affects children and teenagers.
- Type 2 diabetes: this type of diabetes occurs when the body cannot make enough insulin, or the insulin it makes cannot be used properly.
Type 2 diabetes is mostly seen in adults. It is the most common type of diabetes and makes up 90% of all people with diabetes. This type of diabetes can be controlled with diet, oral medicines and physical activity; if there is no response to oral medicines, insulin treatment is started.
Symptoms of diabetes
- Drinking a lot (excessive thirst)
- Eating a lot (excessive hunger)
- Passing a lot of urine
- Blurred vision and headache
- Drowsiness and feeling tired
- Wounds taking longer to heal
- Weight loss. How it is diagnosed: diabetes is diagnosed by measuring fasting blood sugar. Sugar in the urine also helps with the diagnosis. Factors that make people more likely to develop type 2 diabetes:
- Obesity
- Age over 40 years
- Physical inactivity and lack of exercise
- A family history of diabetes
- An unhealthy diet (such as fast food, high-fat food, a lot of sugary foods, etc.)
Diet is the foundation of diabetes control, especially type 2 diabetes:
- Take the first step by cutting out sugar in tea, desserts and sweet foods; use artificial sweeteners.
- To control blood sugar and prevent it from going up and down, it is best in all cases to have 5 or 6 meals. If possible, light exercise (such as walking) is recommended.
- Eat starchy foods such as bread, potatoes, rice, etc. only in amounts that do not make you gain weight.
- It is better to replace part of your animal protein with pulses (legumes) that are high in fibre.
- It is better to eat fruit and vegetables that are high in fibre.
To get a diet plan, see a nutrition expert. Is there a cure? There is no definitive cure for diabetes, but there are effective ways to control it and to prevent complications. By controlling diabetes, blood sugar can be kept within the normal range as far as possible. To achieve this goal, the following methods are effective:
- Attending education classes regularly and continuously
- Eating correctly
- Testing your blood sugar regularly
- Exercising regularly
- Using insulin or oral medicines as prescribed by your doctor. Care of patients with diabetes:
- If the blood supply to your feet is good and you have no particular problems, it is enough to check your feet every day.
- Look at your feet every day to check for blisters, cuts, scratches and sores; the spaces between the toes must be dried carefully.
- Washing your feet every day, drying them and then moisturising them with softening oils is recommended to prevent sores. Do not put cream between your toes.
- Always wear slippers at home.
- Wear closed-toe shoes.
6. Constipation can be solved by drinking plenty of fluids and controlling your blood sugar. 7. In general, in people with type 2 diabetes, light exercise (such as 30 minutes of walking) after meals helps regulate blood glucose levels. Exercise greatly reduces the risk of heart and blood vessel disease in patients. 8. You must eat within half an hour at most after taking your blood-sugar tablet or injecting insulin.
9. One of the side effects of blood-sugar medicines is low blood sugar. Its symptoms include: feeling weak or hungry, paleness, cold sweat, a pounding heart, dizziness and drowsiness. If these symptoms occur, check your blood sugar if possible; taking sugar, honey or chocolate is recommended to raise your blood sugar. 10. Always carry sugary foods (sugar, chocolate, honey) with you so that you can take them if your blood sugar drops.
11. Measuring your blood sugar regularly and recording it is very important. A blood sugar test is the best guide to knowing the patient's blood sugar status. Remember: with good diabetes control and proper care, you too can be as healthy as anyone else.
Prepared by: Mohaddeseh Ghasemi – Education Unit
Source: Brunner and Suddarth's Medical-Surgical Nursing, 2012
Document code: NO-BR-08