Now we are in winter season in this period your level of A1CS increase .By Veterans health Administrations which have studied the glucose of 800 prospects with diabetes.The conclusion of this research is that people with diabetes are afected by the climate and the season.
Beaside this other factors can afect your A1CS such your age,sex,and severity of diabetes.
The people who experienced the most fluctuation in terms of their A1C levels were those who lived in what the researchers called "intermediate" climates- places where winter temperatures ranged from 32° F to 40° F.
Statisticlly the people who live in the cold area where temperatures range from 5 f to 32 F reported less fluctuation to their level of A1cs.The researchers of this project did not understand why people of diabetes wasn't affected .The conclusion of this researchers said the people who leave in the cold areas don't go outside much in the winter.
Saturday, 24 December 2011
Tuesday, 6 December 2011
THE SYMPTOMS OF HYPERGLYCEMIA
It is important to know the early signs of hyperglycemia. If hyperglycemia is left untreated, it may develop into an emergency condition called ketoacidosis (if you have type 1 diabetes) or HHNS (if you have type 2 diabetes).
Early signs of hyperglycemia in diabetes include:
Early signs of hyperglycemia in diabetes include:
- increased thrist
- Headaches
- Difficulty concentrating
- Blurred vision
- frequent urination
- Fatigue(weak,tired feeling)
- Weight loss
- Blood glucoze more than 180 mg/dl
- Vaginal and skin infection
- Slow healing cuts and sores
- Decresead vizion
- Nerve damage causing paniful cold or insesitive feet ,loss of hair on lower extremities
- Stomach and intestinal problems such as chronic constipation or diarrhea
Monday, 28 November 2011
WHAT IS HYPOGLYCEMIA?
Hypoglycemia is the clinical syndrome that results from low blood sugar. The symptoms of hypoglycemia can vary from person to person, as can the severity. Classically, hypoglycemia is diagnosed by a low blood sugar with symptoms that resolve when the sugar level returns to the normal range.
While patients who do not have any metabolic problems can complain of symptoms suggestive of low blood sugar, true hypoglycemia usually occurs in patients being treated for diabetes (type 1 and type 2). Patients with pre-diabetes who have insulin resistance can also have low blood sugars on occasion if their high circulating insulin levels are further challenged by a prolonged period of fasting. There are other rare causes for hypoglycemia, such as insulin producing tumors (insulinomas) and certain medications. These uncommon causes of hypoglycemia will not be discussed in this article, which will primarily focus on the hypoglycemia occurring with diabetes mellitus and its treatment.
Despite our advances in the treatment of diabetes, hypoglycemic episodes are often the limiting factor in achieving optimal blood sugar control. In large scale studies looking at tight control in both type 1 and type 2 diabetes, low blood sugars occurred more often in the patients who were managed most intensively. This is important for patients and physicians to recognize, especially as the goal for treating patients with diabetes become tighter blood sugar control.
While patients who do not have any metabolic problems can complain of symptoms suggestive of low blood sugar, true hypoglycemia usually occurs in patients being treated for diabetes (type 1 and type 2). Patients with pre-diabetes who have insulin resistance can also have low blood sugars on occasion if their high circulating insulin levels are further challenged by a prolonged period of fasting. There are other rare causes for hypoglycemia, such as insulin producing tumors (insulinomas) and certain medications. These uncommon causes of hypoglycemia will not be discussed in this article, which will primarily focus on the hypoglycemia occurring with diabetes mellitus and its treatment.
Despite our advances in the treatment of diabetes, hypoglycemic episodes are often the limiting factor in achieving optimal blood sugar control. In large scale studies looking at tight control in both type 1 and type 2 diabetes, low blood sugars occurred more often in the patients who were managed most intensively. This is important for patients and physicians to recognize, especially as the goal for treating patients with diabetes become tighter blood sugar control.
Wednesday, 23 November 2011
INFLAMATION AND DIABETES
High levels of glucose autooxidize-that is, start a chain reaction that produces large amounts of free radicals and "advanced glycation products," both of which damage the body. Free radicals stimulate inflammatory responses and, in this way, people with diabetes develop high levels of inflammation. This situation has been well documented in several studies that have found sharp elevations of CRP (C-reactive protein) and interleukin-6 in people with diabetes. Because of the ability of inflammatory cytokines to stimulate one another, people with diabetes typically have a strong undercurrent of inflammation, which increases the risk of other diseases, such as heart disease.
Nutrients That Can Help
Many supplements can lessen the inflammation in diabetes, but in this case, supplements can be like bailing water in a sinking boat. It is essential that the underlying diet be corrected.
That said, a key objective of supplementation should be to lower glucose levels and improve insulin function, which should in turn reduce inflammation.
A lack of chromium results in diabetes-like symptoms. Not surprising, therefore, supplements of chromium have been shown to improve insulin function and lower glucose levels.
Vitamins E and C improve glucose tolerance and have the added benefit of lowering levels of CRP and interleukin-6. The effect of these vitamins on easing diabetic complications may be greater than their glucose-lowering properties.
The omega-3 fatty acids forms the building blocks of many of the body's natural anti-inflammatory compounds. Fish oil supplements, which are typically produced from salmon oil, are especially rich in eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). Although both fatty acids are essential for health, EPA plays a more important role in the body's defenses against inflammation.
Fish oils actually help rebuild articular (joint) cartilage. Bruce Caterson, Ph.D., of Cardiff University, Wales, led a team of molecular biologists who discovered specifically why fish oils reduce inflammation and inhibit the breakdown of cartilage, one of the characteristics of osteoarthritis.
Nutrients That Can Help
Many supplements can lessen the inflammation in diabetes, but in this case, supplements can be like bailing water in a sinking boat. It is essential that the underlying diet be corrected.
That said, a key objective of supplementation should be to lower glucose levels and improve insulin function, which should in turn reduce inflammation.
A lack of chromium results in diabetes-like symptoms. Not surprising, therefore, supplements of chromium have been shown to improve insulin function and lower glucose levels.
Vitamins E and C improve glucose tolerance and have the added benefit of lowering levels of CRP and interleukin-6. The effect of these vitamins on easing diabetic complications may be greater than their glucose-lowering properties.
The omega-3 fatty acids forms the building blocks of many of the body's natural anti-inflammatory compounds. Fish oil supplements, which are typically produced from salmon oil, are especially rich in eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). Although both fatty acids are essential for health, EPA plays a more important role in the body's defenses against inflammation.
Fish oils actually help rebuild articular (joint) cartilage. Bruce Caterson, Ph.D., of Cardiff University, Wales, led a team of molecular biologists who discovered specifically why fish oils reduce inflammation and inhibit the breakdown of cartilage, one of the characteristics of osteoarthritis.
Wednesday, 16 November 2011
DIABETES AT RISK
Researchers don't fully understand why some children develop type 2 diabetes and others don't, even if they have similar risk factors. It's clear that certain factors increase the risk, however, including:
* Weight. Being overweight is a primary risk factor for type 2 diabetes in children. The more fatty tissue a child has, the more resistant his or her cells become to insulin. However, weight isn't the only factor in developing type 2 diabetes. Some children with type 2 diabetes are normal weight.
* Inactivity. The less active your child is, the greater his or her risk of type 2 diabetes. Physical activity helps your child control his or her weight, uses glucose as energy, and makes your child's cells more responsive to insulin.
* Family history. The risk of type 2 diabetes significantly increases if a parent or sibling has type 2 diabetes — but it's difficult to tell if this is related to lifestyle, genetics or both.
* Race. Although it's unclear why, children of certain races — especially blacks, Hispanics, Native Americans, Asian-Americans, and Pacific Islanders — are more likely to develop type 2 diabetes.
* Sex. Type 2 diabetes is more common in girls than in boys during childhood.
* Weight. Being overweight is a primary risk factor for type 2 diabetes in children. The more fatty tissue a child has, the more resistant his or her cells become to insulin. However, weight isn't the only factor in developing type 2 diabetes. Some children with type 2 diabetes are normal weight.
* Inactivity. The less active your child is, the greater his or her risk of type 2 diabetes. Physical activity helps your child control his or her weight, uses glucose as energy, and makes your child's cells more responsive to insulin.
* Family history. The risk of type 2 diabetes significantly increases if a parent or sibling has type 2 diabetes — but it's difficult to tell if this is related to lifestyle, genetics or both.
* Race. Although it's unclear why, children of certain races — especially blacks, Hispanics, Native Americans, Asian-Americans, and Pacific Islanders — are more likely to develop type 2 diabetes.
* Sex. Type 2 diabetes is more common in girls than in boys during childhood.
Thursday, 10 November 2011
EFFECTS OF DIABETES
* More than 11 million women in the US have diabetes.
* Women in minority racial and ethnic groups are the hardest hit by type 2 diabetes; the prevalence is two to four times higher among black, Hispanic, American Indian, and Asian-Pacific Islander women than among white women. Because minority populations are expected to grow at a faster rate than the U.S. population as a whole, the number of women in these groups who are diagnosed with diabetes will increase significantly in the coming years.
* Diabetes is a more common cause of coronary heart disease among women than men.
* Among people with diabetes, the prognosis of heart disease is worse for women than for men; women have poorer quality of life and lower survival rates than men do.
* The link between diabetes and obesity is striking. Nearly half (47%) the women with diabetes have a body mass index greater than 30 kg/m2 compared with 25% of all women.
Adolescent Years (10-17 Years)
* About 86,192 females younger than 20 years old have type 1 diabetes; 92% are white, 4% are black, and 4% are Hispanic or Asian American.
* Eating disorders may be higher among young women with type 1 diabetes than among young women in the general population.
* There is an apparent increase in the number of youth of all racial and ethnic groups being diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, and it appears to be more common among girls than boys.
* By age 20 years, 40%-60% of people with type 1 diabetes have evidence of retinopathy, or diabetic eye disease. Untreated retinopathy can lead to blindness. The risk for developing proliferative retinopathy—the most severe form—is higher for girls than for boys (in at least one study).
Reproductive Years (18-44 Years)
* An estimated 1.3 million women of reproductive age have diabetes; about 500,000 of them do not know they have the disease.
* Type 2 diabetes accounts for most diabetes cases during this life stage. Most women with type 1 diabetes were diagnosed during childhood or adolescence.
* Women of minority racial and ethnic groups are two to four times more likely than non-Hispanic white women to have type 2 diabetes.
* Reproductive-aged women with type 2 diabetes have fewer years of education, have lower income, and are less likely to be employed than women without diabetes.
* Estimates of the overall prevalence of gestational diabetes in the United States range from at least 2.5% to 4% of pregnancies that result in singleton live births, with higher percentages among some ethnic groups and older women. Most gestational diabetes occurs in women with risk factors for type 2 diabetes; they are unable to secrete sufficient insulin to overcome the increased insulin resistance that normally results as pregnancy proceeds.
* Gestational diabetes usually ends after the baby is born, but women with gestational diabetes have a 20%-50% chance of developing type 2 diabetes in the 5-10 years after childbirth.
* Children whose mothers had diabetes during their pregnancies have a greater likelihood of becoming obese during childhood and adolescence and of developing type 2 diabetes later in life.
Middle Years (45-64 Years)
* Approximately 3.8 million women aged 45-64 years have diabetes.
* Diabetes is a leading cause of death among middle-aged American women.
* Coronary heart disease is an important cause of illness among middle-aged women with diabetes; rates are three to seven times higher among women 45-64 years old with diabetes than among those without diabetes.
* In 2000, at least one in four women aged 45-64 years with diabetes had a low level of formal education, and one in three lived in a low-income household. Women with diabetes were more likely than women without diabetes to have a low socioeconomic status regardless of race, ethnicity, or living arrangements (marital status, size of household, and employment status).
Older Years (65 Years and Older)
* About 4.0 million women aged 65 years and older have diabetes; one-quarter of them do not know they have the disease. Most elderly women with diabetes have type 2 diabetes.
* Because women make up a greater proportion of the elderly population and women with diabetes live longer than their male counterparts, elderly women with diabetes outnumber elderly men with diabetes. Diabetes is one of the leading underlying causes of death among women aged 65 years and older.
* Being older and having diabetes accelerate the development of diabetic complications such as heart disease, stroke, kidney disease, and blindness. Elderly women with diabetes are at particularly high risk for coronary heart disease, visual problems, hyperglycemia or hypoglycemia, and depression.
* Women in minority racial and ethnic groups are the hardest hit by type 2 diabetes; the prevalence is two to four times higher among black, Hispanic, American Indian, and Asian-Pacific Islander women than among white women. Because minority populations are expected to grow at a faster rate than the U.S. population as a whole, the number of women in these groups who are diagnosed with diabetes will increase significantly in the coming years.
* Diabetes is a more common cause of coronary heart disease among women than men.
* Among people with diabetes, the prognosis of heart disease is worse for women than for men; women have poorer quality of life and lower survival rates than men do.
* The link between diabetes and obesity is striking. Nearly half (47%) the women with diabetes have a body mass index greater than 30 kg/m2 compared with 25% of all women.
Adolescent Years (10-17 Years)
* About 86,192 females younger than 20 years old have type 1 diabetes; 92% are white, 4% are black, and 4% are Hispanic or Asian American.
* Eating disorders may be higher among young women with type 1 diabetes than among young women in the general population.
* There is an apparent increase in the number of youth of all racial and ethnic groups being diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, and it appears to be more common among girls than boys.
* By age 20 years, 40%-60% of people with type 1 diabetes have evidence of retinopathy, or diabetic eye disease. Untreated retinopathy can lead to blindness. The risk for developing proliferative retinopathy—the most severe form—is higher for girls than for boys (in at least one study).
Reproductive Years (18-44 Years)
* An estimated 1.3 million women of reproductive age have diabetes; about 500,000 of them do not know they have the disease.
* Type 2 diabetes accounts for most diabetes cases during this life stage. Most women with type 1 diabetes were diagnosed during childhood or adolescence.
* Women of minority racial and ethnic groups are two to four times more likely than non-Hispanic white women to have type 2 diabetes.
* Reproductive-aged women with type 2 diabetes have fewer years of education, have lower income, and are less likely to be employed than women without diabetes.
* Estimates of the overall prevalence of gestational diabetes in the United States range from at least 2.5% to 4% of pregnancies that result in singleton live births, with higher percentages among some ethnic groups and older women. Most gestational diabetes occurs in women with risk factors for type 2 diabetes; they are unable to secrete sufficient insulin to overcome the increased insulin resistance that normally results as pregnancy proceeds.
* Gestational diabetes usually ends after the baby is born, but women with gestational diabetes have a 20%-50% chance of developing type 2 diabetes in the 5-10 years after childbirth.
* Children whose mothers had diabetes during their pregnancies have a greater likelihood of becoming obese during childhood and adolescence and of developing type 2 diabetes later in life.
Middle Years (45-64 Years)
* Approximately 3.8 million women aged 45-64 years have diabetes.
* Diabetes is a leading cause of death among middle-aged American women.
* Coronary heart disease is an important cause of illness among middle-aged women with diabetes; rates are three to seven times higher among women 45-64 years old with diabetes than among those without diabetes.
* In 2000, at least one in four women aged 45-64 years with diabetes had a low level of formal education, and one in three lived in a low-income household. Women with diabetes were more likely than women without diabetes to have a low socioeconomic status regardless of race, ethnicity, or living arrangements (marital status, size of household, and employment status).
Older Years (65 Years and Older)
* About 4.0 million women aged 65 years and older have diabetes; one-quarter of them do not know they have the disease. Most elderly women with diabetes have type 2 diabetes.
* Because women make up a greater proportion of the elderly population and women with diabetes live longer than their male counterparts, elderly women with diabetes outnumber elderly men with diabetes. Diabetes is one of the leading underlying causes of death among women aged 65 years and older.
* Being older and having diabetes accelerate the development of diabetic complications such as heart disease, stroke, kidney disease, and blindness. Elderly women with diabetes are at particularly high risk for coronary heart disease, visual problems, hyperglycemia or hypoglycemia, and depression.
WOMEN DIABETES
Diabetes currently affects over 246 million people worldwide and over half of these people are women. Already considered an "epidemic," researchers expect these rates to increase to 380 million by 2025. In the US, almost 21 million children and adults have diabetes -- including 9.7 million women -- and almost one third of them do not know it. Diabetes can be especially hard on women. The burden of diabetes on women is unique, because the disease can affect both mothers and their unborn children. Diabetes can cause difficulties during pregnancy such as a miscarriage or a baby born with birth defects. Women with diabetes are also more likely to have a heart attack, and at a younger age, than women without diabetes.
Diabetes is the fifth-deadliest disease in the United States, and it has no cure. For women who do not currently have diabetes, pregnancy brings the risk of gestational diabetes. Gestational diabetes develops in 2% to 5% of all pregnancies but disappears when a pregnancy is over. Women who have had gestational diabetes or have given birth to a baby weighting more than 9 pounds are at an increased risk for developing type 2 diabetes later in life.
The prevalence of diabetes is at least 2-4 times higher among African American, Hispanic/Latino, American Indian, and Asian/Pacific Islander women than among white women. The risk for diabetes also increases with age. Because of the increasing lifespan of women and the rapid growth of minority populations, the number of women in the United States at high risk for diabetes and its complications is increasing. Because women are often influential in affecting behavior change in their own children and families, focusing prevention efforts on them is a good way to improve not only their health but also the health of those they love.
Diabetes is the fifth-deadliest disease in the United States, and it has no cure. For women who do not currently have diabetes, pregnancy brings the risk of gestational diabetes. Gestational diabetes develops in 2% to 5% of all pregnancies but disappears when a pregnancy is over. Women who have had gestational diabetes or have given birth to a baby weighting more than 9 pounds are at an increased risk for developing type 2 diabetes later in life.
The prevalence of diabetes is at least 2-4 times higher among African American, Hispanic/Latino, American Indian, and Asian/Pacific Islander women than among white women. The risk for diabetes also increases with age. Because of the increasing lifespan of women and the rapid growth of minority populations, the number of women in the United States at high risk for diabetes and its complications is increasing. Because women are often influential in affecting behavior change in their own children and families, focusing prevention efforts on them is a good way to improve not only their health but also the health of those they love.
Monday, 7 November 2011
CAUSES OF GESTATIONAL DIABETES
Researchers don't yet know exactly why some women develop gestational diabetes. To understand how gestational diabetes occurs, it can help to understand how pregnancy affects your body's normal processing of glucose.
Your body digests the food you eat to produce sugar (glucose) that enters your bloodstream. In response, your pancreas — a large gland behind your stomach — produces insulin. Insulin is a hormone that helps glucose move from your bloodstream into your body's cells, where it's used as energy.
During pregnancy, the placenta that connects your growing baby to your blood supply produces high levels of various other hormones. Almost all of them impair the action of insulin in your cells, raising your blood sugar. Modest elevation of blood sugar after meals is normal during pregnancy.
As your baby grows, the placenta produces more and more insulin-blocking hormones. In gestational diabetes, the placental hormones provoke a rise in blood sugar to a level that can affect the growth and welfare of your baby. Gestational diabetes usually develops during the last half of pregnancy — sometimes as early as the 20th week, but usually not until later.
Your body digests the food you eat to produce sugar (glucose) that enters your bloodstream. In response, your pancreas — a large gland behind your stomach — produces insulin. Insulin is a hormone that helps glucose move from your bloodstream into your body's cells, where it's used as energy.
During pregnancy, the placenta that connects your growing baby to your blood supply produces high levels of various other hormones. Almost all of them impair the action of insulin in your cells, raising your blood sugar. Modest elevation of blood sugar after meals is normal during pregnancy.
As your baby grows, the placenta produces more and more insulin-blocking hormones. In gestational diabetes, the placental hormones provoke a rise in blood sugar to a level that can affect the growth and welfare of your baby. Gestational diabetes usually develops during the last half of pregnancy — sometimes as early as the 20th week, but usually not until later.
Tuesday, 1 November 2011
Vitamin C
Alpha-lipoic acid is a vitamin-like substance that is often described as "nature's perfect antioxidant". First of all, alpha-lipoic acid is a very small molecule that is efficiently absorbed and easily crosses cell membranes. Unlike vitamin E, which is primarily fat-soluble, and vitamin C, which is water-soluble, alpha-lipoic acid can quench either water- or fat-soluble free radicals both inside the cell and outside the intracellular spaces. Furthermore, alpha-lipoic acid extends the biochemical life of vitamin C and E as well as other antioxidants.
Alpha-lipoic acid is an approved drug in Germany for the treatment of diabetic neuropathy. In fact, it has been successfully used in Germany for more than 30 years. The beneficial effects of alpha-lipoic acid in diabetic neuropathy have been confirmed in several double-blind studies at a dosage of 300 to 600 mg daily.1,2 Although alpha-lipoic acid's primary effect in improving neuropathy is thought to be the result of its antioxidant effects, it has also been shown to lead to an improvement in blood sugar metabolism, improve blood flow to peripheral nerves, and actually stimulate the regeneration of nerve fibers. Its ability to improve blood sugar metabolism is a result of its effects on glucose metabolism and an ability to increase insulin sensitivity. Its importance in treating diabetic neuropathy cannot be overstated.
Alpha-lipoic acid is an approved drug in Germany for the treatment of diabetic neuropathy. In fact, it has been successfully used in Germany for more than 30 years. The beneficial effects of alpha-lipoic acid in diabetic neuropathy have been confirmed in several double-blind studies at a dosage of 300 to 600 mg daily.1,2 Although alpha-lipoic acid's primary effect in improving neuropathy is thought to be the result of its antioxidant effects, it has also been shown to lead to an improvement in blood sugar metabolism, improve blood flow to peripheral nerves, and actually stimulate the regeneration of nerve fibers. Its ability to improve blood sugar metabolism is a result of its effects on glucose metabolism and an ability to increase insulin sensitivity. Its importance in treating diabetic neuropathy cannot be overstated.
Wednesday, 26 October 2011
DIABETES PREVENTION
Your path to good health just got a lot easier. Just enter a some basic health information and My Health Advisor very accurately calculates your risk for type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and stroke.
Then, once My health advisor calculates your personal risk, you can quickly and easily see the difference simple lifestyle changes—like losing 5 or 10 pounds or quitting smoking—make in your overall risk. Then get your personal action plan outlining suggestions for lowering your risk for these deadly diseases. When you're done, email your results to your doctor and make plans to discuss them at your next check-up.
You can stop type 2 diabetes, starting right now. Use My Health Advisor. Then talk to your doctor about your risk for diabetes, heart disease, and stroke. Listen to your doctor. Eat better. Get moving.
My Health Advisor is powered by Archimedes a very powerful health modeling program that brings together a large amount of clinical research data to make highly accurate predictions about health risk. Archimedes creates a virtual reality in which all the important objects and events in the real world match objects and events in the model's world.
When a simulation model is run, the objects interact and events occur as they would in the real world. So, My Health Advisor is very accurately projecting your personal risk based on real world events.
Then, once My health advisor calculates your personal risk, you can quickly and easily see the difference simple lifestyle changes—like losing 5 or 10 pounds or quitting smoking—make in your overall risk. Then get your personal action plan outlining suggestions for lowering your risk for these deadly diseases. When you're done, email your results to your doctor and make plans to discuss them at your next check-up.
You can stop type 2 diabetes, starting right now. Use My Health Advisor. Then talk to your doctor about your risk for diabetes, heart disease, and stroke. Listen to your doctor. Eat better. Get moving.
My Health Advisor is powered by Archimedes a very powerful health modeling program that brings together a large amount of clinical research data to make highly accurate predictions about health risk. Archimedes creates a virtual reality in which all the important objects and events in the real world match objects and events in the model's world.
When a simulation model is run, the objects interact and events occur as they would in the real world. So, My Health Advisor is very accurately projecting your personal risk based on real world events.
Monday, 24 October 2011
SYMPTOMS OF GESTATIONAL DIABETES
For most women, gestational diabetes doesn't cause noticeable signs or symptoms. Rarely, gestational diabetes may cause excessive thirst or increased urination.
If possible, seek health care early — when you first think about trying to get pregnant — so your doctor can evaluate your risk of gestational diabetes as part of your overall childbearing wellness plan. Once you become pregnant, your doctor will address gestational diabetes as part of your regular prenatal care. If you develop gestational diabetes, you may need more frequent checkups. These are most likely to occur during the last three months of pregnancy, when your doctor will carefully monitor your blood sugar level and your baby's health.
Your doctor may refer you to additional health professionals who specialize in diabetes management, such as an endocrinologist, a registered dietitian or a diabetes educator. They can help you learn to manage your blood sugar level during your pregnancy.
To make sure that your blood sugar level has returned to normal after your baby is born, your health care team will check your blood sugar right after delivery and again in six weeks. Once you've had gestational diabetes, it's a good idea to have your blood sugar level tested regularly. The frequency of blood sugar tests will in part depend on your test results soon after you deliver your baby.
If possible, seek health care early — when you first think about trying to get pregnant — so your doctor can evaluate your risk of gestational diabetes as part of your overall childbearing wellness plan. Once you become pregnant, your doctor will address gestational diabetes as part of your regular prenatal care. If you develop gestational diabetes, you may need more frequent checkups. These are most likely to occur during the last three months of pregnancy, when your doctor will carefully monitor your blood sugar level and your baby's health.
Your doctor may refer you to additional health professionals who specialize in diabetes management, such as an endocrinologist, a registered dietitian or a diabetes educator. They can help you learn to manage your blood sugar level during your pregnancy.
To make sure that your blood sugar level has returned to normal after your baby is born, your health care team will check your blood sugar right after delivery and again in six weeks. Once you've had gestational diabetes, it's a good idea to have your blood sugar level tested regularly. The frequency of blood sugar tests will in part depend on your test results soon after you deliver your baby.
WHAT IS GESTATIONAL DIABETES
Gestational diabetes develops during pregnancy (gestation). Like other types of diabetes, gestational diabetes affects how your cells use sugar (glucose) — your body's main fuel. Gestational diabetes causes high blood sugar that can affect your pregnancy and your baby's health.
Any pregnancy complication is concerning, but there's good news. Expectant moms can help control gestational diabetes by eating healthy foods, exercising and, if necessary, using medication. Taking good care of yourself can ensure a healthy pregnancy for you and a healthy start for your baby.
In gestational diabetes, blood sugar usually returns to normal soon after delivery. But if you've had gestational diabetes, you're at risk for future type 2 diabetes. You'll continue working with your health care team to monitor and manage your blood sugar.
Any pregnancy complication is concerning, but there's good news. Expectant moms can help control gestational diabetes by eating healthy foods, exercising and, if necessary, using medication. Taking good care of yourself can ensure a healthy pregnancy for you and a healthy start for your baby.
In gestational diabetes, blood sugar usually returns to normal soon after delivery. But if you've had gestational diabetes, you're at risk for future type 2 diabetes. You'll continue working with your health care team to monitor and manage your blood sugar.
Thursday, 20 October 2011
ENEMY OF DIABETES
Case reports and studies involving both humans and animals suggest that it may work in several ways to help control both type 1 diabetes and type 2 diabetes.
Gymnema sylvestre seems to decrease the amounts of sugar that is absorbed from foods therefore blood sugar levels may not increase as much as usual after meals.
Gymnema may promote the the bodies production of insulin and possibly prompt the pancreas to develop more beta cells, the source of insulin. It may also make body cells more responsive to the insulin that is available. (DrugDigest).
Gymnema’s effects on glucose in human diabetics was first scientifically confirmed in 1926 when it was demonstrated that the leaves of Gymnema reduced urinary glucose. (K.G. Gharpurey, Indian Medical Gazette 1926; 61: 155).
Four years later it was shown that Gymnema sylvestre had a blood glucose lowering effect when there was residual pancreatic function, but had no effect in animals lacking pancreatic function, suggesting a direct effect on the pancreas.
Surprisingly, despite the promise of these early studies, scientific investigations into the effects of Gymnema sylvestre on diabetes was not resumed until 1981 when it was again proved that oral intake of the dried leaves of gymnema brings down blood glucose and raises blood insulin levels. This was demonstrated with an oral glucose tolerance test in diabetic animals and human volunteers. (Parenting Naturally).
It appeared that Gymnema sylvestre was a major discovery in the battle against one of the most common diseases in the world as abnormalities in beta cell number and/or function are directly related to both Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes.
Later, in 1990, Indian researchers at the University of Madras carried out a study with human volunteers. 22 patients with type 2 diabetes who were non-insulin-dependent were given 400 milligrams of Gymnema extract daily, in two divided doses, in addition to their normal dose of oral hypoglycemics for 18 to 20 months.
The participants ages ranged between 40 to 62 years and the duration of diabetes ranged from 1 to 12 years. Over the duration of treatment, Gymnema significantly lowered fasting blood glucose levels (average of 174mg/dl to 124mg/dl). They also had a significant reduction in hemoglobin A1c.
(Hemoglobin A1C is tested to monitor the long-term control of diabetes and is increased in the red blood cells of persons with poorly controlled diabetes. From this test clinicians can estimate the average blood glucose level during the preceding two to four months. The target for most people is below 7).
Almost all of the participants were able to reduce their intake of drugs (21 of the 22 participants), and five patients were able to stop their conventional drugs completely, maintaining normal glucose levels with the Gymnema supplements alone.
Their Insulin levels also increased significantly compared to those on drugs alone. The authors suggested that this increase in insulin levels was probably due to regeneration or repair of beta cells facilitated by Gymnema.
This is in contrast to the diabetic group on drugs alone. Their fasting glucose and hemoglobin A1c had elevated slightly and their drug doses either stayed the same or rose over the trial period. (J. Ethnopharmacol. 1990 Oct; 30(3): 295-300).
These studies demonstrate that the use of Gymnema may result in the need for smaller doses of diabetic drugs in the treatment of diabetes. However, it is important that people with this disease don’t abandon proven ways to manage it, from a healthy diet to regular exercise and medications when needed.
Tuesday, 18 October 2011
CHOOSING ORAL DIABETES MEDICATION
* Generally, you should not use an oral agent if you have type I diabetes (acarbose may prove helpful to people with type I diabetes). They are usually only prescribed for people with type II diabetes.
* Not everyone with type II diabetes will be helped by oral diabetes medications. Oral medications are more likely to lower blood glucose levels in people who have had high blood glucose levels for less than 10 years, who are normal weight or obese, who are willing to follow a healthy meal plan, and who have some insulin secretion by their pancreas. The drugs work poorly in people who are very thin.
* You should not take a sulfonylurea if your pancreas no longer secretes insulin; if you are pregnant or planning a pregnancy; or have significant heart, liver, or kidney disease.
* During severe infections or major surgery, your doctor may recommend that oral diabetes medications be replaced or supplemented with insulin injections, at least temporarily.
* You should avoid sulfonylurea drugs if you are allergic to sulfa drugs. If this is the case, then metformin may be of some help to you. However, you should not take metformin if you have kidney, heart, or liver disease.
* Oral diabetes medications vary in price. At present, metformin is more expensive than the sulfonylureas. This may affect your choice of drugs.
There can be big differences in timing and duration of action of different oral diabetes medications. For example, both metformin and tolbutamide have a minimal risk of hypogylcemia and may be safest for an elderly person living alone. But other medications, such as chlorpropamide and glyburide, can have longer lasting glucose-lowering effects. Also, different people can also respond differently to the same dose of any oral agent. To evaluate these issues, or if you feel that your oral diabetes medication is not doing what it should be, talk to your health care team.
Cautions for Use. All sulfonylurea drugs increase the risk of hypoglycemia, especially if you skip meals or drink too much alcohol. Be sure to talk to your doctor about the symptoms to watch for and any precautions you need to take while your oral medication. Teach your family and friends the warning signs of hypoglycemia. Together, make a plan of action for dealing with unexpected lows.
Oral agents can have other side effects. For example, they can interact with alcohol to make you feel flushed, nauseated, or have a rapid heartbeat. This is especially true with
chloropropamide. In rare cases, chlorpropamide can cause your body to retain water, causing headache, sleepiness, nausea, and sometimes convulsions. Skin rashes can occur with sulfonylurea use. If you notice any changes in your behavior or your body after starting a course of oral diabetes medications, be sure to tell your doctor.
Drug Interactions. You and your doctor should talk about medicines other than your diabetes medications, either prescription or over the counter, that you are currently taking or might be thinking of taking. Are there any medicines you take when you are coming down with a cold? In bed with the flu? Get a sudden headache? If you take aspirin or thyroid or high blood pressure medicine, medicine to lower blood cholesterol, or cold or allergy remedies, tell your doctor. Sometimes, drugs that are safe by themselves can interact with each other to cause sickness or conditions that can be difficult to diagnose. Some drugs can lower or raise blood glucose levels. This must accounted for so that your blood glucose levels don't go low or stay too high. What looks likes hypoglycemia may really be caused by a drug interaction and can be mistreated. Many drugs interfere with the way the body uses and eliminates oral diabetes medications. These drugs can indirectly cause hyper- or hypoglycemia.
Looking Ahead. After taking an oral diabetes medication for a while you may find that you can consistently achieve normal fasting blood glucose levels. If you have normal readings for several weeks or months, it's possible that you can control your blood sugar levels by meal planning and regular exercise alone. Ask your health care team whether they can suggest that you start a trial of diabetes control with no pills - just meal planning and regular exercise. If you do this, make sure to keep monitoring your blood glucose and stay in close contact with your health care team.
There is a possibility that oral medications won't help you at all. Or they may help, but only for a while. In people who have initial success with an oral diabetes medication, about 5 to 10 percent stop responding within a year. Eventually, at least another 50 percent will stop responding. If oral treatment fails to help you achieve your target blood glucose levels, your doctor may want to add insulin to your diabetes care plan, with or without continuing your oral diabetes medication. You may resist your doctor's suggestion to start the insulin-and-needles routine, but the reward will be improved blood glucose levels. The risk of hypoglycemia may increase with this treatment plan, until you and your doctor find the right doses. Make sure to pay special attention to instructions and medication techniques and schedules. Write all instructions down until you feel comfortable with the new treatment. Know the symptoms of hypoglycemia, and make sure you know how to treat it in advance.
THE POSITIVE EFFECTS OF EXERCISE FOR DIABETES SUFFERS
There are two main types of diabetes, type I and type II. Type I
diabetes is characterized by the pancreas making too little or no
insulin. An individual with diabetes type I will have to inject
insulin throughout the day in order to control glucose levels.
Type II diabetes, also known as adult onset diabetes, is
characterized by the pancreas not producing enough insulin to
control glucose levels or the cells not responding to insulin.
When a cell does not respond to insulin, it is known as insulin
resistance. When a subject is diagnosed with type II diabetes,
exercise and weight control are prescribed as measures to help
with insulin resistance. If this does not control glucose levels,
then medication is prescribed. The risk factors for type II
diabetes include: inactivity, high cholesterol, obesity, and
hypertension. Inactivity alone is a very strong risk factor that
has been proven to lead to diabetes type II. Exercise will have a
positive effect on diabetes type II while improving insulin
sensitivity while type I cannot be controlled be an exercise
program. Over 90% of individuals with diabetes have type II.
Exercise causes the body to process glucose faster, which lowers
blood sugar. The more intense the exercise, the faster the body
will utilize glucose. Therefore it is important to understand the
differences in training with type I and type II diabetes. It is
important for an individual who has diabetes to check with a
physician before beginning an exercise program. When training
with a diabetic, it is important to understand the dangers of
injecting insulin immediately prior to exercise. An individual
with type I diabetes injecting their normal amount of insulin for
a sedentary situation can pose the risk of hypoglycemia or
insulin shock during exercise. General exercise guidelines for
type I are as follows: allow adequate rest during exercise
sessions to prevent high blood pressure, use low impact exercises
and avoid heavy weight lifting, and always have a supply of
carbohydrates nearby. If blood sugar levels get too low, the
individual may feel shaky, disoriented, hungry, anxious, become
irritable or experience trembling. Consuming a carbohydrate snack
or beverage will alleviate these symptoms in a matter of
minutes.
Before engaging in exercise, it is important for blood sugar
levels to be tested to make sure that they are not below 80 to
100 mg/dl range and not above 250 mg/dl. Glucose levels should
also be tested before, during, after and three to five hours
after exercise. During this recovery period (3-5 hours after
exercise), it is important for diabetics to consume ample
carbohydrates in order to prevent hypoglycemia.
Exercise will greatly benefit an individual with type II diabetes
because of its positive effects on insulin sensitivity. Proper
exercise and nutrition are the best forms of prevention for type
II diabetics. It is important for training protocols to be
repeated almost daily to help with sustaining insulin
sensitivity. To prevent hypoglycemia, progressively work up to
strenuous activity.
As with individuals with type I diabetes, carbohydrates should
also be present during training to assist in raising blood sugar
levels if the individual becomes low.
The information contained in this article is for educational purposes
only and is not intended to medically diagnose, treat or cure any
disease. Consult a health care practitioner before beginning any
health care program.
diabetes is characterized by the pancreas making too little or no
insulin. An individual with diabetes type I will have to inject
insulin throughout the day in order to control glucose levels.
Type II diabetes, also known as adult onset diabetes, is
characterized by the pancreas not producing enough insulin to
control glucose levels or the cells not responding to insulin.
When a cell does not respond to insulin, it is known as insulin
resistance. When a subject is diagnosed with type II diabetes,
exercise and weight control are prescribed as measures to help
with insulin resistance. If this does not control glucose levels,
then medication is prescribed. The risk factors for type II
diabetes include: inactivity, high cholesterol, obesity, and
hypertension. Inactivity alone is a very strong risk factor that
has been proven to lead to diabetes type II. Exercise will have a
positive effect on diabetes type II while improving insulin
sensitivity while type I cannot be controlled be an exercise
program. Over 90% of individuals with diabetes have type II.
Exercise causes the body to process glucose faster, which lowers
blood sugar. The more intense the exercise, the faster the body
will utilize glucose. Therefore it is important to understand the
differences in training with type I and type II diabetes. It is
important for an individual who has diabetes to check with a
physician before beginning an exercise program. When training
with a diabetic, it is important to understand the dangers of
injecting insulin immediately prior to exercise. An individual
with type I diabetes injecting their normal amount of insulin for
a sedentary situation can pose the risk of hypoglycemia or
insulin shock during exercise. General exercise guidelines for
type I are as follows: allow adequate rest during exercise
sessions to prevent high blood pressure, use low impact exercises
and avoid heavy weight lifting, and always have a supply of
carbohydrates nearby. If blood sugar levels get too low, the
individual may feel shaky, disoriented, hungry, anxious, become
irritable or experience trembling. Consuming a carbohydrate snack
or beverage will alleviate these symptoms in a matter of
minutes.
Before engaging in exercise, it is important for blood sugar
levels to be tested to make sure that they are not below 80 to
100 mg/dl range and not above 250 mg/dl. Glucose levels should
also be tested before, during, after and three to five hours
after exercise. During this recovery period (3-5 hours after
exercise), it is important for diabetics to consume ample
carbohydrates in order to prevent hypoglycemia.
Exercise will greatly benefit an individual with type II diabetes
because of its positive effects on insulin sensitivity. Proper
exercise and nutrition are the best forms of prevention for type
II diabetics. It is important for training protocols to be
repeated almost daily to help with sustaining insulin
sensitivity. To prevent hypoglycemia, progressively work up to
strenuous activity.
As with individuals with type I diabetes, carbohydrates should
also be present during training to assist in raising blood sugar
levels if the individual becomes low.
The information contained in this article is for educational purposes
only and is not intended to medically diagnose, treat or cure any
disease. Consult a health care practitioner before beginning any
health care program.
Thursday, 13 October 2011
DIABETES AND EXERCISE
There are two main types of diabetes, type I and type II. Type I diabetes is characterized by the pancreas making too little or no insulin. An individual with diabetes type I will have to inject insulin throughout the day in order to control glucose levels. Type II diabetes, also known as adult onset diabetes, is characterized by the pancreas not producing enough insulin to control glucose levels or the cells not responding to insulin. When a cell does not respond to insulin, it is known as insulin resistance. When a subject is diagnosed with type II diabetes, exercise and weight control are prescribed as measures to help with insulin resistance. If this does not control glucose levels, then medication is prescribed. The risk factors for type II diabetes include: inactivity, high cholesterol, obesity, and hypertension. Inactivity alone is a very strong risk factor that has been proven to lead to diabetes type II. Exercise will have a positive effect on diabetes type II while improving insulin sensitivity while type I cannot be controlled be an exercise program. Over 90% of individuals with diabetes have type II.
Exercise causes the body to process glucose faster, which lowers blood sugar. The more intense the exercise, the faster the body will utilize glucose. Therefore it is important to understand the differences in training with type I and type II diabetes. It is important for an individual who has diabetes to check with a physician before beginning an exercise program. When training with a diabetic, it is important to understand the dangers of injecting insulin immediately prior to exercise. An individual with type I diabetes injecting their normal amount of insulin for a sedentary situation can pose the risk of hypoglycemia or insulin shock during exercise. General exercise guidelines for type I are as follows: allow adequate rest during exercise sessions to prevent high blood pressure, use low impact exercises and avoid heavy weight lifting, and always have a supply of carbohydrates nearby. If blood sugar levels get too low, the individual may feel shaky, disoriented, hungry, anxious, become irritable or experience trembling. Consuming a carbohydrate snack or beverage will alleviate these symptoms in a matter of minutes.
Before engaging in exercise, it is important for blood sugar levels to be tested to make sure that they are not below 80 to 100 mg/dl range and not above 250 mg/dl. Glucose levels should also be tested before, during, after and three to five hours after exercise. During this recovery period (3-5 hours after exercise), it is important for diabetics to consume ample carbohydrates in order to prevent hypoglycemia.
Exercise will greatly benefit an individual with type II diabetes because of its positive effects on insulin sensitivity. Proper exercise and nutrition are the best forms of prevention for type II diabetics. It is important for training protocols to be repeated almost daily to help with sustaining insulin sensitivity. To prevent hypoglycemia, progressively work up to strenuous activity.
As with individuals with type I diabetes, carbohydrates should also be present during training to assist in raising blood sugar levels if the individual becomes low.
Exercise causes the body to process glucose faster, which lowers blood sugar. The more intense the exercise, the faster the body will utilize glucose. Therefore it is important to understand the differences in training with type I and type II diabetes. It is important for an individual who has diabetes to check with a physician before beginning an exercise program. When training with a diabetic, it is important to understand the dangers of injecting insulin immediately prior to exercise. An individual with type I diabetes injecting their normal amount of insulin for a sedentary situation can pose the risk of hypoglycemia or insulin shock during exercise. General exercise guidelines for type I are as follows: allow adequate rest during exercise sessions to prevent high blood pressure, use low impact exercises and avoid heavy weight lifting, and always have a supply of carbohydrates nearby. If blood sugar levels get too low, the individual may feel shaky, disoriented, hungry, anxious, become irritable or experience trembling. Consuming a carbohydrate snack or beverage will alleviate these symptoms in a matter of minutes.
Before engaging in exercise, it is important for blood sugar levels to be tested to make sure that they are not below 80 to 100 mg/dl range and not above 250 mg/dl. Glucose levels should also be tested before, during, after and three to five hours after exercise. During this recovery period (3-5 hours after exercise), it is important for diabetics to consume ample carbohydrates in order to prevent hypoglycemia.
Exercise will greatly benefit an individual with type II diabetes because of its positive effects on insulin sensitivity. Proper exercise and nutrition are the best forms of prevention for type II diabetics. It is important for training protocols to be repeated almost daily to help with sustaining insulin sensitivity. To prevent hypoglycemia, progressively work up to strenuous activity.
As with individuals with type I diabetes, carbohydrates should also be present during training to assist in raising blood sugar levels if the individual becomes low.
SEAFOOD DIABETIC
1 1/2 lbs fillet of sole
6 medium stalks asparagus, cut diagonally into 2-inch pieces
1 tbsp low-fat mayonnaise
1 1/2 tbsp dijon mustard
juice of 1 lemon
1 tbsp chopped chives (dried or frozen fresh)
dash pepper
few dashes paprika
parsley, chopped, for garnish
Directions:
Arrange fillets in 2-quart baking dish, tucking under thin edges with thick parts to outside of dish. Arrange asparagus around outside of dish, with one or two stalks in-between fillets. Mix mayonnaise, mustard, lemon, and chives and spread over fish. Sprinkle with dashes of pepper and paprika. Microwave on high for 3 to 4 minutes, rotating and moving fillets to cook them evenly. Cover and microwave another 1 minute, until fish flakes easily with a fork. Let stand covered for another minute or two. Top fish with dusting of parsley.
Makes 4 Servings.
Dietary Exchanges: 4 Meat
Nutrients per Serving:
216 Calories
10 g Fat
1.5 g Saturated Fat
3.8 g Polyunsaturated Fat
3.2 g Monounsaturated Fat
3 g Carbohydrate
28 g Protein
1 g Dietary Fiber
87 mg Cholesterol
165 mg Sodium
Tuesday, 11 October 2011
Diabetes
is a disease affecting the manner in which the body handles digested carbohydrates. If neglected, diabetes can cause extremely severe health complications, ranging from blindness to kidney failure.
Around eight percent of the population in the United States has diabetes. This means that around sixteen million people have been diagnosed with the disease, based only on national statistics. The American Diabetes Association estimates that diabetes accounts for 178,000 deaths, as well as 54,000 amputees, and 12,000-24,000 cases of blindness annually. Blindness is twenty-five times even more common among diabetic patients in comparison with nondiabetics. If current trends continue, by the year 2010 complications of diabetes will exceed both heart disease and cancer as the leading cause of death in America.
Diabetics have a high level of blood glucose. Blood sugar level is regulated by insulin, a hormone secreted by the pancreas, which releases it in response to carbohydrate consumption. Insulin causes the cells of the body to absorb glucose from the blood. The glucose then serves as fuel for cellular functions.
Traditional diagnostic standards for diabetes have been fasting plasma glucose levels greater than 140 mg/dL on 2 occasions and plasma glucose greater than 200 mg/dL following a 75-gram glucose load. However, even more recently, the American Diabetes Association lowered the criteria for a diabetes diagnosis to fasting plasma glucose levels equal to or higher than 126 mg/dL. Fasting plasma levels outside the normal limit demand further testing, usually by repeating the fasting plasma glucose check and (if indicated) initiating an oral glucose tolerance test.
The many symptoms of diabetes include excessive urination, excessive thirst and hunger, sudden weight loss, blurred vision, delay in healing of wounds, dry and itchy skin, repeated infections, fatigue and headache. While suggestive of diabetes, these symptoms can also be caused by other factors, and therefore anyone with symptoms suspicious of the disease should be tested.
There are 2 different varieties of diabetes.
Type I Diabetes (juvenile diabetes, also known as insulin-dependent diabetes): The cause of type I diabetes starts with pancreatic inability to make insulin. This causes 5-10% of cases of diabetes. The pancreatic Islet of Langerhans cells, which secrete the hormone, are destroyed by the patient's own immune system, probably because it mistakes them for a virus. Viral infections are believed to be the trigger that sets off this auto-immune disease. Type I diabetes is most prevelant in the caucasian population and has a hereditary component.
If untreated, Type I or juvenile diabetes can lead to death within two to three months of the onset, as the cells of the body starve because they no longer receive the hormonal prompt to absorb glucose. While a great majority of Type I diabetics are young (hence the term Juvenile Diabetes), the condition can develop at any age. Autoimmune diabetes is diagnosed by an immunological assay which shows the presence of anti-insulin/anti-islet-cell antibodies.
Type II Diabetes (non insulin dependent diabetes, also known as adult onset diabetes): This diabetes is a consequence of body tissues becoming resistant to the effects of insulin. It accounts for 90-95% of cases. In many cases the pancreas is producing a plentiful amount of insulin, however the cells of the body have become unresponsive to its effect due to the chronically high level of the hormone. Finally the pancreas will exhaust its over-active secretion of the hormone, and insulin levels fall to beneath normal.
A tendency towards Type II diabetes is hereditary, although it is unlikely to develop in normal-weight individuals eating a low- or even moderate-carbohydrate diet. Obese, sedentary individuals who eat poor-quality diets built around refined starch, which constantly activates pancreatic insulin secretion, are prone to develop insulin resistance. Native peoples like North American Aboriginals, whose traditional diets never included refined starch and sugar until these items were introduced by Europeans, have very high rates of diabetes, five times the rate of caucasians. Blacks and hispanics are also at higher risk of the disease. Though Type II diabetes isn't as immediately disastrous as Type I, it can lead to health complications after many years and cause serious disability and shortened lifespan. As with Type I diabetes, the condition develops primarily in a certain age group, in this case patients over forty (which is why it's typically termed Adult Onset Diabetes); however, with the rise in childhood and teenage obesity, this condition is being seen for the first time in school children as well.
If treatment is neglected, both Type I and Type II diabetes can lead to life-threatening complications like kidney damage (nephropathy), heart disease, nerve damage (neuropathy), retinal damage and blindness(retinopathy), and hypoglycemia (drastic reduction in glucose levels). Diabetes damages blood vessels, especially smaller end-arteries, leading to very severe and premature atherosclerosis. Diabetics are prone to foot problems because neuropathy, which afflicts about ten percent of patients, causes their feet to lose sensation. Foot injuries, common in day-to-day living, go unnoticed, and these injuries cannot heal because of atherosclerotic blockage of the microscopic arteries in the foot. Gangrene and subsequent amputation of toes, feet or even legs is the result for many elderly patients with poorly-controlled diabetes. Usually these sequelae are seen sooner in Type I than Type II diabetes, because Type II patients have a small amount of their own insulin production left to buffer changes in blood sugar levels.
Type I diabetes is a severe disease and there is no known permanent cure for it. Nonetheless, the symptoms can be controlled by strict dietary monitering and insulin injections. Implanted pumps which release insulin immediately in response to changes in blood glucose are in the testing stages.
In theory, since it induced by diet, Type II diabetes should be preventable and manageable by dietary changes alone. However, as so often happens, clinical theory is defeated by human nature in this case, as many diabetics (and many obese people without diabetes) find it personally impossible to lose weight or even stick to a diet free of starchy, sugary junk food. So Type II diabetes is frequently treated with drugs which restore the body's response to its own insulin, and in a few cases injections of insulin.
Please note that this article isn't a subsitute for medical advice. If you suspect you have diabetes or even are in a high risk demographic group, please see your docto
Around eight percent of the population in the United States has diabetes. This means that around sixteen million people have been diagnosed with the disease, based only on national statistics. The American Diabetes Association estimates that diabetes accounts for 178,000 deaths, as well as 54,000 amputees, and 12,000-24,000 cases of blindness annually. Blindness is twenty-five times even more common among diabetic patients in comparison with nondiabetics. If current trends continue, by the year 2010 complications of diabetes will exceed both heart disease and cancer as the leading cause of death in America.
Diabetics have a high level of blood glucose. Blood sugar level is regulated by insulin, a hormone secreted by the pancreas, which releases it in response to carbohydrate consumption. Insulin causes the cells of the body to absorb glucose from the blood. The glucose then serves as fuel for cellular functions.
Traditional diagnostic standards for diabetes have been fasting plasma glucose levels greater than 140 mg/dL on 2 occasions and plasma glucose greater than 200 mg/dL following a 75-gram glucose load. However, even more recently, the American Diabetes Association lowered the criteria for a diabetes diagnosis to fasting plasma glucose levels equal to or higher than 126 mg/dL. Fasting plasma levels outside the normal limit demand further testing, usually by repeating the fasting plasma glucose check and (if indicated) initiating an oral glucose tolerance test.
The many symptoms of diabetes include excessive urination, excessive thirst and hunger, sudden weight loss, blurred vision, delay in healing of wounds, dry and itchy skin, repeated infections, fatigue and headache. While suggestive of diabetes, these symptoms can also be caused by other factors, and therefore anyone with symptoms suspicious of the disease should be tested.
There are 2 different varieties of diabetes.
Type I Diabetes (juvenile diabetes, also known as insulin-dependent diabetes): The cause of type I diabetes starts with pancreatic inability to make insulin. This causes 5-10% of cases of diabetes. The pancreatic Islet of Langerhans cells, which secrete the hormone, are destroyed by the patient's own immune system, probably because it mistakes them for a virus. Viral infections are believed to be the trigger that sets off this auto-immune disease. Type I diabetes is most prevelant in the caucasian population and has a hereditary component.
If untreated, Type I or juvenile diabetes can lead to death within two to three months of the onset, as the cells of the body starve because they no longer receive the hormonal prompt to absorb glucose. While a great majority of Type I diabetics are young (hence the term Juvenile Diabetes), the condition can develop at any age. Autoimmune diabetes is diagnosed by an immunological assay which shows the presence of anti-insulin/anti-islet-cell antibodies.
Type II Diabetes (non insulin dependent diabetes, also known as adult onset diabetes): This diabetes is a consequence of body tissues becoming resistant to the effects of insulin. It accounts for 90-95% of cases. In many cases the pancreas is producing a plentiful amount of insulin, however the cells of the body have become unresponsive to its effect due to the chronically high level of the hormone. Finally the pancreas will exhaust its over-active secretion of the hormone, and insulin levels fall to beneath normal.
A tendency towards Type II diabetes is hereditary, although it is unlikely to develop in normal-weight individuals eating a low- or even moderate-carbohydrate diet. Obese, sedentary individuals who eat poor-quality diets built around refined starch, which constantly activates pancreatic insulin secretion, are prone to develop insulin resistance. Native peoples like North American Aboriginals, whose traditional diets never included refined starch and sugar until these items were introduced by Europeans, have very high rates of diabetes, five times the rate of caucasians. Blacks and hispanics are also at higher risk of the disease. Though Type II diabetes isn't as immediately disastrous as Type I, it can lead to health complications after many years and cause serious disability and shortened lifespan. As with Type I diabetes, the condition develops primarily in a certain age group, in this case patients over forty (which is why it's typically termed Adult Onset Diabetes); however, with the rise in childhood and teenage obesity, this condition is being seen for the first time in school children as well.
If treatment is neglected, both Type I and Type II diabetes can lead to life-threatening complications like kidney damage (nephropathy), heart disease, nerve damage (neuropathy), retinal damage and blindness(retinopathy), and hypoglycemia (drastic reduction in glucose levels). Diabetes damages blood vessels, especially smaller end-arteries, leading to very severe and premature atherosclerosis. Diabetics are prone to foot problems because neuropathy, which afflicts about ten percent of patients, causes their feet to lose sensation. Foot injuries, common in day-to-day living, go unnoticed, and these injuries cannot heal because of atherosclerotic blockage of the microscopic arteries in the foot. Gangrene and subsequent amputation of toes, feet or even legs is the result for many elderly patients with poorly-controlled diabetes. Usually these sequelae are seen sooner in Type I than Type II diabetes, because Type II patients have a small amount of their own insulin production left to buffer changes in blood sugar levels.
Type I diabetes is a severe disease and there is no known permanent cure for it. Nonetheless, the symptoms can be controlled by strict dietary monitering and insulin injections. Implanted pumps which release insulin immediately in response to changes in blood glucose are in the testing stages.
In theory, since it induced by diet, Type II diabetes should be preventable and manageable by dietary changes alone. However, as so often happens, clinical theory is defeated by human nature in this case, as many diabetics (and many obese people without diabetes) find it personally impossible to lose weight or even stick to a diet free of starchy, sugary junk food. So Type II diabetes is frequently treated with drugs which restore the body's response to its own insulin, and in a few cases injections of insulin.
Please note that this article isn't a subsitute for medical advice. If you suspect you have diabetes or even are in a high risk demographic group, please see your docto
Wednesday, 5 October 2011
Can working on your computer cause: foot pain?
Suffering from unbelievable pain on your foot? Can't walk long distances without stopping from time to time? Can't wear your favorite shoes but the pain coming from the ball of your foot, the arch, or the heel kills you?
Foot pain, known as metatarsalgia, usually occurs between the arch and the toe. It usually occurs in the foot's mid-portion.
A callus may cause foot pain. It is a skin build-up that developed due to pressure over the bone. It is usually found on the foot's bottom, and causes pain when walking. Shoes may also cause foot pain – too loose or too tight shoes may give you incredible pain in your foot.
Ill-fitting shoes may also cause pain because they tend to squeeze the foot, causing the pressure inside the increase. Loose shoes on the other hand creates friction by providing space for sliding and rubbing.
If the pain is in the underside of the foot, it might be due to a torn ligament or maybe a joint inflammation. You should consult with an orthopedic surgeon to further evaluate the damage and assess the status of the joint.
Some practical tips may help relieve foot pain. One of this is using a shoe insert which is available in drugstores and department stores. Many different brands are available and promise to help you with your foot pain problem. This shoe insert will be an excellent shock absorber so that you can wear any pair of shoes you want comfortable.
Since calluses causes foot pain, soaking feet to soften the calluses will help. Using a pumice stone or a file will help relieve you of your foot pain.
Of course the most practical and simplest way to prevent and relieve foot pain is to buy a pair that fits perfectly. It should be wide enough not to cause cramping inside the foot. For maximum comfort, heels should be flat or high-heeled but not higher than 2 ¼”.
Burning feet is a fairly common condition and involves the whole foot. It may be so severe that people who have the condition are usually kept awake at night because of the pain.
It happens more often to people over 50, although some younger people may also experience the condition. Diabetics often encounter this condition as a part of the nerve damage that may develop from their disease.
Another location of foot pain is the heel. Because the calcaneus or the heel bone is the largest bone that can be found in the foot, it usually hits the ground first when the individual walk, causing foot pain.
Another cause is due to strain on the ligament at the foot bottom, called plantar fascistic. Usually pain is felt early on the morning, upon waking up. Heel pain may also be caused by rheumatoid arthritis, gouty arthritis, and ankylosing spondylitis.
Athletes also tend to develop heel pain from stress fractures.
Foot pain may also occur over the arch. It is caused by a strain in the structure in that part of the foot. Toe pain is also a common condition and might be due to an ingrown toe nail. An ingrown toe nail results in an infection and pressure in the nail fold area which can be very painful.
It is important to consult an expert to have the ingrown nail evaluated. He will prescribe you the antibiotics appropriate for your condition which you will have to take for several days.
He will also advise you proper care of the foot so that you will not have to suffer from foot pain again.
Foot pain can also occur in the ankle. It is usually due to long term wear and tear of the ankles, and activities that causes the ankle to tip over. Foot pain may also be due to nerve damage.
Pain that occurs on the ball of the foot may be because of masses or growths of tissues which wrap around nerves and causes pain. This is called Morton's neuroma. It usually occurs in a single foot and women are at increased risk.
Mild ache with some burning or tingling usually is felt around the third or fourth toe. Wearing narrow shoes and pointed shoes exacerbate the symptom, like a rock is inside the shoe.
There are other risks as you sit in front of that computer but it would be to much to write about in this article, so if you would like to learn more about other risks such as:
Foot pain, known as metatarsalgia, usually occurs between the arch and the toe. It usually occurs in the foot's mid-portion.
A callus may cause foot pain. It is a skin build-up that developed due to pressure over the bone. It is usually found on the foot's bottom, and causes pain when walking. Shoes may also cause foot pain – too loose or too tight shoes may give you incredible pain in your foot.
Ill-fitting shoes may also cause pain because they tend to squeeze the foot, causing the pressure inside the increase. Loose shoes on the other hand creates friction by providing space for sliding and rubbing.
If the pain is in the underside of the foot, it might be due to a torn ligament or maybe a joint inflammation. You should consult with an orthopedic surgeon to further evaluate the damage and assess the status of the joint.
Some practical tips may help relieve foot pain. One of this is using a shoe insert which is available in drugstores and department stores. Many different brands are available and promise to help you with your foot pain problem. This shoe insert will be an excellent shock absorber so that you can wear any pair of shoes you want comfortable.
Since calluses causes foot pain, soaking feet to soften the calluses will help. Using a pumice stone or a file will help relieve you of your foot pain.
Of course the most practical and simplest way to prevent and relieve foot pain is to buy a pair that fits perfectly. It should be wide enough not to cause cramping inside the foot. For maximum comfort, heels should be flat or high-heeled but not higher than 2 ¼”.
Burning feet is a fairly common condition and involves the whole foot. It may be so severe that people who have the condition are usually kept awake at night because of the pain.
It happens more often to people over 50, although some younger people may also experience the condition. Diabetics often encounter this condition as a part of the nerve damage that may develop from their disease.
Another location of foot pain is the heel. Because the calcaneus or the heel bone is the largest bone that can be found in the foot, it usually hits the ground first when the individual walk, causing foot pain.
Another cause is due to strain on the ligament at the foot bottom, called plantar fascistic. Usually pain is felt early on the morning, upon waking up. Heel pain may also be caused by rheumatoid arthritis, gouty arthritis, and ankylosing spondylitis.
Athletes also tend to develop heel pain from stress fractures.
Foot pain may also occur over the arch. It is caused by a strain in the structure in that part of the foot. Toe pain is also a common condition and might be due to an ingrown toe nail. An ingrown toe nail results in an infection and pressure in the nail fold area which can be very painful.
It is important to consult an expert to have the ingrown nail evaluated. He will prescribe you the antibiotics appropriate for your condition which you will have to take for several days.
He will also advise you proper care of the foot so that you will not have to suffer from foot pain again.
Foot pain can also occur in the ankle. It is usually due to long term wear and tear of the ankles, and activities that causes the ankle to tip over. Foot pain may also be due to nerve damage.
Pain that occurs on the ball of the foot may be because of masses or growths of tissues which wrap around nerves and causes pain. This is called Morton's neuroma. It usually occurs in a single foot and women are at increased risk.
Mild ache with some burning or tingling usually is felt around the third or fourth toe. Wearing narrow shoes and pointed shoes exacerbate the symptom, like a rock is inside the shoe.
There are other risks as you sit in front of that computer but it would be to much to write about in this article, so if you would like to learn more about other risks such as:
CAUSESS OF DIABETES IN CHILDREN
Type 2 diabetes develops when the body becomes resistant to insulin or when the pancreas stops producing enough insulin. Exactly why this happens is unknown, although excess weight, inactivity and genetic factors seem to be important.
Insulin: The key for sugar
Insulin is a hormone that comes from the pancreas, a gland located just behind the stomach. When your child eats, the pancreas secretes insulin into the bloodstream. As insulin circulates, it acts like a key by unlocking microscopic doors that allow sugar to enter your child's cells. Insulin lowers the amount of sugar in your child's bloodstream. As your child's blood sugar level drops, so does the secretion of insulin from the pancreas.
Glucose: The energy source
Glucose — sugar — is a main source of energy for the cells that make up muscles and other tissues. Glucose comes from two major sources: the food your child eats and your child's liver. During digestion, sugar is absorbed into the bloodstream. Normally, sugar then enters cells with the help of insulin.
Liver: Production and storage
The liver acts as a glucose storage and manufacturing center. When your child's insulin levels are low — when your child hasn't eaten in a while, for example — the liver releases the stored glucose to keep your child's glucose level within a normal range.
In type 2 diabetes, this process doesn't work well. Instead of moving into your child's cells, sugar builds up in his or her bloodstream. This occurs when your child's pancreas doesn't make enough insulin or your child's cells become resistant to the action of insulin.
Insulin: The key for sugar
Insulin is a hormone that comes from the pancreas, a gland located just behind the stomach. When your child eats, the pancreas secretes insulin into the bloodstream. As insulin circulates, it acts like a key by unlocking microscopic doors that allow sugar to enter your child's cells. Insulin lowers the amount of sugar in your child's bloodstream. As your child's blood sugar level drops, so does the secretion of insulin from the pancreas.
Glucose: The energy source
Glucose — sugar — is a main source of energy for the cells that make up muscles and other tissues. Glucose comes from two major sources: the food your child eats and your child's liver. During digestion, sugar is absorbed into the bloodstream. Normally, sugar then enters cells with the help of insulin.
Liver: Production and storage
The liver acts as a glucose storage and manufacturing center. When your child's insulin levels are low — when your child hasn't eaten in a while, for example — the liver releases the stored glucose to keep your child's glucose level within a normal range.
In type 2 diabetes, this process doesn't work well. Instead of moving into your child's cells, sugar builds up in his or her bloodstream. This occurs when your child's pancreas doesn't make enough insulin or your child's cells become resistant to the action of insulin.
DIABETES IN CHILDREN
Type 2 diabetes is a disease more commonly associated with adults. In fact, it used to be called adult-onset diabetes. But type 2 diabetes in children is on the rise, fueled largely by the obesity epidemic.
There's plenty you can do to help manage or prevent type 2 diabetes in children. Encourage your child to eat healthy foods, get plenty of physical activity and maintain a healthy weight. If diet and exercise aren't enough to control type 2 diabetes in children, oral medication or insulin treatment may be needed.
Monday, 3 October 2011
DIABETES TREATMENT
The major goal in treating diabetes is to minimize any elevation of blood sugar (glucose) without causing abnormally low levels of blood sugar. Type 1 diabetes is treated with insulin ,exercise and diabetic diet.
Type 2 diabetes is treated first with weight reduction, a diabetic diet, and exercise. When these measures fail to control the elevated blood sugars, oral medications are used. If oral medications are still insufficient, treatment with insulin is considered. Adherence to a diabetic diet is an important aspect of controlling elevated blood sugar in patients with diabetes. The American Diabetes Association (ADA) has provided guidelines for a diabetic diet. The ADA diet is a balanced, nutritious diet that is low in fat,cholesterol
and simple sugars. The total daily calories are evenly divided into three meals. In the past two years, the ADA has lifted the absolute ban on simple sugars. Small amounts of simple sugars are allowed when consumed with a complex meal. Weight reduction and exercise are important treatments for diabetes. Weight reduction and exercise increase the body's sensitivity to insulin, thus helping to control blood sugar elevations
Based on what is known, medications for type 2 diabetes are designed to:
Varying combinations of medications also are used to correct abnormally elevated levels of blood glucose in diabetes. As the list of medications continues to expand, treatment options for type 2 diabetes can be better tailored to meet an individuals needs. Not every patient with type 2 diabetes will benefit from every drug, and not every drug is suitable for each patient. Patients with type 2 diabetes should work closely with their physicians to achieve an approach that provides the greatest benefits while minimizing risks.
Patients with diabetes should never forget the importance of diet and exercise. The control of diabetes starts with a healthy lifestyle regardless of what medications are being used.
Type 2 diabetes is treated first with weight reduction, a diabetic diet, and exercise. When these measures fail to control the elevated blood sugars, oral medications are used. If oral medications are still insufficient, treatment with insulin is considered. Adherence to a diabetic diet is an important aspect of controlling elevated blood sugar in patients with diabetes. The American Diabetes Association (ADA) has provided guidelines for a diabetic diet. The ADA diet is a balanced, nutritious diet that is low in fat,cholesterol
and simple sugars. The total daily calories are evenly divided into three meals. In the past two years, the ADA has lifted the absolute ban on simple sugars. Small amounts of simple sugars are allowed when consumed with a complex meal. Weight reduction and exercise are important treatments for diabetes. Weight reduction and exercise increase the body's sensitivity to insulin, thus helping to control blood sugar elevations
Based on what is known, medications for type 2 diabetes are designed to:
- increase the insulin output by the pancreas,
- decrease the amount of glucose released from the liver,
- increase the sensitivity (response) of cells to insulin,
- decrease the absorption of carbohydrates from the intestine, and
- slow emptying of the stomach to delay the presentation of carbohydrates for digestion and absorption in the small intestine.
- the magnitude of change in blood sugar control that each medication will provide;
- adverse effects of the therapy;
- contraindications to therapy;
- issues that may affect compliance (timing of medication, frequency of dosing); and
- cost to the patient and the health care system.
Varying combinations of medications also are used to correct abnormally elevated levels of blood glucose in diabetes. As the list of medications continues to expand, treatment options for type 2 diabetes can be better tailored to meet an individuals needs. Not every patient with type 2 diabetes will benefit from every drug, and not every drug is suitable for each patient. Patients with type 2 diabetes should work closely with their physicians to achieve an approach that provides the greatest benefits while minimizing risks.
Patients with diabetes should never forget the importance of diet and exercise. The control of diabetes starts with a healthy lifestyle regardless of what medications are being used.
Diabetes Facts
- Diabetes is a chronic condition associated with abnormally high levels of sugar (glucose) in the blood.
- Insulin produced by the pancreas lowers blood glucose.
- Absence or insufficient production of insulin causes diabetes.
- The two types of diabetes are referred to as type 1 (insulin dependent) and type 2 (non-insulin dependent).
- Symptoms of diabetes include increased urine output, thirst and hunger as well as fatigue.
- Diabetes is diagnosed by blood sugar (glucose) testing.
- The major complications of diabetes are both acute and chronic.
- Acutely: dangerously elevated blood sugar, abnormally low blood sugar due to diabetes medications may occur.
- Chronically: disease of the blood vessels (both small and large) which can damage the eye, kidneys, nerves, and heart may occur
- Acutely: dangerously elevated blood sugar, abnormally low blood sugar due to diabetes medications may occur.
- Diabetes treatment depends on the type and severity of the diabetes. Type 1 diabetes is treated with insulin, exercise, and a diabetic diet. Type 2 diabetes is first treated with weight reduction, a diabetic diet, and exercise. When these measures fail to control the elevated blood sugars, oral medications are used. If oral medications are still insufficient, insulin medications are considered.
Thursday, 29 September 2011
Brief Overview Of Diabetes And Diet
Diabetes has been around for centuries. There are presently sixteen millions diabetics in America, but eight million do not know that they have the disease. Today, diabetes is in third place as the cause of mortality, behind cardiovascular diseases and cancer.
Diabetes is caused by a disruption in insulin production in the body. Insulin is a hormone produced by the pancreas when the level of blood sugar, glucose, increases – after a meal, most commonly. With the help of insulin, glucose moves from the blood into the cells. The cellular components turn the glucose into energy. When glucose does not enter cells, it stays in the blood and is filtered by kidneys which later eliminate it from the bloodstream.
Diabetes is a chronic disease that occurs when insulin in the body does not work as it should. Main symptoms of diabetes include excessive thirst, excessive urination, excessive appetite, fatigue, blurred vision, frequent and slow-healing infections including bladder, vaginal and skin. In men, diabetes may be accompanied by such symptoms as erectile dysfunction.
In order to timely recognize diabetes, everyone should be familiar with the different types of diabetes as well as with main symptoms of diabetes.
Type 1 diabetes is a life-threatening condition which is less common. Those suffering with this type of diabetes need complete insulin replacement because the body does not make sufficient amounts of this essential hormone.
The most common type of diabetes is type 2 diabetes, or non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus. 90 f all diabetes cases in the US are diagnosed as Type 2.
There is also gestational diabetes, which occurs during pregnancy due to specific hormonal changes in the body of the expectant mother.
Diabetes is often accompanied by obesity and high cholesterol and is a disease that often runs in families, so if one of your family members has it, you have a higher risk of developing diabetes too. Lack of activity, a diet rich in fats and processed products and obesity significantly increase your risk for diabetes.
Diabetes can be prevented and controlled by amending your diet. When we eat a product that is rich in sugar, the pancreas starts to produce more insulin to turn the sugar into energy. Saturated fat is transformed by the liver into sugar, which triggers the same response of pancreas – more insulin, more energy.
When the body doesn’t use this energy, it stores it as fat in the liver, on the stomach and hips. The more sugar and fat we eat, the more “storage space” our body requires.
However, when you switch to eating vegetables, cereals and other fiber-rich products cooked or seasoned with olive or grape seed oil, the pancreas does not need to produce any extra insulin. As a result, fat is not deposited in the body and the blood sugar levels remain stable. By avoiding sweet and fat-rich foods, blood sugar levels remains balanced which can delay the onset of diabetes and for those already diagnosed as diabetic can help them manage the condition.
Diabetes is caused by a disruption in insulin production in the body. Insulin is a hormone produced by the pancreas when the level of blood sugar, glucose, increases – after a meal, most commonly. With the help of insulin, glucose moves from the blood into the cells. The cellular components turn the glucose into energy. When glucose does not enter cells, it stays in the blood and is filtered by kidneys which later eliminate it from the bloodstream.
Diabetes is a chronic disease that occurs when insulin in the body does not work as it should. Main symptoms of diabetes include excessive thirst, excessive urination, excessive appetite, fatigue, blurred vision, frequent and slow-healing infections including bladder, vaginal and skin. In men, diabetes may be accompanied by such symptoms as erectile dysfunction.
In order to timely recognize diabetes, everyone should be familiar with the different types of diabetes as well as with main symptoms of diabetes.
Type 1 diabetes is a life-threatening condition which is less common. Those suffering with this type of diabetes need complete insulin replacement because the body does not make sufficient amounts of this essential hormone.
The most common type of diabetes is type 2 diabetes, or non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus. 90 f all diabetes cases in the US are diagnosed as Type 2.
There is also gestational diabetes, which occurs during pregnancy due to specific hormonal changes in the body of the expectant mother.
Diabetes is often accompanied by obesity and high cholesterol and is a disease that often runs in families, so if one of your family members has it, you have a higher risk of developing diabetes too. Lack of activity, a diet rich in fats and processed products and obesity significantly increase your risk for diabetes.
Diabetes can be prevented and controlled by amending your diet. When we eat a product that is rich in sugar, the pancreas starts to produce more insulin to turn the sugar into energy. Saturated fat is transformed by the liver into sugar, which triggers the same response of pancreas – more insulin, more energy.
When the body doesn’t use this energy, it stores it as fat in the liver, on the stomach and hips. The more sugar and fat we eat, the more “storage space” our body requires.
However, when you switch to eating vegetables, cereals and other fiber-rich products cooked or seasoned with olive or grape seed oil, the pancreas does not need to produce any extra insulin. As a result, fat is not deposited in the body and the blood sugar levels remain stable. By avoiding sweet and fat-rich foods, blood sugar levels remains balanced which can delay the onset of diabetes and for those already diagnosed as diabetic can help them manage the condition.
DIABATES SYMPTOMS
Diabetes often goes undiagnosed because many of its symptoms seem so harmless. Recent studies indicate that the early detection of diabetes symptoms and treatment can decrease the chance of developing the complications of diabetes.
Type 1 Diabetes
* Frequent urination
* Unusual thirst
* Extreme hunger
* Unusual weight loss
* Extreme fatigue and Irritability
Type 2 Diabetes*
* Any of the type 1 symptoms
* Frequent infections
* Blurred vision
* Cuts/bruises that are slow to heal
* Tingling/numbness in the hands/feet
* Recurring skin, gum, or bladder infections
Diabetes increases your risk for many serious health problems. The good news? With the correct treatment and recommended lifestyle changes, many people with diabetes are able to prevent or delay the onset of complications.
Type 1 Diabetes
* Frequent urination
* Unusual thirst
* Extreme hunger
* Unusual weight loss
* Extreme fatigue and Irritability
Type 2 Diabetes*
* Any of the type 1 symptoms
* Frequent infections
* Blurred vision
* Cuts/bruises that are slow to heal
* Tingling/numbness in the hands/feet
* Recurring skin, gum, or bladder infections
Diabetes increases your risk for many serious health problems. The good news? With the correct treatment and recommended lifestyle changes, many people with diabetes are able to prevent or delay the onset of complications.
Tuesday, 27 September 2011
Sleep Apnea and Diabetes
Researchers in Chicago think so. They treated sleep apnea in a group of 24 people who also had type 2 diabetes, and found significant improvements in glucose and A1C levels. The Chicago team developed the study because evidence suggests a link between the two conditions.
Sleep apnea is a disorder in which the throat muscles relax during sleep, obstructing the airway and causing brief but frequent breathing interruptions. Obesity-a common problem for people with type 2-is a major risk factor for developing this sleep disorder. Also, previous research has shown that sleep apnea is independently linked to glucose intolerance and insulin resistance-the primary characteristics of type 2.
This means that people with type 2-whether they are obese or not-may be at risk for developing sleep apnea. And anyone with both type 2 and sleep apnea is at risk for increased glucose intolerance.
Each person in the study was given a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machine to use when sleeping (an average of 5 to 6 hours per night). The CPAP blows a constant stream of air through a mouth and nose mask to keep the user's airway open and breathing uninterrupted. The machines were equipped with microchips that recorded when and for how long the participants used them.
After the CPAP test period-an average of 83 days-researchers found that glucose values measured 1 hour after a meal were significantly reduced from a range of approximately 191-199 mg/dl before the study to approximately 130-137 mg/dl after. The results were most significant for participants who kept the CPAP on for at least 4 hours or more per night. Group A1C levels went from 8.3 percent at the beginning of the study to 7.9 percent.
The subgroup of participants whose beginning A1C levels were over 7.0 percent showed even more improvement, with an average of 9.2 percent before treatment to 8.6 percent after. A1C improvement was also closely tied to the number of days the CPAP was used for 4 hours or more.
The study's authors believe that these results indicated that treating sleep apnea could possibly delay the onset of diabetes in individuals with pre-diabetes and reduced cardiovascular risk in people with type 2 diabetes. This study was published in the Archives of Internal Medicine in February 2005.
Sleep apnea is a disorder in which the throat muscles relax during sleep, obstructing the airway and causing brief but frequent breathing interruptions. Obesity-a common problem for people with type 2-is a major risk factor for developing this sleep disorder. Also, previous research has shown that sleep apnea is independently linked to glucose intolerance and insulin resistance-the primary characteristics of type 2.
This means that people with type 2-whether they are obese or not-may be at risk for developing sleep apnea. And anyone with both type 2 and sleep apnea is at risk for increased glucose intolerance.
Each person in the study was given a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machine to use when sleeping (an average of 5 to 6 hours per night). The CPAP blows a constant stream of air through a mouth and nose mask to keep the user's airway open and breathing uninterrupted. The machines were equipped with microchips that recorded when and for how long the participants used them.
After the CPAP test period-an average of 83 days-researchers found that glucose values measured 1 hour after a meal were significantly reduced from a range of approximately 191-199 mg/dl before the study to approximately 130-137 mg/dl after. The results were most significant for participants who kept the CPAP on for at least 4 hours or more per night. Group A1C levels went from 8.3 percent at the beginning of the study to 7.9 percent.
The subgroup of participants whose beginning A1C levels were over 7.0 percent showed even more improvement, with an average of 9.2 percent before treatment to 8.6 percent after. A1C improvement was also closely tied to the number of days the CPAP was used for 4 hours or more.
The study's authors believe that these results indicated that treating sleep apnea could possibly delay the onset of diabetes in individuals with pre-diabetes and reduced cardiovascular risk in people with type 2 diabetes. This study was published in the Archives of Internal Medicine in February 2005.
Benefits of Chair Yoga – Part 1
In comparison to many forms of exercise, the benefits of Chair Yoga far outweigh the risks. The therapeutic exercises work the body, from head to toes, to the best of any client’s ability.
Therefore, the method used, addresses the whole body in a single routine. This is an amazing feat, for a low-impact exercise program, where the average session lasts 45 to 60 minutes. The following information will highlight some of the many benefits of regular participation in a Chair Yoga class.
Increased circulation is a result of movement and every body part that can move is used in a typical Chair Yoga class. For many of us, we think of cardiovascular heath first, and this is right fully so, but Chair Yoga helps many other forms of circulation, within the body, as well.
To sit still for days on end, we invite diseases of many kinds. Diabetics need movement to keep sugar levels in “tolerance zones.” Chair Yoga also has routines for the feet, toes, hands, and fingers, so there is no part of the body left out. Due to this whole body approach, the immune system is also stimulated by regularly attending Chair Yoga classes.
The many movements, bending, and twisting, in a regular Chair Yoga session, stimulate the elimination of toxins, within the body. Every time you bend the waist in one direction or another, the stomach aids in digestion and the lower back is gently stimulated.
Now, back to cardiovascular benefits - There seems to be a lot of confusion about what is classified as aerobic exercise. One of the definitions for aerobic exercise is: Any exercise that would increase circulatory and respiratory ability. When the heart and lungs have to work harder to keep up with the body's need for oxygen that is aerobic.
In fact, gardening and housework are also aerobic exercise that most seniors routinely do. This is not to say that gardening and housework are complete health maintenance systems, but they do burn over 200 calories per hour, for the average person, and meet the aerobic definition.
Much of this mentality stems from the “No pain – No gain” era. Most of the original advocates of this theory are now “nursing their own wounds” and practicing gentler forms of exercise. After all, none of us are immortal, and the body can only take so much abuse over time.
May I remind anyone, who is left standing, from the No pain – No gain era, that walking is also classified as aerobic exercise. So, whether you walk or run a mile, aerobic benefits are gained and significant calories are burned.
Therefore, the method used, addresses the whole body in a single routine. This is an amazing feat, for a low-impact exercise program, where the average session lasts 45 to 60 minutes. The following information will highlight some of the many benefits of regular participation in a Chair Yoga class.
Increased circulation is a result of movement and every body part that can move is used in a typical Chair Yoga class. For many of us, we think of cardiovascular heath first, and this is right fully so, but Chair Yoga helps many other forms of circulation, within the body, as well.
To sit still for days on end, we invite diseases of many kinds. Diabetics need movement to keep sugar levels in “tolerance zones.” Chair Yoga also has routines for the feet, toes, hands, and fingers, so there is no part of the body left out. Due to this whole body approach, the immune system is also stimulated by regularly attending Chair Yoga classes.
The many movements, bending, and twisting, in a regular Chair Yoga session, stimulate the elimination of toxins, within the body. Every time you bend the waist in one direction or another, the stomach aids in digestion and the lower back is gently stimulated.
Now, back to cardiovascular benefits - There seems to be a lot of confusion about what is classified as aerobic exercise. One of the definitions for aerobic exercise is: Any exercise that would increase circulatory and respiratory ability. When the heart and lungs have to work harder to keep up with the body's need for oxygen that is aerobic.
In fact, gardening and housework are also aerobic exercise that most seniors routinely do. This is not to say that gardening and housework are complete health maintenance systems, but they do burn over 200 calories per hour, for the average person, and meet the aerobic definition.
Much of this mentality stems from the “No pain – No gain” era. Most of the original advocates of this theory are now “nursing their own wounds” and practicing gentler forms of exercise. After all, none of us are immortal, and the body can only take so much abuse over time.
May I remind anyone, who is left standing, from the No pain – No gain era, that walking is also classified as aerobic exercise. So, whether you walk or run a mile, aerobic benefits are gained and significant calories are burned.
Sunday, 25 September 2011
Diabetic Symptoms of High Blood Sugar
High blood sugar is the greatest single danger for people with Type 2 diabetes because over time the presence of too much sugar in the blood is linked with long-term complications, such as heart disease, kidney failure and blindness. Your power to raise and lower your own blood sugar is the greatest reason to check your blood sugar levels on a regular basis.
If you need another reason to control high blood sugar, note that you will continue to gain weight if blood sugars run high. The excess sugar in your blood will be stored in your body, some of it being converted into potentially dangerous fats called triglycerides. A feeling of depression may occur after several days of high blood sugar; this will affect the way you look at yourself and those around you, and probably hamper your efforts at self-management.
Unfortunately, many symptoms of high blood sugar are subtle and may easily be confused for something else, such as simply having a bad day at work or another minor health problem. This is why you should become attuned to your own body, and test your blood sugar. Learn to recognize the symptoms that you experience when your blood sugar is high.
One frequent symptom of high blood sugar is a stuffed, Thanksgiving afternoon feeling. Some feel a buzzing sensation in their bodies. Slow-healing cuts, sores, or infections can be warnings of high blood sugar. According to Richard Bernstein, M.D., author of Diabetes Type 2, Including Dramatic New Approaches to the Treatment of Type 1 Diabetes, other symptoms of high blood sugar may include confusion, headache, trembling hands, tingling in the fingers or tongue, buzzing in the ears, elevated pulse, unusual hunger, a tight feeling in the throat or near the tongue, clumsiness, less ability to detect sweetness in taste sensations, irritability, stubbornness, nastiness, pounding the hands on tables and walls, blurred vision, visual spots, double vision, visual hallucinations, visual impairments, lack of physical coordination, tiredness, weakness, sudden awakenings from sleep, shouting while asleep, rapid and shallow breathing, nervousness, light-headedness, faintness, feelings of unusual warmth, cold clammy skin, restlessness, insomnia, nightmares, paleness of complexion, nausea, slurring of speech, and a condition called nystagmus in which the eyes involuntarily jerk when sweeping from side to side. For some, blood sugar is elevated when the letters of the Arabic alphabet begin to look like they're written in Russian or Chinese. Other people walk into walls when their blood sugar is high. Some people become intensely angry and upset for no apparent reason. According to Dr. Bernstein, the symptoms of high blood sugar may occur in clusters or appear alone without other symptoms.
Since your symptoms will be unique to you, try to identify them with the use of home blood sugar tests. If it will help you remember, tell someone else or write down how you feel at the moment when your blood sugar tests unusually high for you. Ask your spouse or family members to tell you if they spot any symptoms of high blood sugar in you. Symptoms are distinctive to each individual--pay attention to your own body and learn to spot high blood sugar whenever you can.
If your blood sugar does become elevated, practice good self-management to reduce your stress, become more physically active, or adjust your eating patterns to bring it back under control. Medications can also help you accomplish this.
In the most rare and extreme instances of high blood sugar, such as when you have been ill over a long period of time, you may go into a diabetic coma, falling into unconsciousness for no apparent reason to those around you. In this case, you must be taken to a hospital emergency room for treatment.
Don't ignore high blood sugar. All the long-term complications of diabetes are believed to result from prolonged periods of high blood sugar or poor blood sugar control.
If you need another reason to control high blood sugar, note that you will continue to gain weight if blood sugars run high. The excess sugar in your blood will be stored in your body, some of it being converted into potentially dangerous fats called triglycerides. A feeling of depression may occur after several days of high blood sugar; this will affect the way you look at yourself and those around you, and probably hamper your efforts at self-management.
Unfortunately, many symptoms of high blood sugar are subtle and may easily be confused for something else, such as simply having a bad day at work or another minor health problem. This is why you should become attuned to your own body, and test your blood sugar. Learn to recognize the symptoms that you experience when your blood sugar is high.
One frequent symptom of high blood sugar is a stuffed, Thanksgiving afternoon feeling. Some feel a buzzing sensation in their bodies. Slow-healing cuts, sores, or infections can be warnings of high blood sugar. According to Richard Bernstein, M.D., author of Diabetes Type 2, Including Dramatic New Approaches to the Treatment of Type 1 Diabetes, other symptoms of high blood sugar may include confusion, headache, trembling hands, tingling in the fingers or tongue, buzzing in the ears, elevated pulse, unusual hunger, a tight feeling in the throat or near the tongue, clumsiness, less ability to detect sweetness in taste sensations, irritability, stubbornness, nastiness, pounding the hands on tables and walls, blurred vision, visual spots, double vision, visual hallucinations, visual impairments, lack of physical coordination, tiredness, weakness, sudden awakenings from sleep, shouting while asleep, rapid and shallow breathing, nervousness, light-headedness, faintness, feelings of unusual warmth, cold clammy skin, restlessness, insomnia, nightmares, paleness of complexion, nausea, slurring of speech, and a condition called nystagmus in which the eyes involuntarily jerk when sweeping from side to side. For some, blood sugar is elevated when the letters of the Arabic alphabet begin to look like they're written in Russian or Chinese. Other people walk into walls when their blood sugar is high. Some people become intensely angry and upset for no apparent reason. According to Dr. Bernstein, the symptoms of high blood sugar may occur in clusters or appear alone without other symptoms.
Since your symptoms will be unique to you, try to identify them with the use of home blood sugar tests. If it will help you remember, tell someone else or write down how you feel at the moment when your blood sugar tests unusually high for you. Ask your spouse or family members to tell you if they spot any symptoms of high blood sugar in you. Symptoms are distinctive to each individual--pay attention to your own body and learn to spot high blood sugar whenever you can.
If your blood sugar does become elevated, practice good self-management to reduce your stress, become more physically active, or adjust your eating patterns to bring it back under control. Medications can also help you accomplish this.
In the most rare and extreme instances of high blood sugar, such as when you have been ill over a long period of time, you may go into a diabetic coma, falling into unconsciousness for no apparent reason to those around you. In this case, you must be taken to a hospital emergency room for treatment.
Don't ignore high blood sugar. All the long-term complications of diabetes are believed to result from prolonged periods of high blood sugar or poor blood sugar control.
Basic Meal & Menu Planning
As a basis for meals and menu planning, refer to the pyramid information mentioned earlier to make sure you have the basic food requirements met for all family members. Then cross check and plan by looking over basic food categories to target healthy foods to fit the lifestyles and health of everyone. For example, if someone has depression, add some foods mentioned above to his or her dietary plans that aid in the healing and prevention of depression.
Meal planning also depends upon several factors like the number of people eating, meal times, special dietary concerns, budget, available foods, recipes on hand and likes and dislikes of everyone who will be eating. Begin by choosing foods and recipes that you like and know how to prepare well and that fit into everyoneÕs dietary plans. If one or more people have special needs, like diabetics, plan ahead for substitutions either in the food preparation or food substitution for that individual or for those individuals.
There are a few things to note when making meal choices and menu planning. First, some foods may be advertised a certain way, but that doesnÕt mean you canÕt experiment. For instance, eggs and sausage can be served for dinner, not just breakfast. And waffles can be made from healthy wheat grains and eaten for lunch with fresh fruits instead of sugary syrup and heavy butter for breakfast.
Add variety, too. Have other family members jump in and prepare meals some nights and on weekends. Kids enjoy making macaroni and cheese, so host mac-n-cheese night on Wednesdays, for example. Then alternate different vegetable combinations, colors and textures to vary the menu on a weekly basis (no need to let boredom take over on Wednesdays with the same routine!)
To help with family food budget concerns, clip coupons from newspapers, weekend inserts, and any place you can find them. Downloaded coupons from the Internet to save money, too, from places like CoolSavings.com and CouponCart.com. RefundingMakesCents offers an affordable subscription to a neat print magazine for coupon deals, trades and lots more, with a secret code to their website for Internet coupon-codes for lots of online companies like Amazon.com (cookware) and Barnes and Noble (cookbooks).
Also note seasonal food selections for savings. Create menus and meals based upon whatÕs on special that week or month. Hint: stock up and store or freeze special-priced items and family favorites when possible and storage room and the budget allows. But donÕt over do it. With convenience stores and supermarkets for food shopping in practically every neighborhood anymore, there is no need to hoard. An old saying, ÒHaste makes wasteÓ might apply if you see a great buy, purchase multiple items, then let them become outdated and have to toss them out.
One fun way to save is by trading coupons and working out food deals with friends, family, neighbors, your church group and anyone else whoÕd like to join in. Food cooperatives and farm markets available in your area may offer special pricing to groups or large purchases. So team up for better purchasing power and split everything up between group members. If youÕre not into that much organization, go one-on-one with a neighbor, other friend or relative. Buy a huge bag of potatoes, onions, oats, and / or other foods, then share.
Here is one special item to note with regards to dietary planning. ItÕs unfortunate, but fast foods, especially those that are high in fat content (fried, greasy foods), are often cheaper than good, healthy food choices. For example, lean beef costs more than high-fat beef; cereals high in nutritional value are often priced much higher than the low-cost, sugary brand names. And low income and homeless people are particularly victims of this situation, many times needing to turn to the less healthier food choices for survival. So whenever possible, your plans might want to include donating a portion to homeless shelters and churches who would probably be more than willing to take extras off your hands.
Meal planning also depends upon several factors like the number of people eating, meal times, special dietary concerns, budget, available foods, recipes on hand and likes and dislikes of everyone who will be eating. Begin by choosing foods and recipes that you like and know how to prepare well and that fit into everyoneÕs dietary plans. If one or more people have special needs, like diabetics, plan ahead for substitutions either in the food preparation or food substitution for that individual or for those individuals.
There are a few things to note when making meal choices and menu planning. First, some foods may be advertised a certain way, but that doesnÕt mean you canÕt experiment. For instance, eggs and sausage can be served for dinner, not just breakfast. And waffles can be made from healthy wheat grains and eaten for lunch with fresh fruits instead of sugary syrup and heavy butter for breakfast.
Add variety, too. Have other family members jump in and prepare meals some nights and on weekends. Kids enjoy making macaroni and cheese, so host mac-n-cheese night on Wednesdays, for example. Then alternate different vegetable combinations, colors and textures to vary the menu on a weekly basis (no need to let boredom take over on Wednesdays with the same routine!)
To help with family food budget concerns, clip coupons from newspapers, weekend inserts, and any place you can find them. Downloaded coupons from the Internet to save money, too, from places like CoolSavings.com and CouponCart.com. RefundingMakesCents offers an affordable subscription to a neat print magazine for coupon deals, trades and lots more, with a secret code to their website for Internet coupon-codes for lots of online companies like Amazon.com (cookware) and Barnes and Noble (cookbooks).
Also note seasonal food selections for savings. Create menus and meals based upon whatÕs on special that week or month. Hint: stock up and store or freeze special-priced items and family favorites when possible and storage room and the budget allows. But donÕt over do it. With convenience stores and supermarkets for food shopping in practically every neighborhood anymore, there is no need to hoard. An old saying, ÒHaste makes wasteÓ might apply if you see a great buy, purchase multiple items, then let them become outdated and have to toss them out.
One fun way to save is by trading coupons and working out food deals with friends, family, neighbors, your church group and anyone else whoÕd like to join in. Food cooperatives and farm markets available in your area may offer special pricing to groups or large purchases. So team up for better purchasing power and split everything up between group members. If youÕre not into that much organization, go one-on-one with a neighbor, other friend or relative. Buy a huge bag of potatoes, onions, oats, and / or other foods, then share.
Here is one special item to note with regards to dietary planning. ItÕs unfortunate, but fast foods, especially those that are high in fat content (fried, greasy foods), are often cheaper than good, healthy food choices. For example, lean beef costs more than high-fat beef; cereals high in nutritional value are often priced much higher than the low-cost, sugary brand names. And low income and homeless people are particularly victims of this situation, many times needing to turn to the less healthier food choices for survival. So whenever possible, your plans might want to include donating a portion to homeless shelters and churches who would probably be more than willing to take extras off your hands.
Thursday, 22 September 2011
4 Important Facts You Should Know About Whey Protein
Are you concerned about taking care of your body before and after
strenuous activities or workouts? Do you try to avoid supplements
that contain additives and possible side effects?
If you are interested in better health and improved physical
fitness you have surely heard that bodybuilders and other
athletes are turning to a simple, natural supplement called whey
protein.
WHY DO ATHLETES USE WHEY PROTEIN?
Protein levels are depleted through exercise. Muscles require
amino acids to prevent deterioration, give endurance and build
mass. Proteins supply these amino acids to the muscles which is
why athletes use whey protein.
WHAT IS WHEY PROTEIN?
Commercial whey protein comes from cow's milk. Whey is the
by-product of making cheese and was usually thrown away as a
waste product. Now researchers know that whey protein is high
quality, natural protein that is rich with amino acids essential
for good health and muscle building. It is naturally found in
mother's milk and also used in baby formula. It is being
considered for use as a fortifier of grain products because of
its considerable health benefits and bland flavor.
Although protein is also found in other foods such as meat, soy
and vegetables, whey protein is proven to have the highest
absorption (digestion) levels in comparison to all others.
WHO SHOULD CONSIDER USING WHEY PROTEIN?
Whey protein has many health benefits including immune support,
bone health, sports health, weight management and overall well
being.
Because amino acids are 'building blocks' for the human body it
is sometimes used by patients to speed up the healing of wounds
or burns.
The high quality protein that comes from whey makes it a
recommended choice for those who need optimal benefits from
restricted diets including diabetics, those on weight management
diets and even ill patients not able to consume enough protein in
their diet to assist with healing.
CAN WHEY PROTEIN BE DANGEROUS?
Whey protein is a food and so it does not have have the risks
associated with other supplements. That said, too much of
anything carries risks. Extremely high use of whey protein can
overload the liver which can cause serious problems. Moderation
is always recommended.
If you are lactose intolerant you might try whey protein isolate
which has less than 1% lactose and should be tolerable for most
users.
Whey protein is a natural and healthy way to bring protein into
your diet and increase well being.
The information contained in this article is for educational purposes
only and is not intended to medically diagnose, treat or cure any
disease. Consult a health care practitioner before beginning any
health care program.
strenuous activities or workouts? Do you try to avoid supplements
that contain additives and possible side effects?
If you are interested in better health and improved physical
fitness you have surely heard that bodybuilders and other
athletes are turning to a simple, natural supplement called whey
protein.
WHY DO ATHLETES USE WHEY PROTEIN?
Protein levels are depleted through exercise. Muscles require
amino acids to prevent deterioration, give endurance and build
mass. Proteins supply these amino acids to the muscles which is
why athletes use whey protein.
WHAT IS WHEY PROTEIN?
Commercial whey protein comes from cow's milk. Whey is the
by-product of making cheese and was usually thrown away as a
waste product. Now researchers know that whey protein is high
quality, natural protein that is rich with amino acids essential
for good health and muscle building. It is naturally found in
mother's milk and also used in baby formula. It is being
considered for use as a fortifier of grain products because of
its considerable health benefits and bland flavor.
Although protein is also found in other foods such as meat, soy
and vegetables, whey protein is proven to have the highest
absorption (digestion) levels in comparison to all others.
WHO SHOULD CONSIDER USING WHEY PROTEIN?
Whey protein has many health benefits including immune support,
bone health, sports health, weight management and overall well
being.
Because amino acids are 'building blocks' for the human body it
is sometimes used by patients to speed up the healing of wounds
or burns.
The high quality protein that comes from whey makes it a
recommended choice for those who need optimal benefits from
restricted diets including diabetics, those on weight management
diets and even ill patients not able to consume enough protein in
their diet to assist with healing.
CAN WHEY PROTEIN BE DANGEROUS?
Whey protein is a food and so it does not have have the risks
associated with other supplements. That said, too much of
anything carries risks. Extremely high use of whey protein can
overload the liver which can cause serious problems. Moderation
is always recommended.
If you are lactose intolerant you might try whey protein isolate
which has less than 1% lactose and should be tolerable for most
users.
Whey protein is a natural and healthy way to bring protein into
your diet and increase well being.
The information contained in this article is for educational purposes
only and is not intended to medically diagnose, treat or cure any
disease. Consult a health care practitioner before beginning any
health care program.
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