Genetics & diabetes: Are you at risk?

Diabetes can be hereditary, which means it runs in your family. However, this does not mean that if your mother or father has diabetes, you are guaranteed to develop it. What it means is that if diabetes runs in your family, you have a greater risk of developing it. But now you can reduce this risk by knowing beforehand if you or your family members have chances of developing this disease in future. This is possible with a genetic test.

Your genes reveal a lot about you. Genetic test will help you understand your own health better and make healthy choices to prevent diabetes in future. Keeping your diabetes under control will eventually also help you to prevent heart, nerve and foot problems.

Let’s have a look at some of the healthy tips which you can use to help you manage your diabetes.

Genetic test gives a glimpse into your DNA that you inherited from your family. For example, your DNA can be:

• Good (it indicates you have no risk of any medical complication even with a family history of a certain ailment)
• Not so good (you are prone to a medical disorder)
• Downright dangerous (you are at high risk of getting a medical problem).

Benefits of genetic testing

Knowing your DNA can help you get to the root of your medical problem, right into your genes. This helps you to know if you are at risk of getting a medical disorder in future, especially if you have a family history of any ailment. A genetic test can eliminate the need for unnecessary checkups and screening in future, saving your time and money. It also helps in prevention, monitoring and getting customized treatment options depending on your genetic makeup.

• Cut down on added sugar:

  Cutting down sugar can be really hard at the beginning. So small practical swaps are a good starting point when you are trying to cut down on excess sugar. Trading off sugary drinks, energy drinks and fruit juices with water, plain milk, or tea and coffee without sugar can be a good start.

• Say no to carbohydrates:

  Carbohydrates in any form can affect blood glucose levels. So, it is important to know which foods contain carbohydrates and avoid them. Talk to your doctor on healthy carbs and beware of portion sizes if you are consuming them.

• Lose additional weight:

  Moving toward a healthy weight helps control blood sugars. Choose recipes with less saturated fat. Perhaps skip that cream sauce and look for thin cuts of meat, low-fat dairy and vegetable sources of protein like beans or nuts.

• Regular exercise:

  Exercising regularly can help you reach or maintain a healthy weight. Exercise also cuts stress and helps control blood pressure and cholesterol.

• Get enough sleep:

  When you are sleep-deprived, you tend to eat more and you can put on weight which leads to health problems.

• Have a smaller amount of salt:

  Eating lots of salt can increase your risk of high blood pressure which in turn increases risk of heart diseases and stroke. And when you have diabetes, you are already more at risk of all these conditions.

• Manage stress:

  Stress and diabetes don’t mix at all! Excess stress can elevate blood sugar levels.

Also read: Are you destined to get your parents' illnesses? Find out

Diabetes treatment

Homeopathic diabetes treatment, along with the intake of hypoglycaemic drugs and insulin, can prevent the progression and complications of diabetes. Homeopathic medicines for diabetes administered on time help maintain insulin levels and taking conventional anti-diabetic drugs at the minimum dosage possible could allow one to gradually taper the dose and also discontinue them later.

Taking care of yourself and your blood sugar levels will also help you feel good. When your blood sugar level is close to normal, you are likely to have more energy, be less tired and thirsty, need to pass urine less often, heal better, and have decreased skin or bladder infections. You will have less chance of having health problems caused by diabetes such as heart attack or stroke, eye problems that can lead to trouble seeing or going blind, pain or numbness in your hands and feet, which is called nerve damage. Also, kidney problems, teeth and gum problems can be reduced.