Diabetes, which is an endocrine disease that is becoming increasingly more prevalent every year, is experienced by millions of women around the world. Capable of causing significant health complications, proper management of diabetes is essential for improving quality of life.
A new diagnosis of diabetes can be an incredibly stressful time for anyone. Looking to help support women newly diagnosed with this disease, here is some essential information about the common symptoms and treatment options for diabetes.
What is diabetes?
As an endocrine disease, diabetes targets and disrupts the natural function of the hormone insulin in the body. Created in the pancreas, insulin is responsible for managing and regulating our blood sugar levels after a meal. When a person has type II diabetes (the most common variation of the disease), their body is not able to properly respond to insulin, resulting in chronically high blood glucose levels. Having high blood sugar levels can result in a multitude of symptoms and over time, will result in significant damage to a variety of organs in the body.
Diabetes cases are on the rise around the world. According to the Office on Women’s Health, it is estimated that one out of every nine American women will be diagnosed with diabetes in their lifetime. As the disease continues to become a health issue impacting women around the world, increased education and access to treatment have never been more important.
What are the most common signs of diabetes in women?
Our blood sugar levels have a major impact on the health of our entire body. Responsible for acting as our primary energy source, the steep blood sugar level fluctuations caused by diabetes can result in many symptoms that can be felt throughout the entire body. Some examples of the most common early signs of diabetes in women include:
- Constant thirst and hunger: One of the most common signs of diabetes in women is constant thirst and hunger. This occurs because high blood sugar levels lead to dehydration and the body's inability to use glucose for energy.
- Unexpected weight loss: Women with diabetes may experience unexpected weight loss even when they are eating normally or more than usual. This occurs because the body is unable to use glucose for energy and starts to break down fats and muscles for energy instead.
- Frequent need to urinate: Women with diabetes may feel the need to urinate more often than usual, especially at night. This happens because high blood sugar levels cause the kidneys to work harder to filter glucose, resulting in increased urine production.
- Slow-healing wounds: Diabetes can affect the body's ability to heal wounds, which can lead to slow-healing or non-healing wounds. This occurs because high blood sugar levels can damage blood vessels and nerves, leading to poor circulation and reduced sensation.
- Visual disturbances: Women with diabetes may experience visual disturbances, such as blurred or double vision, due to changes in blood sugar levels that affect the lenses of the eyes.
- Fatigue: Women with diabetes may experience fatigue or weakness due to the body's inability to use glucose for energy, leading to feelings of tiredness and lethargy.
Symptoms of diabetes in women & how to improve them
Unfortunately, because many women are unable to get access to the treatment and medical attention they need to better manage their disease, it is common for women to develop more severe symptoms from uncontrolled diabetes. As a result of chronically high blood sugar levels, examples of life-threatening complications from the disease include:
- Nerve damage (neuropathy), primarily in the hands and feet: High blood sugar levels can cause nerve damage over time, leading to numbness, tingling, and pain in the hands and feet. Women with diabetes may also have trouble with coordination and balance.
- Kidney damage (nephropathy): Diabetes can cause damage to the kidneys over time, leading to reduced kidney function and an increased risk of kidney failure. Women with diabetes should have regular kidney function tests to monitor for signs of kidney damage.
- Visual disturbances and damage to the retina (retinopathy): High blood sugar levels can cause damage to the blood vessels in the retina, leading to vision problems and, in severe cases, blindness.
- Cardiovascular disease: Women with diabetes are at an increased risk of developing cardiovascular disease and high blood pressure, which can lead to serious cardiac events such as heart attacks, strokes, and congestive heart failure. It's essential for women with diabetes to manage their blood sugar levels, blood pressure, and cholesterol levels to reduce their risk of these complications.
If you or someone you love have been experiencing any of the above symptoms, it is highly recommended that you connect with your primary care provider to explore the possible diagnosis of diabetes. While a new diagnosis can be very stressful for anyone, getting connected with effective treatment options such as lifestyle modifications and hormone replacement therapies as early as possible is the best way to reduce the risk of long-term damage.
For many women with type II diabetes, it is possible for the disease to be better controlled through lifestyle changes that can be done from home. Some of the most common lifestyle recommendations for women with diabetes include:
- Making dietary changes — Because our blood sugar is dependent on what we eat, avoiding foods that are high in refined sugars is a great way to reduce the amount of sugar present in the body. Foods such as processed snacks, desserts, white bread, and pasta are examples of foods that are high in refined sugar.
- Increasing daily exercise levels — Becoming more physically active can have many positive health impacts on the entire body. Low-impact exercises like walking, yoga, and water aerobics are great options to improve your daily exercise levels without overexerting yourself.
- Practicing proper foot hygiene and care — For many women with diabetes, numbness and tingling caused by the disease will first present itself in the feet. To better protect and support the health of their feet, many women turn to non-binding diabetic socks designed to encourage blood flow to the lower extremities.
The benefits of diabetic socks for women
When it comes to keeping your feet happy and healthy, diabetic socks can offer a variety of benefits. Designed to be seamless and padded along the toes and arches of the foot, Viasox brand socks offer incredible support and protection to the feet throughout the day. Made from our high-quality blend of cotton, polyester, lycra, and bamboo charcoal, our socks are the most non-restrictive product on the market. Rest assured that you need to experience the discomfort of painful calf marks caused by restrictive socks again when wearing Viasox diabetic socks for women.
As comfortable non-compression socks for women with unique and fun patterns, some of the most popular features and benefits of our socks include:
- Flexible and stretchy design capable of accommodating any leg size.
- Reducing the risk of developing foot ulcers and sensitive feet.
- Eliminating uncomfortable calf marks and pressure points.
- Seamless toe socks to prevent irritation and rubbing.
- Lack of binding pressure from top to bottom.
- Additional arch support to help with weight distribution.
- Breathable blends of fabrics, including antimicrobial bamboo charcoal.
Want the comfort and benefits of diabetic socks but don’t want to wear the popular calf-height option? We’ve got you covered. Our selection of women's ankle socks for diabetics offers the same health benefits as our larger socks, with a more discreet and easy-to-use design.
Order the best diabetic socks for women online today
Are you in the market for high-quality diabetic socks for women? With our extensive collection of ankle, calf, or knee-high women’s diabetic socks available for purchase through our online store, there is no easier way to get connected with essential care products that make a world of difference.
Whether you are looking for classic white, black, or gray diabetic socks, or want to spice it up with fun and color patterns, we have got you covered. Shop our website today to get connected to the best diabetic socks for women today!
