Diabetes: Symptoms, Types And Treatments
Updated: January 31, 2025 – David C. Marshall M.D
Diabetes is a chronic disease characterized by an increase in blood glucose levels. This disorder occurs when the body doesn’t produce enough insulin or can’t use it effectively.
Insulin is the hormone responsible for regulating the entry of glucose into cells, where it is used as a source of energy. When this process fails, glucose accumulates in the blood and can lead to serious complications if left untreated.
Diabetes treatment usually involves lifestyle changes, such as dietary adjustments and increased physical activity. In addition, it may be necessary to use medication, such as oral antidiabetics or insulin, to help control blood glucose levels.
Symptoms of Diabetes
Symptoms depending on the type of diabetes, but the most common are:
- Excessive thirst and dry mouth.
- Frequent need to urinate.
- Extreme fatigue.
- Unexplained weight loss.
- Blurred vision.
- Slow healing of wounds.
- Frequent infections.
The symptoms of diabetes usually appear gradually throughout life and are mainly triggered by poor eating habits, such as excessive consumption of sugar and carbohydrates, as well as a lack of regular physical activity.
The main types of diabetes
- Type 1 diabetes: This type of diabetes is an autoimmune condition, where the immune system attacks and destroys the beta cells of the pancreas, which are responsible for producing insulin. It is usually diagnosed in childhood or adolescence, but can occur in adults. People with type 1 diabetes need daily insulin injections to control blood glucose levels.
- Type 2 diabetes: This is the most common type of diabetes and is usually associated with lifestyle, including obesity and a sedentary lifestyle. In type 2 diabetes, the body still produces insulin, but the cells become resistant to it. Over time, the pancreas can stop producing enough insulin. Treatment involves dietary changes, regular exercise and, in some cases, medication or insulin.
- Gestational diabetes: This occurs during pregnancy, when a woman’s body becomes less sensitive to insulin. Although it often disappears after childbirth, it increases the risk of developing type 2 diabetes in the future. Close monitoring and control during pregnancy is crucial to avoid complications for both mother and baby.
- Pre-diabetes: This condition occurs when blood glucose levels are higher than normal, but not high enough to be diagnosed as type 2 diabetes. It’s a warning sign for lifestyle changes, as many people with pre-diabetes develop type 2 diabetes if they don’t make interventions to improve their health.
Diabetes can also be classified into rarer types, such as latent autoimmune adult-onset diabetes and drug-induced diabetes.
In addition, there is a condition called diabetes insipidus, which despite its similar name, is not considered a type of diabetes, as it results from the excessive removal of fluids by the kidneys and is not related to insulin or blood sugar levels.
Causative factors of diabetes
The causes of diabetes vary according to the type:
- Type 1 Diabetes: This form of diabetes occurs when the immune system attacks the cells in the pancreas that produce insulin, leading to their destruction. It is an autoimmune condition and is generally unrelated to lifestyle, and can be diagnosed in childhood or adolescence.
- Type 2 Diabetes: Mainly associated with poor eating habits, such as excessive consumption of sugar and carbohydrates, as well as a sedentary lifestyle. Obesity, especially the accumulation of abdominal fat, increases the risk by contributing to insulin resistance.
- Gestational Diabetes: During pregnancy, hormones produced by the placenta can interfere with the action of insulin, leading to an increase in blood sugar levels. This type of diabetes appears during pregnancy and requires careful monitoring.
How to Diagnose Diabetes
Diabetes is diagnosed through blood tests that measure glucose levels.
The most common test is the fasting blood glucose test, carried out after 8 hours of fasting.
The reference results are:
- Normal: Below 99 mg/dL.
- Pre-diabetes: Between 100 and 125 mg/dL.
- Diabetes: Above 126 mg/dL.
If the levels are high in two different measurements, other tests, such as glycated hemoglobin or glucose tolerance test, can be requested for confirmation.
Diabetes Treatment: Detailed Overview
The treatment of diabetes is multifaceted, aiming to control blood glucose levels and prevent complications. Here are the key components:
1. Glucose Monitoring
- Capillary Blood Glucose: Daily measurements at home using a glucometer.
- Glycated Hemoglobin (A1c): A lab test performed every 3-6 months to assess long-term glucose control.
2. Medication
- Insulin: Primarily for type 1 diabetes and some type 2 cases, administered via injections or insulin pumps.
- Oral Antidiabetics: Medications like metformin, sulfonylureas, and DPP-4 inhibitors, mainly for type 2 diabetes, help regulate glucose levels by increasing insulin sensitivity or reducing glucose production by the liver.
3. Diet
- Meal Planning: A balanced diet rich in fiber, vegetables, lean proteins, and low-glycemic-index carbohydrates is essential for managing diabetes. Foods high in sugar and refined carbohydrates should be avoided.
- Carbohydrate Counting: Especially useful for those on insulin, this practice helps adjust insulin doses based on carbohydrate intake.
4. Physical Activity
- Regular Exercise: Activities like walking, swimming, cycling, or resistance training improve insulin sensitivity and help control glucose levels.
- Personalized Plan: The type, intensity, and duration of exercise should be tailored to the patient’s health condition.
5. Education and Self-Care
- Education Programs: Patients and families should be educated about the disease, medication use, glucose monitoring, and complication management.
- Complication Prevention: Foot care, blood pressure monitoring, and cholesterol control are crucial to preventing complications such as neuropathy, nephropathy, and cardiovascular diseases.
Treatment is individualized based on the type of diabetes, age, lifestyle, and the presence of other health conditions. Regular follow-up with healthcare professionals is essential for treatment adjustments and ensuring the patient’s well-being.
Natural Treatments for Diabetes
Natural approaches include:
- Dietary Changes: Emphasizing whole foods, fiber-rich vegetables, and low-glycemic index foods.
- Regular Exercise: Engaging in physical activities like walking or yoga to improve insulin sensitivity.
- Weight Management: Maintaining a healthy weight through balanced diet and exercise.
Natural treatments for diabetes often focus on lifestyle changes and the use of herbal supplements to help manage blood sugar levels.
One such herb is Gymnema sylvestre, a plant used in traditional medicine, particularly in Ayurveda. Gymnema sylvestre is believed to help reduce sugar absorption in the intestines and improve insulin function, making it a popular supplement for supporting blood glucose control.
This medicinal plant is rich in gurmarin, gymnemic acid and gymnemasaponins, which give it hypoglycemic, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory medicinal properties and can also be used for weight loss.
Gymnema sylvestre, also known as Gurmar, can be found in health food stores and compounding pharmacies, and should be used on the advice of a doctor or herbalist.
What is Gymnema sylvestre used for?
1. Reducing Blood Sugar
Gymnema sylvestre is rich in gurmarins, gymnemic acid, gymnemasaponins and stigmasterol, which have a hypoglycemic action that reduces the absorption of sugar from food by the intestines, helping to reduce blood sugar levels.
In this way, this medicinal plant can be used to help treat diabetes and pre-diabetes.
2. Helping to control diabetes
Gymnema sylvestre has anti-diabetic, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, which help to stimulate the regeneration of β-cells in the pancreas and thus increase insulin production.
3. Promote weight loss
The gymnemic acid present in Gymnema sylvestre can also help with weight loss, as it changes the taste of sweet foods, helps to reduce appetite and cravings for sweet foods, leading to a lower calorie intake during the day.
In this way, Gymnema sylvestre can help treat obesity or overweight.
4. Lowers cholesterol
Gymnema sylvestre leaf extract is rich in flavonoids, saponins and tannins, with antioxidant and hypolipidemic action, which help to lower bad cholesterol (LDL) and triglycerides, and increase good cholesterol (HDL).
How to use
The part used for Gymnema sylvestre is its leaf, from which the substances with medicinal properties are extracted, for the preparation of tea, capsules, aqueous extract or tincture.
1. Gymnema Sylvestre Tea
Gymnema sylvestre tea can be used to help control diabetes, due to its hypoglycemic and antidiabetic properties.
Ingredients:
1 dessert spoon of dried Gymnema sylvestre leaves;
1 cup of water.
Instructions:
Bring the water to the boil, turn off the heat and add the boiling water to the cup with the dried Gymnema sylvestre leaves. Leave to stand for about 10 minutes. Then strain, wait for it to cool and drink 1 cup up to 3 times a day.
2. Gymnema sylvestre capsules
Gymnema sylvestre capsules should be taken orally. The recommended dose is 1 capsule of 400 mg, twice a day, taken 15 minutes before main meals such as lunch and dinner.
Gymnema sylvestre capsules should always be used on the advice of a doctor or herbalist, according to the condition being treated, with individualized doses.
3. Natural supplements with Gymnema extract
When it comes to controlling blood glucose levels, many people turn to prescription drugs, which often come with unwanted side effects and long-term risks.
Fortunately, nature offers us safe and effective alternatives. Among these alternatives, natural supplements containing Gymnema Sylvestre extract stand out as one of the best options for those seeking a more natural approach to glucose management.
And without a doubt, one of the best natural supplements on the market is Sugar Defender.
Sugar Defender: The Revolutionary Natural
Supplement that Supports Healthy Blood Sugar
Sugar Defender is an innovative supplement that combines the power of nature with modern science to offer a natural and powerful solution to glucose control.
This supplement is formulated with selected ingredients, including the extraordinary Gymnema Sylvestre, a plant used for centuries in Ayurvedic medicine for its anti-diabetic properties.
Why Sugar Defender is the Best Choice for You?
- Reduces Blood Sugar Levels: The Gymnema Sylvestre extract in Sugar Defender helps to reduce the absorption of sugar in the intestine, effectively lowering blood glucose levels.
- Inhibits Cravings for Sweets: This powerful ingredient also works by blocking sugar receptors on the tongue, which reduces cravings for sweets and helps you maintain a more balanced diet.
- Supports Pancreatic Function: Sugar Defender helps the pancreas produce insulin, which is crucial for regulating blood glucose and preventing dangerous sugar spikes.
- 100% Natural and Safe: With a formula free of harsh chemicals, Sugar Defender is a natural solution that works in harmony with your body, without the side effects you fear from traditional medicines.
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