What is Diabetes?





Diabetes is a group of metabolic diseases in which a person has high blood sugar due to problems processing or producing insulin. This metabolic diseases can affect people of any sex, age, or race. It can affect people with any lifestyle, especially with unhealthy habit.

This decrease reflects advances in diabetes treatment.





The death rate for women with diabetes didn’t improve. In addition, the difference in death rates between women who had diabetes and those who didn’t more than doubled.

The findings emphasize how diabetes affects women and men differently. The reasons included the following:

Women often receive less aggressive treatment for cardiovascular risk factors and conditions related to diabetes.

Hormones and inflammation act differently in women.

Complications of diabetes in women are more difficult to diagnose.

Women often have different kinds of heart disease than men.





There are 2 types of diabetes

Type 1, it is called juvenile diabetes, is an autoimmune condition in which the body does not produce insulin because the body's immune system attacks insulin-producing cells from the pancreas called beta cells.

Type 2, diabetes is a condition in which cells cannot use blood sugar efficiently for energy. This occurs when blood sugar gets too high over time, and the cells become insensitive to insulin.





Prediabetes is a condition that often precedes type 2 diabetes. Prediabetes is when your blood sugar is higher than normal, but not quite high enough to be diagnosed with diabetes. Prediabetes does not have any symptoms, so there may be no warning signs.

If you does not change your lifestyle and diet, prediabetes can become type 2 diabetes within several years.

The symptoms and signs in women with diabetes.

Vaginal itching and pain as well as vaginal and oral yeast infections: An overgrowth of Candida albicans fungus can cause vaginal yeast infections and oral yeast infections.

Symptoms of vaginal yeast infections include:

Vaginal itching and pain

Vaginal discharge

Painful sexual intercourse.

Symptoms of oral thrush include:

White patches in the mouth

Swollen red gums or inner cheeks.

Redness and soreness

Trouble eating or swallowing

Decrease in libido: Women with diabetes may experience lower libido, blood flow problems to the genital area, which can decrease sexual response and orgasm, and nerve damage that can result in vaginal dryness and decreased sensation.





Polycystic ovary syndrome or PCOS: This is a common cause of insulin resistance and female infertility. It can cause symptoms and signs like acne, irregular periods, thinning scalp hair, and excess hair growth on the face and body. High insulin levels also increase the risk of developing diabetes, and about half of women with PCOS develop diabetes.





Impacts of diabetes in women

A significant number of the side effects of diabetes are basic to the women and men, yet a few highlights are explicit to ladies.

Women with diabetes may be more likely to experience a yeast infection, or thrush, in the mouth and vagina.

High levels of blood sugar create an ideal breeding ground for the Candida fungus that causes the condition.





Libido

Diabetes can lower your passion in sex and ability to enjoy it. For some women, vaginal dryness can make intercourse uncomfortable or painful. Causes can include nerve damage, reduced blood flow, medications, and hormonal changes, including those during pregnancy or menopause.

Be sure to talk to your specialist if you’re having any sexual problems. Specialist let you know your options, from using vaginal lubricants to doing exercises that can increase sexual response.





Menstrual Cycle

Changes in hormone levels before and during your period can make blood sugar levels hard to predict. You may also have longer or heavier periods, and food cravings can make managing diabetes harder. You may notice a pattern over time, or you may find that every period is different.

Check your blood sugar often and keep track of the results to see if there’s a pattern. You might need to use more insulin in the days before your period. Talk to your specialist about changing your dosage if needed. Being active on most days, eating healthy food in the right amounts, and getting enough sleep can all help too.





Yeast and Urinary Tract Infections

Women will get a vaginal yeast infection at some point, but women with diabetes are at higher risk especially if their blood sugar levels are high.

More than 50% of women will get a urinary tract infection or UTI in their lifetime, and the risk may be higher if women have diabetes. Causes include high blood sugar levels and poor circulation which reduces your body’s ability to fight infections. Some women have bladders that don’t empty all the way because of diabetes, creating a perfect environment for bacteria to grow.

To prevent yeast infections and UTIs, keep your blood sugar levels as close to your target range as possible. Other ways to prevent UTIs: drink lots of water, wear cotton underwear, and urinate often instead of waiting until your bladder is full.





Birth Control

Use birth control if you don’t want to become pregnant or if you want to wait until your blood sugar levels are in your target range, since high blood sugar can cause problems during pregnancy for you and your baby.

There are many types of birth control methods, including intrauterine devices or IUDs, pills, injections, patches, vaginal rings, implants, and barrier methods like condoms and diaphragms. Choosing the right option for you will depend on whether you have any other medical conditions, current medicines you take, and other factors.

Talk with your doctor about all your birth control optionsexternal icon and risks. Continue checking your blood sugar, track the results, and let your doctor know if your levels go up.





Getting Pregnant

If you know you want to get pregnant, planning ahead is really important. Diabetes can make it harder to get pregnant, and high blood sugar can increase your risk for:

Preeclampsia (high blood pressure)

Miscarriage or stillbirth

Delivery by cesarean section (C-section)



Women with diabetes have more to manage. Stay on track by checking your blood sugar often, eating healthy food, and being active so you can be your healthiest and feel your best.

About 95% of people with diabetes have type 2 diabetes. Only about 5% of people with diabetes get type 1 diabetes, which usually appears in childhood or early adulthood.People with type 2 disease often develop the disease as they reach middle age, although with increasing obesity rates, even younger people are being diagnosed with the disease. While there may be a family history with type 2 diabetes as well, many people become diabetic as a result of overweight or obesity, lack of exercise, and health problems like high blood pressure.In both types of diabetes, your blood sugar is too high. Blood sugar comes from the food you eat. In order for this energy to fuel your cells, you need a hormone made in the pancreas, called insulin, while a second hormone, glucagon, works with the insulin to control the level of blood glucose.Many type 1 and type 2 diabetes symptoms in women are the same as those in men; however, there are some symptoms and complications of diabetes unique to women.Urinary tract infections or UTI: occurs when bacteria enter anywhere in the urinary tract, including the urethra, kidneys, ureters, and bladder.If you or someone you love has just been diagnosed with diabetes, realize that adjustment takes time. After all, it takes a lot of finger pricking, blood testing, shot giving and self-monitoring to reach and maintain normal blood sugar levels. And, it takes patience to fine-tune your blood glucose. Many factors affect your blood glucose level, including what you eat, how much you exercise, what time you take your medications or insulin, stress and sickness.It’s important to learn to manage it, but remember to take it one step at a time. From making small adjustments with food choices to physical activity, every little change is beneficial.It’s common for people with diabetes to feel angry, anxious, or depressed. After all, it can be stressful to test your blood glucose several times a day, monitor what you eat, and give yourself insulin shots or take medication every single day. It’s easy to feel different and deny diabetes exists, and it’s easy to feel out of control, especially if your blood glucose level isn’t where you’d like it to be. If you see some despair in someone who has diabetes, remember these are natural emotions that can become barriers to good self-care.Additionally, remember that diabetes is a progressive condition. It changes over time. Even if you’re doing everything perfectly, it can change or require medication adjustments. That might cause people to feel guilty.A baby’s organs form during the first 2 months of pregnancy, and high blood sugar during that time can cause birth defects.