According to WHO, the number of people who have diabetes is close to 300 million. This is about 6% of the population group, which includes the age categories of 20-79 years. According to available forecasts, in 10 years the number of cases in our country may reach about 10 million. These figures are all the more frightening against the background of the great danger of diabetes, the death rate from which is increasing. In this regard, the prevention of diabetes mellitus is relevant, a memo on which is set out in the article.
What is the danger of diabetes
Diabetes refers to diseases that are fraught with complications. These include:
- Heart disease.
- The defeat of the arteries and small vessels located on the periphery, including in the legs.
- Decreased vision.
- Loss of sensation, cramps, pain in the lower extremities.
- Protein in the urine, disruption of the excretory system.
- Stop ulcers, the process of their necrosis associated with damage to blood vessels, nerves, tissues, skin.
- Infections: pustular and fungal.
- Diabetic coma, hypoglycemia.
Sometimes these complications lead to death. Therefore, the prevention of diabetes is of paramount importance.
First and second types
Diabetes mellitus is a group of diseases characterized by the presence in the blood of a large amount of sugar, significantly exceeding the permissible norm. This anomaly is related to a hormone called insulin, which is produced by the pancreas and plays an important role in metabolism.
As you know, the main carbohydrate in the blood is glucose, which serves as the main source of energy for the life of all systems of the human body. It is for its processing that insulin is needed.
Diabetes is divided into two types. For this reason, the prevention of diabetes also varies. This will be discussed in more detail below.
- 1st type - characterized by a lack of production of the hormone insulin;
- 2nd type - proceeds with a sufficient amount of it, but with poor interaction with cells.
As a result, glucose is stored in the blood, but it is not able to penetrate into the cells, and the person is deprived of his vital "fuel".
Diabetes. Causes. Prevention
Among the causes of this insidious disease, there are four main ones.
- The most common cause is heredity. In case of illness of one of the close relativesthe likelihood of getting diabetes is quite high. If this is the first type, then about 5% of people inherit it from the maternal side, about 10% from the paternal side. When both mother and father are sick, the situation is greatly aggravated, and the risk of the disease jumps to 70%. In the case of the second type, an even more serious situation is observed. From one of the parents, 80% get sick, and from two it is almost inevitable for everyone.
- A big risk factor for type 2 is obesity. When there is excess weight and a large amount of body fat, the body responds poorly to insulin, which contributes to the development of the disease. This also includes deviations in the diet, so dieting is of great importance for the prevention of diabetes.
- Repeated stressful conditions can cause disease, which, as a rule, is not easy for any person to avoid. Against the background of excitation of the nervous system, substances that contribute to the onset of diabetes begin to enter the bloodstream.
- The cause can also be a number of diseases, such as autoimmune (when immune cells attack their own body), high blood pressure, ischemia, atherosclerosis and some others.
Based on the knowledge of the causes of the disease, it is possible to determine its prevention. Consider the main methods.
Main preventive measures
Due to the fact that diabetes is a disease that cannot be cured, it is important to take personal control of your he alth and explore ways to prevent the disease.
OnToday, doctors recommend several methods for preventing diabetes, which include:
- Medical prevention of diabetes.
- Training yourself to lead a he althy lifestyle.
- Eating a balanced diet containing foods with a glycemic index of less than 50.
- Building resilience to stressful situations.
Disease symptoms
Prevention of diabetes mellitus mainly concerns the second type, since the first is only a hereditary disease, the methods of its prevention in adulthood are unknown to science today. But there are ways that can help prevent those terrible complications that are mentioned above. To do this, first of all, you need to learn as much as possible about the symptoms of the disease in order to start treatment in a timely manner.
Such symptoms include:
- Increased thirst (drank from 3 to 5 liters per day).
- Increased urination - day and night.
- Dry mouth.
- Weakness in muscles and limbs.
- Increased appetite.
- Delay wound healing.
- Appearance of itching, especially in women, in the genital area.
- Severe fatigue and drowsiness.
- Dramatic weight loss in the first type and obesity in the second.
Prevention of type 1 diabetes
As for the prevention of type 1 diabetes, the following features should be taken into account. In this disease, there is a catastrophic lack of insulin, so it is necessarydaily injections. Approximately 10% of patients have type 1, as a rule, these are people under 20 years of age. As mentioned above, pancreatic cells do not produce enough insulin to process glucose in the blood.
This anomaly can be triggered by external aggressors such as infection or trauma, which provoke inflammation of the pancreatic tissue, leading to the death of the corresponding cells. Therefore, the primary prevention of diabetes is as follows.
- Breastfeeding preference. According to available statistics, those children who were not breast-fed, but formula milk, usually get sick with diabetes. The cow's milk protein contained in them can have a negative effect on the secretion of the pancreas. Whereas mother's milk helps to strengthen children's immunity, protecting the still fragile body from various infections.
- Prevention of infections with medications. For children at risk for type 1 diabetes, infectious diseases pose a great danger. Therefore, as a preventive measure, immunomodulators are used, such as interferon and other drugs prescribed by a doctor.
Prevention of Complications in Type 1 Diabetes
If you detect these symptoms in time and consult a doctor, it will be easier to treat the disease, optimize its course and prevent complications.
Whenthe impossibility of preventing type 1 diabetes mellitus in adulthood will help to support the body:
- Physician risk factor management.
- Self-monitoring of blood sugar levels on an ongoing basis.
- Visit specialists who help fight the symptoms of diabetes.
- Maintaining optimal eating patterns.
- Physical activity that is regular and moderate.
- Taking medicine prescribed by a doctor.
Prevention of type 2 diabetes
This type usually develops in people over the years, most often it is diagnosed at an older age. In type 2 diabetics, insulin deficiency is relative, the pancreas supplies insulin in a normal amount. But certain cell receptors react poorly to it, being insensitive. Because of this, glucose collects in the blood, and does not penetrate into the cells of the body, as a result of which its level goes off scale.
Very often, both as a cause and as a symptom of type 2 diabetes is obesity. In this case, the development of the disease is slow and not very difficult. If the diagnosis is made on time, it can be stopped without the use of medication. Prevention of type 2 diabetes will help reduce the risk of the disease.
Rational nutrition
You need to make every effort to not give the pancreas an extra load by reducing the intake of carbohydrate foods. To keep in good shapeyou need to reduce the number of calories that enter the body daily. For successful prevention of diabetes, it is necessary to minimize, and it is better to completely remove easily digestible carbohydrates from the menu.
This is pure sugar and foods that contain it in large quantities: white bread, cookies, cakes, sweets, milk chocolate, rice, potatoes, jam, honey, dates, raisins, grapes, watermelons, melons, vermicelli and soft wheat pasta, semolina, fruit juices that are not natural. Sweeteners can be used to compensate for the deficiency of sweets, the most preferred of which is stevioside.
The diet should be based on foods that include complex carbohydrates and vegetable coarse fibers in large quantities. In general, it should contain: complex carbohydrates - 60%, proteins - 20%, fats - 20% (note that about 2/3 of them should be vegetable).
It is advisable to give preference to low-fat poultry (chicken, turkey), low-calorie fish (pollock, cod, navaga, river perch, flounder, bream, pike, hake), vegetables, unsweetened juices. At the same time, it is better to avoid fatty, floury, spicy, s alty, smoked, fried foods, eating mainly boiled, stewed and baked foods.
Physical activity
Physical activity will help to make prevention effective. In no case should they be excessive, but their obligatory condition is regularity. The best option is classes for one hour. However, not everyone canafford it for a variety of reasons. The minimum amount of time for classes is 30 minutes, which can be devoted to physical exercises, walking in the fresh air at an accelerated pace.
Movement will help improve metabolism - the process of metabolism in the body. This will allow you to break down excess fat accumulation, optimize blood composition, and significantly reduce excess weight. Doctors also recommend taking long walks, cycling, swimming or dancing, and other non-traumatic and non-strength sports.
Medicines and stress avoidance
Those at risk need to carefully take care of their he alth by undergoing medical examinations. Tests for blood sugar, cholesterol, the presence of autoimmune and infectious diseases are required to be taken at least once every six months. At the same time, medical specialists will recommend drugs for the prevention of diabetes that are necessary for each individual.
In any life situation, you should try to maintain peace of mind. Being constantly under stress can act as a cause for the development of diabetes, so you should be on the lookout and try to avoid emotional overload. To do this, it is better not to communicate with people who have a negative attitude, not to get into extreme situations.
Sometimes doctors even recommend quitting a job that leads to constant stress and great nervous costs. At the same time, in no wayIn this case, do not relieve stress by drinking alcohol or smoking, this is strictly prohibited for those who want to protect themselves from diabetes.
Prevention of diabetes mellitus: a reminder
There are two types of diabetes. Type I is insulin dependent, in which the pancreas is not able to produce enough of this hormone. The main cause of the disease is a hereditary factor. Type II is characterized by insensitivity of cellular receptors to insulin produced in sufficient quantities, as a result of which glucose does not enter the cells, but accumulates in the blood.
Based on the presence of two types of diabetes, their prevention will be different. In the first case, it can be carried out only when the child is in infancy, in the second, a person is able to take his he alth under independent control.
In the prevention of type I diabetes, breastfeeding is very important, as well as the use of immunomodulators, which can reduce the risk of infectious diseases.
In the second type of disease, which is often caused by obesity, effective means of prevention are: maintaining a he althy lifestyle, following a low-carbohydrate and low-calorie diet, avoiding stressful situations, taking sweeteners as recommended by a doctor.
