How is diabetes treated?

• The major goal in treating diabetes is to minimize any elevation of blood sugar (glucose) without causing abnormally low levels of blood sugar. Type 1 diabetes is treated with insulin, exercise, and a diabetic diet. Type 2 diabetes is treated first with weight reduction, a diabetic diet, and exercise. When these measures fail to control the elevated blood sugars, oral medications are used. If oral medications are still insufficient, treatment with insulin is considered.
  Adherence to a diabetic diet is an important aspect of controlling elevated blood sugar in patients with diabetes. The American Diabetes Association (ADA) has provided guidelines for a diabetic diet. The ADA diet is a balanced, nutritious diet that is low in fat, cholesterol, and simple sugars. The total daily calories are evenly divided into three meals. In the past two years, the ADA has lifted the absolute ban on simple sugars. Small amounts of simple sugars are allowed when consumed with a complex meal.
  Weight reduction and exercise are important treatments for diabetes. Weight reduction and exercise increase the body's sensitivity to insulin, thus helping to control blood sugar elevations.
• Treatment of diabetes with insulin:Insulin is the mainstay of treatment for patients with type 1 diabetes. Insulin is also important in type 2 diabetes when blood glucose levels cannot be controlled by diet, weight loss, exercise, and oral medications.
  Ideally, insulin should be administered in a manner that mimics the natural pattern of insulin secretion by a healthy pancreas; however, the complex pattern of insulin secretion by the pancreas is difficult to duplicate. Still, adequate blood glucose control can be achieved with careful attention to diet, regular exercise, home blood glucose monitoring, and multiple insulin injections throughout the day. Taking care of your diabetes with careful home care and monitoring assists in controlling blood sugar levels and effective diabetes treatment.
  In the past, the insulin was being derived from animal sources, particularly cows and pigs. Not only was there a problem with enough supply of insulin to meet the demand, but beef and pork insulin also had specific problems. Originating from animals, these types of insulin caused immune reactions in some people. Patients would become intolerant or resistant to animal insulin. With the acceleration of scientific research in the latter half of the twentieth century, beef and pork insulin were replaced by human insulin. In 1977, the gene for human insulin was cloned, and through modern technology, manufactured human insulin was made available. Human insulin is now widely used.
  Insulin now comes in a variety of preparations that differ in the amount of time following injection until they begin to work and the duration of their action. Because of these differences, combinations of insulin are often used to allow for a more tailored regimen of blood sugar control. The table below lists the most common types of insulin currently in use in the U.S. and their specific properties.
• There are two different types of diabetes. One is Type 1 diabetes and the other is Type 2 diabetes. In Type 1 diabetes, the body is not able to manufacture the amount of insulin that the body requires. In Type 2 diabetes, the body is unable to make use of the insulin that is produced by the body. People who are afflicted with either Type 1 diabetes or Type 2 diabetes should make sure that they do not put on too much weight.
  There are many people who have the correct amount of fat inside the body and hence they are neither too fat nor too thin. These people are much healthier compared to those people who are either underweight or overweight. When people are overweight, the extra weight in their body makes it more difficult for their systems to function in the right manner. Though many people who are afflicted with diabetes keep their blood sugar levels under control, their body will not have the capacity to fight many other diseases, which a normal healthy body can fight.
  If people afflicted with diabetes will watch their weight properly, their general health will improve. If they stay healthy, then their insulin levels will not fluctuate too much and will stay stable. When the insulin pump was introduced in the market, it gave diabetics the freedom to take care of themselves in a much better manner and know when their blood sugar levels were changing. They could take care of themselves through proper exercise and diet control. There are a wide variety of exercise programs which have been introduced that will help you to control your diabetes, prevent you from putting on too much weight and also try not to disturb the insulin levels too much.
  People who have been diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes should be extra careful about their weight. They should do exercises regularly and also follow a healthy eating pattern. Diabetes is a disease, which puts a lot of strain on the entire body unlike other diseases where only one organ is affected. Weight loss is a very important part of trying to control your diabetes.
  Many books and articles have been published that will describe the various methods that can be followed to help in controlling your blood sugar levels. One of the best ways of controlling your diabetes is by controlling your weight. But the doctor is a better judge of things and he will decide what is best for you. For some patients, losing weight is not the best way of controlling diabetes. Sometimes people having diabetes will start losing weight suddenly since the body is unable to process the sugars that have been consumed by the body. This kind of condition will require immediate treatment.
• Tests for Diabetes
• Today there are many cases of people overeating and becoming obese is being reported all over the world today. This makes it all the more essential for a person to test himself in order to find out if he has diabetes. Type 2 diabetes can be diagnosed by taking a normal blood sugar test which is otherwise known as the fasting plasma glucose test. A blood sample needs to be extracted from the person in order to find out his blood sugar levels. The person taking the test should fast and not eat anything for a certain time period. This will ensure that any foods or beverages do not affect their blood sugar levels. This test may not prove to be very conclusive, as it will only measure the blood sugar levels for a particular time period. A more accurate test is the haemoglobin A1C test which will find out the levels of blood sugar over a longer period of time.
  Some people resort to taking a glucose tolerance test. Here also the person needs to fast before the blood sugar levels are tested. The person is then asked to take a drink, which contains high quantities of glucose, and his sample is taken once again. This is done to find out how well the body reacts when a lot of glucose is suddenly pumped inside it. The results of this test will help a doctor to determine if the patient is having diabetes or pre diabetes.
  Diabetes does not normally get diagnosed until it reaches the advanced stages. Some of the most common symptoms of diabetes are excessive thirst, excess output of urine and also a dry mouth. A number of other medical conditions can also cause these symptoms to occur but they are all diagnosed very late. If the condition is diagnosed in the early stages, then the doctor can prevent the condition from deteriorating further. If the symptoms keep showing time and again and the person experiencing the symptoms feels suspicious, a test for diabetes will have to be performed to find out the condition of the person. People who are overweight and consume a lot of junk food should also get a test for diabetes done.
  If a doctor feels that a person has a medical condition that is similar to diabetes, he should advise the patient to take the test immediately since he feels that the health of the patient is in danger. Sometimes the patient can also request for a diabetes test to be taken if he feels that something is wrong and he is experiencing the symptoms of a diabetic.