Type 2 diabetes, the most common type of diabetes, is a disease that occurs when your blood glucose, also called blood sugar, is too high. Blood glucose is your main source of energy and comes mainly from the food you eat. Insulin, a hormone made by the pancreas, helps glucose get into your cells to be used for energy. In type 2 diabetes, your body doesn’t make enough insulin or doesn’t use insulin well. Too much glucose then stays in your blood, and not enough reaches your cells
You can develop type 2 diabetes at any age, even during childhood; diabetes effects people of all ages: pediatrics, teens, adults, and the elderly. For example, diabetes is one of the most common chronic conditions in school-age youth in the United States, affecting about 193,000 youth under 20 years old. However, type 2 diabetes occurs most often in middle-aged and older people; individuals over the age of 45 are more likely to develop type 2 diabetes.
Certain factors put an individual at an increased risk of diabetes. These factors include if one is overweight, has a family history of the disease, or has been diagnosed with prediabetes. Thankfully, making a few simple changes in your lifestyle now may help you avoid the serious health complications of diabetes in the future, such as nerve, kidney and heart damage.
Changing your lifestyle could be a big step toward diabetes prevention — and the good news is that it’s never too late to start. Regular physical activity can help you lose weight, lower your blood sugar levels, and boost your sensitivity to insulin — which helps keep your blood sugar within a normal range. Adding Fiber to your diet through foods such as whole grains, nuts, and certain fruits and vegetables, can help reduce your risk of diabetes by improving your blood sugar control, lowering your risk of heart disease, and promoting weight loss by helping you feel full longer. If you’re overweight, lose weight, to reduce the risk of developing diabetes. For example, participants in one large study who lost a modest amount of weight — around 7 percent of initial body weight — and exercised regularly reduced the risk of developing diabetes by almost 60 percent according to the Mayo Clinic.
Diabetes can be extremely dangerous to your feet—even a small cut can produce serious consequences. Diabetes may cause nerve damage that takes away the feeling in your feet making it more difficult to notice an injury early on. Diabetes may also reduce blood flow to the feet, making it harder to heal an injury or resist infection. To avoid serious foot problems, there are important diabetic foot care guidelines that one should follow. These include daily foot inspections, bathing in lukewarm water, being gentle on your feet when bathing and cutting your toenails, wearing clean, dry socks and moisturizing properly, and turning to a professional when any sort of skin abnormality develops- from corns and calluses to cuts and bruises.
The team at Corona Foot and Ankle can help you develop safe and effective methods for preventing or managing diabetes. Dr. Amin, along with the rest of the team at Corona Foot and Ankle, will work with you to provide the individualized foot care you need; contact us here to find out more.
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