Diabetes is a disease that may strike at any age. However, as you grow older, treating your type 2 diabetes may become more challenging. Once you reach the age of 50, you may begin to see changes in your type 2 diabetes, and here are some things you can do to keep it under control.
Did you know Type 2 diabetes symptoms could change as you age?
Your symptoms might dramatically alter as you become older. Some of the signs of diabetes might also be hidden by advancing age. If your blood glucose levels were excessively high, for instance, you may have previously experienced a feeling of thirst. Whether your blood sugar levels go too high as you age, you may lose the ability to tell if you’re thirsty. It’s also possible that you won’t notice a difference in your feelings. To detect any changes in your symptoms, it’s vital that you keep track of them. Likewise, if you start to have any unusual symptoms, be sure to mention it to your doctor as well.
Type 2 diabetes can put you in danger if you’re over 65
You have a greater likelihood of developing cardiovascular disease.
According to Johns Hopkins Medicine, the risks of cardiovascular illness, heart attack, and stroke are increased among patients with type 2 diabetes who are above the age of 65.
The risk of cardiovascular disease may be reduced by keeping blood pressure and cholesterol under control, both of which are easily attainable goals. Medications, changes to one’s diet, and physical activity may all be helpful. Talk to your doctor about your treatment choices if you have high blood pressure or cholesterol.
Everything changes for women based on their bodies, and after the age of 30, they experience menopause. Before we proceed, we must first understand menopause and its relationship to diabetes.
When a woman reaches her 30s and beyond, her body begins to produce fewer estrogen and progesterone hormones.These hormones control the frequency and length of your periods. In addition to this, they modify the way in which your cells react to the hormone insulin, which is responsible for transporting glucose (sugar) from the circulation into the cells. During the process of transitioning into menopause, your levels of estrogen and progesterone may fluctuate, which may cause your blood sugar levels to do the same thing. Diabetes may result in consequences such as nerve damage and eyesight loss if high blood sugar levels are not kept under control.
During menopause, your body goes through a number of changes that increase your chance of developing type 2 diabetes. These changes include:
Your metabolism will slow down, and you won’t be able to burn calories as effectively, both of which might cause you to gain weight.
The majority of the weight that you acquire seems to be in your abdominal region. When you have more abdominal fat, your body becomes more resistant to the effects that insulin has.
Insulin is secreted by your body at a lower than normal rate.
Your cells do not have the same level of responsiveness to the insulin that you generate.
With all these in mind, we have curated some effective tips for you all to have a balanced blood sugar level.
It is also extremely vital to have a solid understanding of your normal level of blood sugar.
If you or your physician have reason to believe that you may have diabetes or prediabetes, you should discuss the possibility with your doctor of having your blood sugar levels tested. A test known as an A1C test is employed for this purpose.
In an A1C test, the proportion of red blood cells in your blood that have the protein haemoglobin connected to glucose is measured. This percentage indicates whether or not you have diabetes. In those who have high blood sugar, there will be a higher concentration of sugar molecules bound to hemoglobin.
An A1C test may provide you with this information, allowing you to determine whether or not your blood sugar levels fall within the “normal” range.
You can interpret the results as follows:
Normal – Less than 5.7%
Prediabetes – 5.7% to 6.4%
Diabetes – 6.5% to higher prevalence rate
Maintaining a healthy blood sugar level requires frequent self-assessments of your physical condition; the following are some preventative steps you may take to help you achieve and maintain this goal.
If you have prediabetes and are overweight, decreasing even a little amount of weight and increasing the amount of physical activity you do on a daily basis will help lessen your chance of developing type 2 diabetes. A modest amount of weight reduction is considered to be between 5 and 7 percent of total body weight, which is about 10 to 14 pounds for a person who weighs 200 pounds. Getting regular physical exercise involves walking briskly for at least one hundred fifty minutes per week or engaging in an activity of a similar kind. That comes out to just one hour and thirty minutes, five days a week.
You may find it easier to implement and maintain these changes with the assistance of a lifestyle modification programme like the National Diabetes Prevention Program, which is sponsored by the CDC. You have the potential to reduce your risk of getting type 2 diabetes by as much as 58 percent with participation in the programme (or 71 percent if you are over the age of 60). The following are some highlights:
Working with a skilled coach to achieve adjustments to your lifestyle that are both achievable and long-lasting.
Learning how to eat more healthily and increase the amount of physical exercise you do each day.
Learning how to deal with stress, maintaining your motivation, and finding solutions to challenges that may impede your success are all important skills.
Obtaining assistance from those who are going through or have gone through something similar.
It is never too late to practise preventative medicine. If you want to avoid any issues with your health, you need to be sure you are doing it the right way and following the necessary procedures
