Diabetes: Symptoms, Causes and How to Prevent High Blood Sugar

Some people do not have the ability to resist their open appetite for food and adhere to a specific diet that is free or contains very little carbohydrates and sugars, although a healthy diet is one of the most important ways to prevent diabetes, in addition to regular physical activity, maintaining weight and avoiding smoking, etc., after diabetes has become one of the most worrisome diseases and fears globally due to the high rates of infection among all age groups.

What is diabetes?

Diabetes mellitus is a chronic disease that occurs when the pancreas does not produce enough insulin, or when the body cannot use the insulin it produces effectively. Insulin is the hormone responsible for controlling the level of sugar in the blood, and hyperglycemia – also known as high blood sugar – is a common result of an imbalance in the normal level of sugar in the blood, and over time this leads to serious damage to many organs the body, particularly the nerves and blood vessels.

Therefore, diabetes mellitus is defined as the imbalance in how the body deals with digested food due to the inability of the pancreas to secrete the appropriate amount of insulin, in addition to the lack of effectiveness of this insulin, which makes the body unable to deliver sugar from the blood to the cells, and thus leads to high blood sugar levels.

What are the different types of Diabetes?

There are three types of diabetes that need to be checked regularly, and these types are as follows:

1. Type 1 diabetes: This type occurs as a result of the body’s inability to produce insulin, which means that people with this type must receive artificial insulin daily to maintain blood sugar levels and survive. This type is also known as “juvenile diabetes.”
2. Type 2 diabetes: This is one of the most common types of diabetes, as it affects the way the body uses insulin. Despite the body’s ability to produce the required insulin, the body’s cells do not respond to it the way they were before the disease.
3. Gestational diabetes: This type occurs when the body becomes less sensitive to insulin in women during pregnancy, and its symptoms and effects usually end immediately after childbirth. It should be noted that the incidence of gestational diabetes is not a general rule that applies to all pregnant women.

What are the most important symptoms, causes and how to prevent high blood sugar?

Symptoms of high blood sugar:

1. Increased feeling of thirst and hunger.
2. Needing to urinate frequently.
3. Exhaustion and general fatigue.
4. Wounds take a long time to heal.
5. Rapid breathing and increased heart rate.
6. Lack of focus and blurred vision.
7. Dry mouth and its fruity smell.

Causes of high blood sugar:

1. Lack of movement or walking and lack of exercise.
2. Lack of sleep and exposure to psychological stress.
3. Not following the doctors’ instructions regarding taking medications, diet, and exercise.
4. Eating foods that contain a high percentage of carbohydrates and sugars, which leads to a sudden increase in the level of glucose in the blood.
5. Smoking negatively affects the regulation of blood sugar level, and to maintain normal sugar levels, you must quit smoking.

Prevention of high blood sugar:

1. Walking or sports.
2. Regular review of blood sugar measurement, and periodic laboratory analysis.
3. Follow a proper diet, while reducing foods and drinks that contain a lot of sugar.
4. Patients must adhere to the doses and appointments of prescribed medications, review the specialist doctor, and follow his instructions.

Blood glucose measurement table (mg / dL):

What are the periodic examinations that should be done for diabetic patients?

There are many periodic medical examinations that diabetic patients must make sure to perform regularly. These examinations are as follows:

1. Cumulative diabetes check: This test is done to check the average blood sugar levels, and how close they are to the normal range.
2. Eye examination: People with diabetes should undergo a regular eye examination every year to ensure that there are no damaged blood vessels, which can cause vision problems, diabetic retinopathy, and blindness.
3. Heart examination: Cholesterol levels and blood pressure levels should be checked at least once a year, as diabetes may increase the possibility of stroke and heart disease, so it is important to detect any abnormality early so that it can be dealt with safely and effectively.
4. Foot tests: Diabetic patients should check their feet’s pulse and reflexes at least once a year to ensure normal functioning.
5. Pregnancy test: Women should speak to their physician if they want to have a baby so that they can have a safe pregnancy and delivery if they have type 2 diabetes, but they will need to go through some additional checks during pregnancy.

Important note: Tests are performed every three months at the beginning of the diagnosis of the disease, and then every six months once the condition has stabilized.

Methods for measuring blood sugar at home:

1. Prepare the test device, test strip, needle and skin lancing device, and a cotton swab soaked in alcohol.
2. Place a new slide into the device, and prime the needle device by placing a new needle.
3. Cleanse the finger with alcohol before pricking it with the needle, then point your finger at the slide so that the blood touches the surface of the slide.
4. Wait a few minutes for the glucose reading to appear, and record the reading and measurement status (fasting 8 hours, 2 hours after eating).
5. Remove the tape and needle and throw them in the trash, and use the alcohol swab to clean the area from which the blood was taken and stop the flow.

What is DoktorCare role and responsibility towards society?

Diabetes is a chronic disease that accompanies patients for life, and requires a specific lifestyle and careful and continuous monitoring with regard to treatment, balanced food based on diet and exercise, with permanent follow-up to measure blood sugar or do a urine sugar analysis; Full awareness of diabetics about the importance and seriousness of the disease and ways to deal with it is an important aspect of DoktorCare responsibility and its role towards society. Therefore, we are working hard to provide the best integrated medical services at home for all diabetics, to include all tests and regular periodic examinations with specialized doctors, and to provide everything necessary to do.

DoktorCare seeks to improve the quality of health care provided to our customers, to meet all the needs of our valued patients and to ensure that they receive the required services at any time and from anywhere, with the highest quality and the best price, with a selection of the most skilled doctors in all specialties.