Health Insurance for Diabetes

Diabetes is the common name for the illness Diabetes mellitus. It is a metabolic disease, and it causes high blood sugar. In diabetes, the patient’s body cannot make enough insulin or is unable to effectively use the insulin that it does make. The purpose of insulin is to move sugar from the blood to the other cells of the body, either for storage or usage. The different types of diabetes are as follows:

• Type 1 Diabetes: This is an autoimmune disease which causes the immune system to attack the pancreas, where insulin is meant to be made. It is not always clear what the cause of this attack is. Approximately 10% of people who have diabetes have this type.
• Type 2 Diabetes: In this type, the body becomes resistant to insulin. Thus, when the body is unable to transfer sugar from the blood to other cells for usage or storage, sugar builds up in the blood.
• Gestational Diabetes: This occurs in pregnant women. It refers to heightened blood sugar during pregnancy. It is caused when the placenta produces hormones that block insulin.
• Prediabetes: This refers to a type of diabetes where the blood sugar is higher than normal. However, it is not high enough to warrant a diagnosis of Type 2 Diabetes.

Causes of Diabetes

The causes of diabetes vary from all the different types and are not always clearly understood in the medical field. Some of the general causes of diabetes are as follows:

• Genes may play a role
• A virus can cause the immune system to attack the pancreas
• Lifestyle factors such as obesity
• Hormone changes during pregnancy

Symptoms of Diabetes

The symptoms also vary depending on the different types of diabetes. Some of the common symptoms are as follows:

• Frequent urination
• Blurry vision
• Yeast infections
• Dry and itchy skin
• Tiredness
• Urinary tract infections
• Increased hunger
• Sores
• Decreased sex drive
• Erectile dysfunction
• Reduced muscle strength
• Extreme fatigue
• Increased thirst
• Unintended weight loss
• Mood changes

Treatment of Diabetes

The treatment of Diabetes also depends on the various types of diabetes. Firstly, Type 1 Diabetes is usually treated by administering insulin. The purpose of this is to replace the hormone since the patient’s body is unable to produce it due to the immune system attacking the pancreas and compromising it. There are different types of insulin depending on how quickly they take effect and how prolonged the effect is. Firstly, rapid-acting insulin is effective in 15 minutes and is effective for 3-4 hours. Short-acting insulin is the one which starts to act within 30 minutes. Its effects last for 6-8 hours. The third is an intermediate-acting insulin. Its effects begin to take place within 1 to 2 hours and lasts for 12 to 18 hours. Finally, there is long-acting insulin, which starts to take effect in a few hours after the injection and its effects last for 24 hours or even longer.

Type 2 Diabetes would be treated with changes in diet and exercise. These lifestyle changes are usually sufficient for treatment. However, if they are not sufficient, then some drugs may be administered in order to lower blood sugar. In Gestational Diabetes, the blood sugar has to be monitored regularly, and similar to Type 2 Diabetes, lifestyle changes such as changes in diet and exercise are required to treat it.

Why Buy Health Insurance for Diabetes from InsuranceDekho?

InsuranceDekho offers a seamless and paperless process for purchasing critical illness health insurance. When it comes to insurance for a critical illness such as diabetes, InsuranceDekho is the way to go.

Here are some benefits of purchasing a policy through InsuranceDekho:

• Multiple Health insurance quotes for diabetes
• Post policy purchase assistance
• Expert help at the time of purchasing a policy
• Online premium calculator available to get an estimate of health insurance premium
• Assistance during filing a claim settlement