Modern society is faced with many diseases that pose a significant threat to human life. And the biggest mistake that can be made with a difficult diagnosis is to ignore the potential threat and the hope that everything will be decided by itself. This statement is true for a disease such as diabetes. This problem is quite serious and requires a thorough approach to the treatment process.
How diabetes complicates life
The essence of this disease boils down to the fact that, due to the relative or absolute deficiency of insulin, there is a violation of virtually all metabolic processes in the body, in particular carbohydrate. Such a diagnosis predicts serious health problems. The most obvious sign that you have to deal with diabetes is an increased level of sugar in the blood. The consequence of this condition is increased urination and constant thirst.
In the process of the development of the disease (first time), pustular wounds often appear, the healing of which is significantly slowed down and skin itching occurs. If the treatment complex was not organized correctly, then the patient may have impaired vision, develop atherosclerosis and impaired kidney function. It is also possible the occurrence of pain in the limbs. If diabetes is in a state of neglect, then there is a real risk of serious poisoning of the body with ketone bodies. Given the fact that more than 100 million people suffer from insulin deficiency, the question "How long do they live with diabetes?" relevant for many people.
The importance of a good lifestyle
In order to continue to actively interact with society with such a serious disease as diabetes, you need to correctly build your lifestyle. Doctors have developed specific rules, using which you can significantly reduce the risk of developing the disease and, as a result, reduce the level of discomfort. One of the key principles is moderate food intake (you can’t overeat), which should be correctly combined with physical activity.
In fact, trying to answer the questions of why diabetes is dangerous , how long people live with it and how to effectively influence the disease, it is worth noting that longevity and the condition as a whole with such a diagnosis are highly dependent on a constant healthy lifestyle.
How much can type 1 diabetes patients expect
In general, the number of years that people can count on hearing such an unpleasant and dangerous diagnosis as a lack of insulin in the blood has grown significantly. The reason for this change was new drugs. On average, the life expectancy of patients with type 1 diabetes is 40 years after the onset of the disease.
As for the children, the most dangerous time for them is the period from 0 to 4 years. It is at this age that deaths are not uncommon. This fact is due to the occurrence of ketoacidotic coma at the beginning of the development of the disease. There are frequent cases when diabetes ends in death in adolescence. In this case, the most common reason for such a sad outcome is the neglect of treatment, hypoglycemia and ketoacidosis.
The fact how many people with diabetes live in adulthood, the presence of microvascular complications and the use of alcohol have a direct effect. There are cases when people who have a healthy lifestyle with diabetes diagnosed at an early age survived to 90 years. And all this thanks to the constant monitoring of nutrition and a healthy, active lifestyle.
It has already been proven that if the presence of hard blood sugar is strictly controlled, the answer to the question of how long people live with type 1 diabetes will be very positive, since it becomes possible to prevent and slow down the development of the disease. Already existing complications of insulin deficiency may also decline.
What you need to eat with type 1 diabetes
Since food has the most direct effect on the condition of people who have been diagnosed with diabetes, dietary attention will have to be given. It is such a factor as nutrition that has the most key influence on how many people of different ages live with diabetes.
Touching on the topic of the diet in more detail, it is worth noting that all products can be divided into two main groups: those that contain quickly and slowly absorbed carbohydrates. The first group (fast) includes everything that contains refined sugar. It can be milk, jam, juices, fruits, various sweets, jams and sweets.
Carbohydrates contained in such foods lead to a rapid increase in blood sugar, because they are rapidly absorbed. To protect yourself from such a dangerous effect, you must safely add vegetables and cereals (rice, potatoes, etc.) to the menu. Such food is a carrier of “slow” carbohydrates and is much more beneficial for those with diabetes. But food with elements that are quickly absorbed, it makes sense to take when blood sugar is rapidly declining. Understanding how much they live with diabetes on insulin, from 4 years old, including, the issue of nutrition is definitely worth taking into account.
Current nutritional rules
At the moment, doctors have accumulated rich experience in combating a disease such as diabetes. This allowed us to develop certain principles that can ensure a full and relatively long life:
- the meal you need to take time at least 4-6 times a day and prepare small portions (overeating has an extremely negative effect on the patient's condition);
- daily enrich your diet with vegetables;
- strictly follow the established diet and do not skip meals;
- it is necessary to abandon alcohol, sugar and fats;
- to opt for bread with bran or wholemeal.
If you approach the application of these rules seriously, then the chances of living for a long time and without significant restrictions will increase significantly. In fact, it is the discipline in observing the principles established by physicians that can become a bridge to a full-fledged lifestyle, which can be easily seen if you study the reviews of those who have to put up with diabetes.
Insulin exposure
For those for whom questions are relevant: what is diabetes, how many live with it and how to deal with this problem, it is important to know the following fact. One of the key roles in the radical impact on the 1st type of this disease is played by the competent use of insulin. The main goal of this drug is to help body cells get the right amount of sugar from the blood, since the pancreas is not able to do this with this type of disease.
But there is one drawback in this technique. Its essence boils down to the fact that the dose of insulin administered subcutaneously is not automatically regulated depending on the sugar content in the blood (as happens during normal pancreas function). Therefore, with an illiterate calculation of the dose of an injection, the patient may encounter rather negative consequences. Thus, in order to take insulin as effective as possible, you need to learn how to correctly determine the actual amount of the drug administered. And for this, you should always measure your blood sugar with a glucometer.
Those who are interested in the question of how much they have been living on insulin since 4 years old, should again pay attention to the idea that the answer directly depends on the patient’s lifestyle as a whole. If you constantly and competently follow all the principles specific to people with diabetes, then you will not have to worry about premature death.
It is important to understand the fact that there are several types of insulin. Therefore, consultation with the attending physician is necessary, who will be able to tell what kind of drug should be taken. Regarding the number of injections during the day, you also need to get the opinion of a specialist. In order to understand how much they live with diabetes on insulin, you must consider all of the above information. If the dose of the drug is selected correctly and an active and healthy lifestyle is maintained, then there is every chance to enjoy many years of full-fledged life.
The importance of physical activity
Many factors affect the course of a disease such as diabetes. It is definitely difficult to say how much they live with him, since each case has its own individual characteristics. But those who intend to extend their years even with a deficiency of insulin in the body should pay special attention to physical activity. One of the main problems of diabetes is very thick blood, which cannot circulate normally in vessels and capillaries. The loads resulting from special exercises help to significantly improve this situation.
If you systematically load the body (without fanaticism), then the sensitivity of tissues to insulin will improve significantly, as a result of which the blood sugar level will also decrease. Therefore, with insulin-dependent diabetes (type I), an active lifestyle is simply necessary. To bring yourself to the right state, a quiet jogging, a walk in the park area (ionized air improves blood flow) and even cleaning, the main thing is movement, is suitable. At the same time, exercises should not be impulsive and heavy, this can lead to an increase in blood sugar. It is necessary to be engaged moderately and constantly.
If for some reason I had to deal with a significant load, then to normalize the level of sugar in the blood, it is necessary to eat at least 10-15 grams of carbohydrates every 30-45 minutes (while work is ongoing).
Features of type II diabetes
First of all, it is worth noting that this type of diabetes is found in 90% of all who have encountered the problem of the proper production of insulin in the body. It is also important to understand that with such a diagnosis there are much more reasons to count on many decades of active life.
Of course, when it comes to how many patients with diabetes mellitus live without treatment who neglect the basic principles of a healthy lifestyle (practicing smoking, alcohol, overeating), it makes sense to talk about 7-12 years after the disease begins to develop. The number of years lived with complete disregard for wellness techniques may be longer, but in any case it is a path with a high level of risk. Therefore, patients who intend to see the sunset of their days as late as possible should consult a doctor.
But if you look at how much you live with type 2 diabetes with a competent approach to the impact on the disease, you will find that often people who have faced this diagnosis do not have problems with long old age. But again, a similar result is possible only with stable physical exertion and proper nutrition.
The longevity of type 2 diabetes is also affected by the presence of complications, as well as the age at which the disease appeared and the patient's gender.
Type 2 diabetes diet
With this disease, proper nutrition is of key importance in the treatment process. If you pay attention to the fact how many people live with diabetes, not following a diet, then we can conclude that you have to learn to eat properly. Otherwise, the patient will be forced to encounter tangible problems in the circulatory system and, as a result, disruption of the work of some organs. In fact, everyone who has heard such a dangerous diagnosis as diabetes, is very at risk, refusing to control food and letting the situation go by itself. For example, a diabetic foot (appears after 15-20 years of living with the disease) may result in vascular blockage. The result of this diagnosis is gangrene, which takes life in 2/3 of the deaths of patients with type 2 diabetes. Therefore, diet should be taken as seriously as possible.
In percentage terms, the elements of the correct diet should look something like this: carbohydrates from 50 to 60%, 15-20% of proteins and 20-25% of fats. In this case, it is desirable that the food contains complex carbohydrates (starches) and fiber, which is necessary for the rapid rise of glycemia after a meal.
Understanding what diabetes is, how much they live with and how to eat with such a disease, it is important to pay attention to such a topic as the protein content in the daily diet - it should be within the ratio of 1.5 g per 1 kg of weight. If diabetes is carried away by food containing an increased dose of protein, then you can encounter such a serious problem as kidney damage.
As for fats, they must be of vegetable origin. It is important not to forget about the level of cholesterol in the blood so that it does not exceed a critical mark. This, in essence, is one of the main goals of the diet.
Comprehensive effect on the disease
The fact that children, adults and the elderly live with diabetes is most directly affected by a competent treatment strategy and life in general.
In fact, diabetics have no particular problems with nutrition, the main thing is to remember what and how to eat, and also constantly measure blood sugar before calculating the dose of insulin. With this approach, a child who is faced with such an unpleasant diagnosis as diabetes can lead an active and fulfilling lifestyle.
An integrated approach to the fight against diabetes also includes ongoing collaboration with doctors (nutritionist and endocrinologist). It is important to accustom yourself to constantly monitor the level of sugar in the blood and every day to properly compensate for glucose. This is an integral part of the lifestyle of those who have to deal with diabetes.
It is also important to constantly protect yourself from stress, which leads to the release of hormones and, as a result, the preservation of blood sugar. Well, of course, it is periodically necessary to take tests that determine the level of cholesterol in the blood (should be no more than 200), control blood pressure and undergo a quarterly HbA1c test.
Thus, to summarize, we can draw an obvious conclusion: at the current level of medicine there is no significant reason to panic when thinking about how much they live with diabetes. The reviews of many people who have taken on the active overcoming of this disease indicate that a full and long life is possible.