Diabetes

what is diabetes

2008-08-01T13:00:00.003-07:00

What Is Diabetes And How Does It Affect People?

We have all seen the commercials on television where the actor is very excited about their new diabetes meter for testing their blood sugar levels. Some of the actors are very famous like Wilford Brimley or BB King and the commercials run all day long every single day. Diabetes is a big business to the medical supply industry but what is diabetes? The questions of what is diabetes is asked by a lot of people and the answer is not as complex as you may think.

Diabetes is the inability for the patient’s digestive system to produce enough insulin to break down the glucose from carbohydrates that are taken when a person eats food. If there isn’t enough insulin to break down the glucose, or the patient’s system is resistant to the effects of insulin, then that glucose over takes the system and can begin to damage the internal organs of the body. So when you ask “what is diabetes?” you are really asking a question about the digestive system of a human being and how that system processes the different materials that we take in. As our society becomes more and more dependent on processes sugars and simple carbohydrates more and more people are developing diabetes symptoms. This prompts the World Health Organization to answer the question of “what is diabetes?” with the answer that it is becoming an epidemic.

Treatments

Diabetes is the inability to combat the rise in glucose in the digestive system that comes from the normal intake of calories from food so the first course of treatment a doctor will usually take is a change in the patient’s diet and exercise routines. What is diabetes’ biggest enemy is complex carbohydrates because complex carbohydrates take much longer to digest and therefore the insulin need to offset their glucose production is not as great. Less glucose is what diabetes hates because less glucose means no more diabetes. So the doctor will recommend a change in diet and tell the patient to lose weight. In many cases of type 2 diabetes this course of action is effective and containing the diabetes. In other cases it is not.

Diabetes is beginning to affect more people in the western world as our society changes its diet to include less healthy food. It is true what they say that fruits and vegetables are very good for you and you should eat them every day. But as fast food restaurants and sugary snacks begin to take the place of real food in our society it is only a matter of time before diabetes is the number 1 health issue all over the world.

what causes diabetes

2008-08-01T13:00:00.001-07:00

Learning About What Causes Diabetes

Diabetes is one of the most serious and common diseases in the world, and whether it is you or a loved one that is suffering from the disease, in order to be able to properly manage and treat it, you need to learn about what causes diabetes. Many people mistakenly think that by eating too many sweet or sugary foods you can develop the disease, but this is actually nothing more than a myth.

The Truth

When it comes to what really causes diabetes, what happens is that when the pancreas is not able to make enough or any of the hormone known as insulin, or when the insulin that is being produced is not working effectively, this as a result causes the level of glucose in the blood to be too high and thereby the person develops diabetes.

There are two different types of diabetes: type 1 diabetes and type 2 diabetes. There are both similarities and differences between the two types, and in type 1, the cells in the pancreas that usually work to make the insulin are destroyed, which results in causing a severe lack of insulin in the body, and this is thought to be the result of the body attacking and destroying its own cells, which in turn makes it an autoimmune reaction.

In searching for what causes diabetes, you’ll learn that although there is no single cause of type 1 diabetes, there are a few triggers that are considered to be responsible, including an infection with a specific virus or bacteria, exposure to food-borne chemical toxins, and exposure as a young infant to cow’s milk.

What causes type 2 diabetes? It develops when the receptors on the cells in the body that normally respond to the action of insulin fail to be stimulated by it, otherwise known as insulin resistance, or when the insulin that is available in the body is abnormal and therefore does not work properly.

Again there are a few different triggers of this reaction that are considered as being risk factors that increase someone’s chances of developing the disease, including increasing age, obesity, and physical inactivity.

Therefore when it comes to the matter of what really causes diabetes, there is no one single answer but rather quite a few, and the only real way you can attempt to avoid developing the disease then is by keeping yourself as healthy as possible. By maintaining as generally healthy a lifestyle as possible you will not be able to avoid it for sure but you will be protecting yourself against it as much as you can.

type 2 diabetes symptoms

2008-08-01T12:59:00.003-07:00

Managing Type 2 Diabetes Symptoms

Type 2 diabetes symptoms are quite varied but they still need to be managed in order to prevent many of the health problems that you could potentially face.

How To Manage Type 2 Diabetes Symptoms

You need to check your blood sugar several times a day in order to get a better idea of when the numbers fluctuate to an unsafe range, so that you can make changes in your diet or medication. This will also help your doctor be able to take better, more complete care of you. For this reason, you need to document the levels if your machine does not have a built-in memory.

It is also important to observe your food intake. Herein you should keep a food diary. This, along with your blood sugar testing results, can provide a much clearer picture for your physician when they are taking into consideration your medical status so that they can help you to more easily manage your type 2 diabetes symptoms. You will also be able to find patterns here in your food intake that will help you to discover ways in which to change your diet so that you can keep yourself healthier and your blood glucose levels more stable.

Your prescriptions need to be taken as instructed or you will not obtain the results that you need in managing your type 2 diabetes symptoms. So, make sure that you understand the information that your doctor gives you about the prescription in order that you can be sure that you take it exactly as your doctor wants you to.

Another important part of managing your type 2 diabetes symptoms lies in becoming physically active. There are many different benefits to exercising such as helping your body to run more efficiently, which in turn can truly influence your blood sugar. If you find activities that you enjoy doing, like walking, running, biking or playing tennis, basketball, etc. you will be able to have fun giving your body one of the tools that it needs to keep you healthy. All it takes is 30 minutes a day.

Conclusion

In order to manage your type 2 diabetes symptoms you will also need to change your lifestyle and habits. This is well worth the extra time and effort that this takes because it can help you to stay healthier longer. So, monitor and document your food and blood sugar levels, take your medications as prescribed and get some exercise in order to reduce many of your type 2 diabetes symptoms.

type 2 diabetes diet

2008-08-01T12:59:00.001-07:00

The Makings Of A Good Type 2 Diabetes Diet

Type 2 diabetes occurs when the body is unable to produce enough insulin to break down glucose in the blood. That is why people with type 2 diabetes take insulin shots, to help raise their insulin level and break down the glucose. But there are ways to structure your type 2 diabetes diet that can help you manage your diabetes better and even potentially reduce the effects of the diabetes. The first way you can help yourself is to simply lose weight and get more exercise. Type 2 diabetes thrives in larger inactive people. So reducing your mass and increasing your blood flow and help reduce the effects of the type 2 diabetes. But here are some things you can do in a type 2 diabetes diet that can also help reduce the effects of your diabetes.

Watch Your Carbohydrates

Simple carbohydrates are really bad to have in a type 2 diabetes diet. Refined sugars and sweets are dangerous and can cause a dangerous rise in the glucose level in your blood. What you want to do is increase your intake of complex carbohydrates and fibers to help reduce the need for your system to produce insulin as quick as it would need to with simple carbohydrates. Complex carbohydrates such as fruits and vegetables are ideal for a type 2 diabetes diet because they are broken down slowly by your system and even a person with diabetes will have an easier time digesting complex carbohydrates because the insulin demand on the system is lower. So eat your fruits and vegetables and make sure you also get fiber into your type 2 diabetes diet.

Proteins And Fats

In a type 2 diabetes diet you want anywhere from 10% to 20% of your daily intake of calories to have protein in it. Protein is an essential part of any diet but people on a type 2 diabetes diet especially want to make sure that they are getting their share of protein. Avoid doing much more that 20% as that can potentially lead to problems.

Try and keep your fat intake to less than 30% of your daily calorie count and try to eat as little saturated fats as possible. It is ideal to try and keep your saturated fat intake each day to a level below 10% of your calorie intake. You want to try and make your diet as lean as possible and avoid adding any more fats or carbohydrates to your diet. It is advisable that you consume at least 20 grams of fiber every day.

type 2 diabetes

2008-08-01T12:58:00.004-07:00

Managing Your Type 2 Diabetes

Type 2 diabetes is the most common form of diabetes. It actually accounts for more than 90% of all cases of diabetes. With this disease the body does not make or properly use insulin, a hormone that helps convert sugar, starches and other foods into energy. Eventually a person's body will stop producing insulin if they have this disease. Unfortunately, it is not yet known why this happens. However, genetics and environmental factors do play a role. This is why it is important to have a self-management plan in order to fight this disease.

Taking Classes On Type 2 Diabetes

There are classes available though that provide information about type 2 diabetes and teach the skills that are necessary for avoiding the numerous complications of this disease. These classes teach the patient how to monitor glucose, modify their diets, develop exercise regimens, self-inject insulin and many other necessary things.

Daily Management Of Type 2 Diabetes

Daily insulin injections can be the most difficult part of type 2 diabetes self-management for some people. A good alternative for this is a medical device that is known as an insulin pump. This is a small, battery operated pump that is worn on the waist and has a reservoir that contains insulin, which is automatically injected into the body by way of a catheter that is embedded under the skin. The pump is easily detached and adjusted.

About 90% of people who have type 2 diabetes are overweight. Therefore, exercise and keeping weight under control are vital. Of course, it is also important to keep blood glucose under control in order to prevent the other health related problems that are often related to type 2 diabetes.

Food intake must also be moderated. This does not mean that a person with the disease cannot continue to eat their favorite foods. They can do so as long as their portions are controlled. Of course, the person also needs to eat foods that are high in nutrition with lots of vegetables and fruit. For this reason you will find that many programs have dietitians on staff to help patients develop a plan that works for them.

Exercise is also an important way of helping to control type 2 diabetes. Even light exercise such as gardening and walking are beneficial to keeping a person's blood sugar under control. This will also benefit your cholesterol levels, blood pressure and cardiovascular health.

Developing diabetes has helped some people become healthier. This is because by sticking to their self-management plan they are no longer obese, they are also able to enjoy the many health benefits that go along with exercise and healthy eating.

type 1 diabetes

2008-08-01T12:58:00.003-07:00

Successfully Managing Your Type 1 Diabetes

Type 1 diabetes is a disease that destroys all of a person's cells that are responsible for producing insulin in the person's pancreas. Whenever the body is no longer able to regulate the person's blood sugar levels, then daily injections of insulin are required in order to sustain that person's life. Unfortunately, what causes type 1 diabetes is not yet known. However, it is generally believed that a person's environment and genetics play a key role.

Who Is Affected By Type 1 Diabetes?

Type 1 diabetes is a disease that affects more than a million people in the United States alone. It can create severe medical complications such as heart disease, stroke, blindness, kidney disease and circulation problems that lead to limbs having to be amputated. Therefore, it is mandatory that those who have this disease develop a good self-management program.

Symptoms Of Type 1 Diabetes

The symptoms of type 1 diabetes include excessive thirst, frequent urination, weight loss, excessive hunger, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, fatigue and in women it causes them to stop menstruating.

Implementing A Type 1 Diabetes Self-Management Plan

Most of the time it is easier to implement a type 1 diabetes self-management plan for people who are able to maintain a consistent schedule in their lives. Those who have jobs that require them to travel or work various shifts and people who have others that they have to care for such as children or elderly relatives will have a harder time.

Usually self-management involves the patient giving themselves daily injections of insulin. However, there is the option to use an insulin pump, which is a device that is about the size of a cell phone and is worn around the person's waist. It is attached to a catheter that is implanted under their skin and then injects the patient with insulin around the clock in tiny amounts as needed. The device can be removed whenever necessary and the insulin dosages can be easily changed to keep blood sugar in check. As such, the pump is a very convenient option.

Having a comprehensive diabetes self-management program is very important when it comes to controlling type 1 diabetes. There are many new methods to do this becoming available as medical science continues to pursue new ways to treat and manage this disease. However, for now, those people who have type 1 diabetes should continue to do everything possible to keep the disease at bay so that they can safeguard their health.

symptoms of diabetes

2008-08-01T12:58:00.001-07:00

Symptoms Of Diabetes Similar For Types 1 And 2

The thought of getting diabetes is probably more dreaded than getting a tax audit, but is easier to live through. Tax audits can come without warning, but symptoms of both types of diabetes precede the need to go to the emergency room. Diabetes in either form does not go away if ignored; it only gets worse over time and can eventually kill you. But with early diagnosis and eating changes, you can still live a long, quality life.

If you are a caretaker of a child or an elderly person, you also need to know the early symptoms of diabetes because your charge will not think anything of it. Please see the doctor when in any doubt and do not use this article as a substitute for a doctor’s advice. The sooner the symptoms of diabetes are dealt with, the sooner you or your charges can get back to feeling normal again (maybe even better than normal).

Are You Gonna Be In There All Day?

One of the major warning symptoms of diabetes is increased thirst, which in turn gives you a greater need to urinate. Diabetes throws the blood sugar and the kidneys out of whack, so they go into warp drive, keeping the bladder constantly filled. You can actually be in danger of dehydration, even if you are constantly drinking, because the kidneys have to pull water out of your body in order to try and lower glucose levels.

I Rested All Day And I’m Still Tired

Another of the symptoms of diabetes to pay attention to is feeling tired all of the time for no apparent reason. The body is doing all it can to deal with the blood sugar, which takes up a lot of energy. Insulin is the stuff the body needs to bring glucose to cells. If there isn’t enough insulin, then the cells can’t get the energy they need to keep on going. This in turn makes a diabetic feel constantly wiped out.

Are My Hands Still Asleep?

Tingling or numbness in your limbs – especially hands and feet – is one of the biggest symptoms of diabetes that cannot be ignored. Everyone gets some tingling when they stay too long in one position or sleep funny, but all the buzzing and tingles should stop after a few minutes of moving around. When the body has trouble getting all of the cells the energy it needs, it prioritizes. Inner organs get the major blood flow and the limbs get shafted.

signs of diabetes

2008-08-01T12:57:00.002-07:00

Recognizing The Signs Of Diabetes In Your Dog

Dogs share most of our lives with us – our laughter, our suffering, our beds, our hearts and conditions like diabetes. Although treating diabetes in humans or dogs can be costly, it is an effective means of keeping you and your pet not only alive, but living a good quality of life. One of the best, kindest and most economical ways of managing your diabetes or the diabetes of your dog is to learn and recognize the signs of diabetes.

Signs Or Symptoms?

Vets usually will ask you about the signs of diabetes in your dog rather than the symptoms. Signs refer to the actions you observe – symptoms are when the patient complains about specific problems. Since most dogs don’t talk, your vet won’t get many symptoms out of them. Those that do talk do not want to see the vet and will lie. Therefore, it is up to you to tell the vet:

when the signs of diabetes started
if your dog is on many other medications
what breed or breeds your dog is
bring an inoculation certificate, if you can, when visiting an emergency vet who may not have access to your normal vet’s records

When the life of your dog is on the line, vets will not quibble over the use of “signs” for “symptoms”, but when they talk to you about “signs of diabetes”, at least you know exactly what they mean.

What To Watch Out For

The flashing red neon signs of diabetes in your dog are:

Always at the water bowl
Always trying to eat – even more than usual
Sudden weight loss you can’t explain
Peeing a lot more than usual

Diabetes in dogs, just like in humans, will not go away if left alone. Your dog needs to go to the vet. Failure to do so can result in a cruelty to animal charge for not rendering aid to a sick animal (the severity of penalty varies where you live). Your dog will repay your vet bills with years of devotion, listening to you complain and being always glad to see you.

Your dog will need blood tests for the rest of his or her life, in order to monitor the effectiveness of the insulin injections. Yes, your dog will need insulin injections. You will be able to learn to give injections, because you won’t have any choice. Needles made today are a lot thinner and less painful than those made years ago.

reversing diabetes

2008-08-01T12:57:00.001-07:00

Can Lifestyle Change Help In Reversing Diabetes?

There may be a few doctors who claim there are ways of reversing diabetes, but the overwhelming evidence suggests that once a person has diabetes, they will be a diabetic the rest of their life. While there are some ways that eating right and exercising can reduce the potential for a person to contract the ailment, along with genetic predisposition, once the body stops making insulin, reversing diabetes is probably not going to be possible.

The most common form of the disease is Type 2 diabetes, also known as adult onset diabetes, and in many cases early tests can indicate pre diabetes, indicating that diabetes is in the future. While many things can contribute to a person’s susceptibility of this turning into diabetes, there are steps they can take for reversing diabetes in this stage. When too much blood is stored in the body and there is no way to clean it out, diabetes is a foregone conclusion. However, changing dietary habits and getting more exercise can reduce the chance of that happening.

Thinking about the causes of diabetes, including a sedentary lifestyle, eating a diet mainly of processed food and loads of glucose, the body may not stand a chance in fighting off diabetes. However, a change in the way a person lives can affect their chance of being diagnosed with diabetes and reversing diabetes in its early stages is possible.

Early Diagnosis Offer Chance To Reverse Disease

A person prone to developing diabetes include those who age 45 or older, overweight will little exercise, are genetically predisposed, meaning one or both parents had diabetes and have high cholesterol or high triglycerides. Knowing they have these potential factors for the ailment, reversing diabetes should start at an early age. Taking steps before the disease becomes apparent is one method of reversing diabetes that many people fail to recognize.

In addition to have the chance of reversing diabetes, the lifestyle chances can be beneficial for overall health as well. Exercising will not only help a person lose weight, but will also increase the level of good cholesterol in the body. Medication may be needed to reduce high cholesterol and triglycerides, but a good nutritional diet may decrease the need for medication.

When a person diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes considers altering their lifestyle and medication in hopes of reversing diabetes, they should always do so under the watchful eye of their physician. The effects of diabetes can be debilitating as well as potentially fatal, if left to its own devices.

pre diabetes

2008-08-01T12:56:00.004-07:00

Testing For Pre Diabetes May Require Lifestyle Changes

When there are indications that a person may be subject to developing diabetes, it may be prudent to be tested periodically to determine if the ailment is imminent. Many times a patient takes a diabetes test and is determined have pre diabetes, a level of sugar in their blood that may indicate it is likely they will develop diabetes. There are a couple of tests the doctor can perform to determine if a person has pre diabetes or full blown diabetes.

Glucose that is not appropriately processed by the body will adhere to blood cells instead of being transferred into the body’s cells. The fasting plasma glucose test can determine how much sugar is in the blood for the past 30 to 60 days. A level of 100 or less is accepted as normal and a reading of between 100 and 125 is considered pre diabetes. When readings are over 126 they are consider to have diabetes.

Another test for diabetes can be done with the invasiveness of drawing blood, to determine how well the body reacts to sugar intake. A blood glucose test is performed with the results noted. The patient then drinks a 12 ounce soda with a high sugar content and the pre diabetes test is repeated. If the amount of sugar in the blood increases dramatically, it can be a sign the body is not producing enough insulin or that the insulin produced is not able to do its job. Most doctors rely on the fasting plasma glucose test for accuracy.

Be Aware Of Diabetes Risk Factors

While genetic predisposition is one of the most commonly considered indicators a person may contract diabetes there are others to consider. Type 2 diabetes, or adult onset diabetes is more common if folks over the age of 45. Being overweight with a body mass index greater than 25 and during a glucose tolerance test, indications noted the patient is susceptible to developing diabetes.

In some cases when pre diabetes has been detected a change in lifestyle and eating habits can help the body better process the sugar in the bloodstream, reducing the need for drug intervention later in life. Reducing the mount of refined sugar in the diet and working to reduce cholesterol levels have been successful in reducing the onset of diabetes.

Exercise can also improve good cholesterol levels while helping to reduce bad cholesterol and is a benefit for those overweight in attempt to drop the extra pounds.

juvenile diabetes

2008-08-01T12:56:00.003-07:00

Obesity And Juvenile Diabetes

The increasing obesity epidemic among children is believed to be the leading cause in the increase of juvenile diabetes. Of course, not everyone agrees with this statement. However, it is difficult to argue with this because as obesity continues to increase, so does Type 2 diabetes. In fact, both of these percentages are rising at nearly the same rate. Another of the reasons why juvenile diabetes appears to be on the rise is because most of today's children have poor eating habits and nutrition. They either live the fast food lifestyle or they eat a bag a chips while playing video games. Of course, this only helps to increase the obesity rate, as does the sedentary lifestyle that revolves around watching television, playing video games and talking to their friends on the computer.

Concerns About Juvenile Diabetes

One of the main concerns about juvenile diabetes is that it can have negative affects later on in a child's life. This is because these children have been found to have more life threatening complications than those children who have type 1 diabetes. Some of the major problems include heart disease, damage to the nervous system, renal failure, blindness and limb amputations, especially when it comes to their feet and lower legs.

Defending Against Juvenile Diabetes

The first line of defense against juvenile diabetes is actually the most obvious. You need to help your child maintain a healthy body weight through proper diet and exercise. Those children who already have juvenile diabetes also need to maintain a healthy body weight through proper diet and exercise so that they can avoid health problems later on in life.

Treating Juvenile Diabetes

The cornerstone of treatment for children with juvenile diabetes is a healthy, well balanced diet that is low in sugar, saturated fats and salt. Other foods that are good for diabetics are those that are high in fiber and low in carbohydrates. It is also important for these children to get regular physical activity or exercise so that they can move glucose out of their blood and into their cells. These things need to be taken seriously regardless as to whether or not your child is at an increased risk of developing juvenile diabetes. By making these easy lifestyle changes that center around a healthy diet and physical activity the onset of type 2 diabetes can be prevented or delayed for those children who are at a particularly high risk for developing this disease.

gestational diabetes diet

2008-08-01T12:56:00.001-07:00

Carb Counting Crucial In Gestational Diabetes Diet Plan

Gestational diabetes is dangerous not only for you, but for your baby. This is one of the many reasons you need to have periodic check ups with a doctor during your term. Sadly, many women are predisposed to getting gestational diabetes when they are pregnant including women over 25, women who are overweight, and women with a family history of diabetes. But the good news is that this dangerous condition is treatable, partly due to following a gestational diabetes diet plan that concentrates on how many carbohydrates (carbs) you eat per meal.

What’s The Deal With Carbohydrates?

Carbohydrates make blood sugar (glucose), your body’s fuel. Glucose needs insulin to transport it to where it needs to go in your body cells in order to derive the energy it needs to keep going. Any type of diabetes is when the body cannot get this fuel where it’s needed due to a decrease or lack of being able to make insulin. If your idea of a gestational diabetes diet is to eat a lot of carbs while and not much else, your body cannot handle the glucose produced and you risk becoming very ill indeed.

You still need to eat carbohydrates in your gestational diabetes diet– you just need to be aware of them more than ever. You need to eat equal portions of carbs, protein and fats with each of your meals. You need to eat at regular times and not miss a meal, especially if you are on insulin. If you take an insulin shot and then forget to eat within two hours, you can go into a diabetic shock. Some nutritionists recommend a “three thirds” approach – fill a third of your plate with protein, a third with carbs and the final third with fruit or vegetables.

Some Other Advice

Don’t eat all your carbs at one sitting. Spread them out through the day on a gestational diabetes diet. You need to eat about 300 extra calories a day in order to keep you and your growing baby healthy. That’s about 2200 per day in total. You also should keep as active as possible in order to keep your body strong and from getting too fat. Although some women have been able to go through pregnancy controlling their blood sugar levels with a gestational diabetes diet alone, please take any medications or insulin shots your doctor prescribes. Have a snack before bedtime in order to get through sleep without eating. Choose high fiber foods when you can.

gestational diabetes

2008-08-01T12:55:00.000-07:00

What The Heck Is Gestational Diabetes?

Being pregnant is scary enough, which can put the body under a lot of stress. This is why you need to see a doctor all throughout your pregnancy. There are usually many programs for pregnant low-income women to get the doctor’s care they and their babies need. One of the reasons you need these regular checkups during the pregnancy is to be sure you don’t get gestational diabetes – and if you do, for it to be treated immediately. Gestational diabetes only goes away when you are no longer pregnant – but by then, it may be too late.

What Women Are Especially Venerable

You don’t have to have diabetes or a family history of diabetes in order to develop gestational diabetes. However, if you have a family history or any kind of diabetes, that does put you at risk. You are also more at risk if you are over 25 and overweight. For reasons unknown, gestational diabetes occurs more often in Hispanic, Asian, black or Native Americans than in other races.

It is very difficult to prevent gestational diabetes if you already are overweight, not exercising regularly, smoke and drink. The stress of getting pregnant will just be too much for your body to handle. However, if you make it a habit to eat a wide variety of healthy foods, exercise regularly, stop smoking and cut back or cut out alcoholic beverages before and all throughout your pregnancy, then you stand a good chance of preventing gestational diabetes.

You Must Have Regular Screening

Unlike Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes, gestational diabetes has no recognizable symptoms. The only way to know if you have it is through regular blood screenings throughout your term. These screenings are blood tests where you have to fast overnight, then are given a sugary drink to see how your body reacts. You need two positive readings before you are diagnosed with gestational diabetes.

Why bother about screening? Because gestational diabetes can lead to other complications during and after pregnancy, not the least of this is risk of developing a high blood pressure condition known as preeclampsia. This can be fatal to both you and the baby. Gestational diabetes also makes the baby at risk for developing severe breathing problems, jaundice, and diabetes. The baby is also at risk of being a “giant baby” (macrosomia) – one that has suddenly grown too big to be delivered in the normal manner. When a baby is too big for the normal method of delivery, they and the mother are high risk of getting injured due to the birth.

early symptoms of diabetes

2008-08-01T12:49:00.004-07:00

Recognizing Early Symptoms Of Diabetes

Diabetes is a disease that can be traced in the genes of certain families. If you have a family history of diabetes in your family, then you need to be careful and extra vigilant in recognizing the early symptoms of diabetes. Being able to catch the early symptoms of diabetes can decide whether your diabetes is severe or manageable with just medications and a strict diet.

There are races which are more prone to diabetes compared to others. This who have traces of Native American, African American, Latino and Pacific Islander heritage are prone to diabetes. An individual’s weight, lifestyle, age and genes are among the factors which can trigger diabetes in an individual. A family history of diabetes can be the reason why many people always have check ups to see if their body is functioning as it should be.

Several Early Symptoms Of Diabetes To Watch Out For

Among the many early symptoms of diabetes is blurry vision, frequent urination, increased feeling of fatigue, extreme hunger, irritability, excessive thirst and sudden weight loss. These early symptoms of diabetes need to be recognized as soon as possible before the individual goes from pre-diabetes stage to full diabetes.

Other early symptoms of diabetes are frequent skin infections or yeast infections. Since yeast p[refer to grow on sugar, it is understandable that these will occur on a person who is secreting basically sweet urine and sweat. People who may have diabetes also feel sleepy or tired most of the time. When they sit down to watch TV or read, they tend to fall asleep quite readily.

The early symptoms of diabetes are godsends that help us to know that we have the disease. Without these early symptoms of diabetes we will surely develop full blown diabetes without us knowing a thing. That is why it is important to be vigilant and observant regarding changes in our bodily functions and lifestyle. It is better to avoid eating too much food with carbohydrates in order not to increase your risk of diabetes.

What To Do If You Suspect You Have Diabetes

If you suspect you are experiencing early symptoms of diabetes, go to your medical practitioner to have a blood chemistry done on you. This is one easy way to know if you have the disease or not. It will also help to discover if you have any other underlying diseases. Your doctor can help to diagnose your symptoms and give you professional help, if necessary.

diabetes types

2008-08-01T12:49:00.003-07:00

An Explanation Of The Diabetes Types

When it comes to diabetes types there are essentially three types of diabetes and they are diabetes type 1, diabetes type 2, and gestational diabetes. Of the diabetes types the most well known is diabetes type 2 but let us take a look at all three of these different types of the condition and see what separates them and what links them together.

Diabetes Type 1

This type of diabetes is categorized by the complete inability for the digestive system to produce insulin. It is a degenerative disease that eventually destroys the body’s ability to create insulin at any time and can become fatal if not treated with external injections of insulin directly to the blood. This disease is commonly considered to be more abundant in children and sometimes this misconception can cause an adult that has this diabetes to be incorrectly diagnosed as having type 2. As we will see later it is critical that this diagnosis be correct because the difference between type 1 and type 2 is significant and treating a type 1 patient with type 2 methods can cause permanent damage and even death if the treatment is not altered in time.

Diabetes Type 2

This is the most common type of diabetes and is the result of the body’s inability to produce insulin or the digestive system’s inability to use the insulin once the body has created it. Without insulin the glucose in your blood cannot make it into your cells where it is needed. If it remains in your blood then it will find its way into your vital organs and serious damage can occur.

To treat type 2 doctors will normally recommend a change in diet for the patient and tell the patient they have to lose weight in order for the body to begin to react properly to the insulin being added to the system. In some cases this loss of weight and a change in diet will help keep the type 2 under control. If this does not work then the next step is a combination of medications that will help the patient control their insulin flow and get their diabetes under control.

Gestational Diabetes

This diabetes is a very specific type and it only affects pregnant women who have never had diabetes before. Although the cause is not readily known it is believed that a hormone produced during pregnancy begins to affect the body’s ability to properly utilize insulin and causes gestational diabetes.

diabetes type 2

2008-08-01T12:49:00.001-07:00

Can You Go Out To Eat If You Have Diabetes, Type 2?

You certainly can go out to eat if you have diabetes, Type 2 or Type 1. You just can’t order any old thing, though. You need to search for low-fat and heart-healthy choices on the menu. Worse comes to worse, eat only a kid’s meal. It’s more dangerous for you to go without food than to eat a little high fat food. You can still have delicious meals in restaurants or cafes when you have diabetes, Type 2.

You Have Money They Want

As a diabetic, you are part of a powerful consumer market in the world. Since there are millions of those with diabetes – Type 2 or the rarer Type 1 – no restaurant wants to loose your business! Many restaurants – even fast food chains – offer choices that are low-fat, or low in bad cholesterols or are made in healthier ways for you. If you are not sure of how something is made or how much fat is in it – ask. You are not being a bother. Any reputable eatery would rather help you make the healthiest meal choice you can rather than have you get ill and risk a disastrous lawsuit.

Words To Live And Eat By

When looking through a menu, look for words like “broiled”, “skinless” and “lower calorie”. Words that make you cross them off your list include “fried”, “breaded”, “MSG” and “supersize”. If you know that the restaurant you are going to has non-native English speaking workers, you can still communicate. If you or a friend can go to the Select Wisely website at www.selectwisely.com , you will find already made questions in many languages all ready for you to print out.

Other tips from the American Diabetes Association for those with diabetes, Type 2 or Type 1 on eating out:

Eat as close to the times you would normally eat to reduce shock to your body
Eat slowly – this will help you not dangerously overeat
Avoid eating mostly French fries and nothing else
Avoid or severely limit alcohol intake
Eat small portions. For example, instead of eating a whole pizza, eat only two slices to be safe. If you are still hungry, better to go with a salad or cooked vegetables to help balance out your meal

And always remember to take your insulin and monitor your blood sugar before and after you eat, no matter where you are eating. And still follow your doctor’s advice when you have diabetes, Type 2 or Type 1.

diabetes type 1

2008-08-01T12:48:00.004-07:00

Diabetes Type 1 Is Not Just A Childhood Disease

Diabetes type 1 use to be known as childhood or juvenile-onset diabetes. However, this is no longer the case. This type of diabetes often first appears in children over the age of 4. It is especially seen with the arrival of early adolescence. Plus, it can also appear in adults, especially those who are in their late 30s and early 40s.

What Causes Diabetes Type 1

Diabetes type 1 is caused by the body's inability to produce sufficient insulin. Unfortunately, nobody really knows why this happens but there is more than likely an underlying genetic cause that is triggered by a combination of different environmental factors. Nonetheless, you need to understand that the body needs insulin for normal metabolism and uses it to transfer glucose, which forms one of the body's main sources of energy. This is produced during the process of food digestion, when the food moves from your bloodstream into your body's cells. In healthy people insulin is produced by cells that are called beta-cells and are located within your pancreas. However, if you have diabetes type 1, these cells become damaged and production either ceases or is reduced.

Who Suffers From Diabetes Type 1

There are 1 million Americans that suffer from diabetes type 1 and around 10,000 new cases are diagnosed in the United States each year. This form of diabetes is more common in men than in women and it is also more prevalent among non-Hispanic whites, Hispanic Americans and African Americans.

Symptoms Seen In Diabetes Type 1

There are numerous symptoms that can accompany the onset of diabetes type 1. The most common early symptoms result from a buildup of glucose in the blood. They include excessive urination, thirst and hunger as well as tiredness and a lack of energy. Sometimes excessive blood sugar can also lead to nausea and blurred vision. It is also common that diabetes type 1 dis diagnosed as the result of an emergency condition that is known as ketoacidosis. This condition arises whenever blood sugar levels reach an especially high level and the body begins to break down fat in order to get the energy that it needs. This leads to a build-up of chemicals in the blood that are known as ketones. It results in nausea, vomiting and stomach pains. If this condition is left untreated it will progress and breathing can become increasingly rapid, followed by coma and death.

diabetes treatment

2008-08-01T12:48:00.003-07:00

Diabetes Treatment Can Help Preserve Healthy Lifestyle

Once a person has been diagnosed with diabetes, treatment will usually begin with oral medication. Typically, doctors will prescribe medication that tells the body to produce more insulin, while suggesting a diet low in sugar and low in carbohydrates. In the early stages of diabetes, treatment usually involves weight loss, if applicable, diet and effective physical activity. If these steps do not reduce the blood glucose level, medication is usually the next step in treatment.

The doctor will take an active interest in controlling the patient’s diabetes, but there are a few methods of diabetes treatment the patient can do on their own to help with their management of the disease. Monitoring blood sugar is an important part of diabetes treatment as it can indicate if a change in medication is needed, or perhaps an adjustment of the dosage is necessary. Exercise will help the body metabolize the sugar in the system more quickly as well as help with weight control and increase the good cholesterol levels.

Controlling stress is also a part of diabetes treatment for many patients and although some types of stress may be good for many people, learning how to deal with the stresses of life can improve overall health. A proper diet will also be part of the treatment, reducing the amount of sugar found in processed foods will be part of the plan.

Diet Is Important Part Of Treatment Plan

For those diagnosed with diabetes and taking medication to keep it under control, are not doing themselves any good by not following a healthy diet. Many medications are designed to instruct the body to produce more insulin, based on the blood glucose levels found during testing. A major part of diabetes treatment is to not introduce additional sugar into the bloodstream to nullify the effects of the medication.

Simple carbohydrates as well as highly refined foods will quickly break down into sugar in the bloodstream and can cause problems with the diabetes treatment regimen. Complex carbohydrates break down much slower and will be absorbed into the blood at a much safer speed. Less saturated fat should also be part of the diet for diabetes treatment,

Exercise plays a couple of roles in diabetes treatment in that it can help reduce the body’s insulin resistance while helping to increase good cholesterol levels. Exercise is also good for weight reduction and keeping the heart muscle, and others, strong and working well.

diabetes test

2008-08-01T12:48:00.001-07:00

Taking Diabetes Test To Determine Status Of Health

If you are one of the millions of people with symptoms of diabetes, it will be in your best interest to have a diabetes test performed to see if you have become afflicted with the ailment. There are currently two different tests to determine the amount of sugar in the blood, but the preferred diabetes test is the fasting plasma glucose test, in which the blood glucose level is measured. A person being treated for diabetes checks their blood sugar level several times a day, but this test should not be used for diagnostic purposes.

The blood sugar tests conducted at home will give a reading of the sugar level at that specific time. The amount of sugar will change throughout the day, typically going higher after eating. The fasting plasma glucose diabetes test can measure the amount of the glucose in the blood over a period of up to three months. This lets the doctor know how high the glucose level has been for the past 30 to 60 days, and not just that day.

Results of the fasting glucose diabetes test resulting in a reading of between 80 and 110 are considered normal. A reading between 110 and 125 is considered at risk for developing diabetes and a reading over 125 indicates a person has diabetes.

Importance Of Fasting Before Test

When scheduled for the fasting plasma glucose diabetes test it is important to follow the directions to obtain an accurate reading of the blood glucose levels. Some foods enter the blood stream faster than other foods and if the person eats or drinks something that metabolizes into sugar quickly, it will throw off the results of the diabetes test. Accuracy is important so the doctor can prescribe the right medications to help maintain a health blood glucose level.

The most common form of diabetes, Type 2, or adult onset diabetes can usually be controlled with oral medications. Typically the patient has lost the ability to produce insulin to help wash glucose through the blood stream or the insulin being produce is unable to break down the sugar. Taking a diabetes test when the usual symptoms appear can assure the patient gets the needed treatment.

Symptoms, other than family history include constant thirst, frequent urination, blurred vision and can also include constantly feeling tired. With a family history of the ailment, your doctor will probably order a diabetes test to determine if it is present.

diabetes symptoms

2008-08-01T12:47:00.001-07:00

Is Your Child Showing Juvenile Diabetes Symptoms?

Even though your child might say he or she is fine, you still need to observe them carefully. Going to the doctor is not high on the list of a kid’s favorite things to do, so they may do anything they can to avoid it. Although you should talk to a pediatrician when you have any unresolved concerns about your child’s health, you don’t want to keep ringing up at every cough or sneeze. Here’s how to recognize Type 1 or juvenile diabetes symptoms, so you know when to make the call.

Bedwetting Or More Frequent Urination

With the lack of insulin to transport much needed glucose to your child’s body cells, the body tries to make up for the lack of insulin by pulling water everywhere it can. This makes the child very thirsty and usually very hungry as well. When there is more fluid intake, it has to go somewhere, and so the child needs to keep emptying his or her bladder. They can even start bedwetting after a dry time just because the bladder is so full all of the time.

Inexplicable Weight Loss

Don’t ignore this major juvenile diabetes symptom – or anytime your child is loosing weight for seemingly no reason at all. Alarm bells should especially be ringing when the child is eating and drinking more, yet still loosing weight. The body just can’t eat and drink enough when it has insulin problems. It’s like trying to drive a car with a leaking fuel hose. No matter how much gas you put in the tank, you’re still not going to go anywhere.

More Confused Than Usual

This is one of the harder juvenile diabetes symptoms to pick out, since kids seem to operate on their own mental level, anyway. However, if your child is confused, disoriented or uncoordinated due to fatigue and this is coupled with increased hunger and thirst, pay attention. The body is going through a lot of work trying to keep the chassis going even though the gas hose is broken. This makes the child very tired and has difficulty doing even the most simple of tasks.

Other Warning Signs

Since not every child is alike, the juvenile diabetes symptoms will differ with each child. Other diabetes symptoms include constant fatigue for no reason, fruity-smelling breath when they haven’t been eating or drinking anything fruity and looking like they may have the flu. Some may even complain that their hands or feet tingle for a long time.

diabetes symptom

2008-08-01T12:45:00.002-07:00

The Diabetes Symptom And Proper Treatment

It is extremely important to be able to recognize diabetes symptom because diabetes can be a life-threatening disease if it is not treated properly. It has to do with insulin, which is a hormone that is produced by the pancreas. Its function is to regulate blood sugar levels. Whenever there are high levels of sugar in the blood diabetes symptom can occur. Diabetes can be caused by not having enough insulin in the body, or by the body not being able to use insulin, or both.

3 Types Of Diabetes

There are 3 main types of diabetes. The first is known as Type 1 Diabetes. Usually it is diagnosed in childhood. Herein the body produces only a small amount of insulin, if it produces any at all. As such, a person who has this type of diabetes needs daily insulin injections. Secondly, there is Type 2 Diabetes. This most often occurs in adults because the pancreas does not produce enough insulin to maintain normal blood sugar levels or to properly utilize the insulin that is naturally produced. Due to increasing obesity rates, lack of exercise and other bad habits this type of diabetes is becoming a lot more common today. Third, and finally, there is Gestational Diabetes that occurs when a woman who does not have diabetes develops high blood sugar levels during pregnancy.

Common Diabetes Symptom

The most common Type 2 diabetes symptom are blurred vision, fatigue, increased thirst and appetite, male impotence, slow healing wounds and urinating more frequently. If you have any of these symptoms you should do a "fasting blood sugar test" to see if your blood sugar (glucose) level is higher than 126 mg/dL. If it is between 100 and 126 mg/dL, then you are considered to be at high risk for developing Type 2 diabetes.

Managing Your Diabetes Symptom

While there is no cure for diabetes, your primary goal should be to control your blood glucose levels and watch for symptoms so that you can take the proper steps to eliminate them. This will give you a longer life and prevent any long-term health risks such as kidney failure and heart disease. Of course, discussing this with your doctor can also be very helpful because the more you know about how to recognize symptoms of adult diabetes, the trouble that this disease can cause and how to treat the symptoms, the more you can take control and make adjustments in your lifestyle that will improve your health and longevity.

diabetes supplies

2008-08-01T12:45:00.001-07:00

How To Get Free Diabetes Supplies

The average person with diabetes spends more than $13,000 in medical care annually while the typical person without diabetes only spends approximately $3,000 per year on health care. While this cost sounds high, the toll of uncontrolled blood glucose levels and associated complications is a lot higher. Think of all the prescriptions, lab work, and doctor's visits as a form of preventive maintenance.

What You Should Know About Free Diabetes Supplies

Free diabetes supplies are provided to those who cannot afford to purchase them. There are also some insurance companies that provide these services. In fact, the majority of diabetes service companies are affiliated with health insurance companies, which is why you can get free diabetes supplies.

Where To Find Free Diabetes Supplies

So, how do you get free diabetes supplies? Most companies that focus on providing health services and supplies for diabetics give out free supplies and will even ship them at no extra cost. However, you need to be covered by health insurance such as Medicare and Medicaid. Once you are covered, you will have to find a medical supply company that has either free or low cost diabetes supplies. Most of these places will deliver your supplies directly to your home for free.

Why You Should Use Free Diabetes Supplies

Health experts say that the ultimate goal of diabetics should be to get their blood glucose levels as close to normal as possible. However, if you have any medical conditions that affect your ability to control your glucose level, then these levels may be a bit higher. Therefore, it is important that you always have reliable blood glucose monitors, meters and other equipment so that you can check your present blood sugar levels. Of course, this can be very costly because you have to pay for blood glucose monitors and test strips. It is actually these test strips that can leave a big hole in your pocket, which is why free diabetes supplies are very much appreciated by many diabetics.

You should know that free diabetes supplies are safe to use as long as they have not expired because if they are expired they can be dangerous because they may not detect your glucose levels accurately. Even if you decide to purchase large quantities of your supplies they will still cost you a lot of money, which is why it is advantageous to try to get them for free if you can.

diabetes research

2008-08-01T12:44:00.004-07:00

Why PETA Is Against More Usual Diabetes Research

With a title like that, you don’t need to be Sherlock Holmes to figure out why PETEA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) is against most diabetes research. It’s because most diabetes research involves animal testing. After all of these years of testing on animals, do we really need to keep making them suffer for nothing? PETA argues that diabetes research testing could still be done on computers and stem cells rather than subject a living animal with an active nervous system to vivisection.

Putting Money Where Mouth Is

PETA doesn’t just shout about anti-vivisection, they fund studies for animal (and people) free testing alternatives. In September of 2007, PETA gave $120,000 to the Duluth Quantitative Structure Activity Research (QSAR) International Foundation to Reduce Animal Testing in Duluth, Minnesota. Over the years, PETA has donated over $760,000 to fund such alternative research methods. Charity watchdogs have confirmed PETA’s claims that over 80 cents of every dollar donated to them goes directly for programs to help end animal suffering.

But What Are The Alternatives?

Get ten scientists in a room and you’ll get twenty different opinions on how best to handle medical testing. Although there are many who still insist animal testing for diabetes research is the only way to go, there are many voices who disagree because of the advanced technology we have today that was not available fifty years ago. These processes include:

Computer programs: Computers aren’t smart – they just do stupid things really quickly. Computer programs can compensate for human error in observing animal specimens and can even mimic animal reactions. For example, human surgeon students now perform their first surgeries on computer pads that mimic skin. Since we have robot puppies and virtual toys, why not virtual patients?
Stem Cell Research: Stem cells don’t tend to have nerves, so the chances of them feeling any suffering are pretty slight. Stem cell research can be used for all kinds of medical research, including diabetes research. This is a field where the potential hasn’t been tapped yet.
In Vitro Testing: This is where you take a piece of skin or flesh (not the whole body), put it in a Petri dish and subject it to chemicals or whatever new diabetes research treatment you want and see what happens. It’s called “in vitro” because this originally was a technique to keep embryos alive outside of mom’s body. This can decrease the chances of complications from the differences between animal bodies and human bodies. Some drug complications happen only to humans, despite being tested on millions of animals.

diabetes recipes

2008-08-01T12:44:00.003-07:00

Some Diabetes Recipes You Will Enjoy

If you have just been diagnosed with diabetes, then you probably are growing tired of eating all of the same foods all of the time. This is why you should know about some of the great diabetes recipes that exist.

Diabetes Recipes For Beverages

Do you miss the smoothies that you use to drink? Well, with these diabetes recipes you do not have to miss them any longer. Now you can make a fruit smoothie out of 1 medium banana that is peeled and cut into chunks; 1 cup of either orange, pineapple, grape or apple juice that has been chilled; ½ cup of milk; 1 teaspoon of vanilla and 3 ice cubes. All you have to do is combine all of these ingredients into a blender. Cover the blender and then blend until the mixture is frothy. You will be happy to know that this is one of those diabetes recipes that is low on sugar but rich in vitamin C so it is sure to please everyone.

Diabetes Recipes For Desserts

If you are hungry for dessert, then there are plenty of diabetes recipes available for you to enjoy. One such recipe is that for applesauce loaf cake. The ingredients in this cake include ½ cup of chopped walnuts, 1 ½ cups of applesauce, 1 egg, 1 cup sugar, 2 Tablespoons oil, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 2 cups all purpose flour, 2 teaspoons baking soda, ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon, ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg and 1 cup of raisins. You will need to begin by pre-heating your oven to 350 degrees and greasing 2 loaf pans that are 8x4x2 inches. Next you will want to toast the walnuts in an ungreased skillet pan. To do this you will need to stir them while heating on medium-low heat for between 5 and 7 minutes. Once they are done they will be brown and smell like nuts. You will want to set them aside to cool. While they are cooling you will want to mix the applesauce, egg, sugar, oil and vanilla in a large bowl. In a smaller bowl you will want to mix together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon and nutmeg. You can then pour the flour mixture into the applesauce mixture before stirring in both the raisins and the cooled toasted nuts. Half of the batter should go into each pan before being baked for between 45 and 55 minutes.

diabetes nutrition

2008-08-01T12:44:00.001-07:00

The Importance of Diabetes Nutrition

In the simplest possible terms, diabetes is a chronic health condition in which the body is either not producing enough or any insulin. This results in an excess of sugar in the blood, and this excess sugar is then excreted through the urine. Eventually the condition can become quite serious and can even cause various other illnesses and diseases to develop in the body, particularly for the eyes, kidneys, nerves, heart and blood vessels.

There are many different symptoms that a person with diabetes may experience, including hunger, thirst, excessive urination, dehydration and weight loss. There is no known cure for diabetes however there are many methods of treatment that are available to help sufferers manage and treat their condition as best as possible.

Diabetes Nutrition

One of the most basic and critical methods of treatment is diabetes nutrition. Although the idea that eating too many sweet or sugary foods will cause you to develop the disease is nothing more than a myth, once you have developed it, by eating a healthy and balanced diet and getting plenty of regular exercise, you will be benefiting yourself by helping to control the symptoms of the disease.

There is no single “diabetes diet” that you can follow, but by working together with your doctor or even a nutritionist, you will be able to come up with a personalized diet plan that will be able to help you and be best suited to your particular condition.

One of the first things that your doctor will tell you is that yes, you can eat sugar. You just have to make sure that it is part of an otherwise balanced diet, just as anyone else would have to, with or without the disease. You should try to include a lot of carbohydrates for proper diabetes nutrition, and these are found in fruits, vegetables, beans, dairy foods, and starchy foods as well, such as bread.

You should always try to include fresh fruits rather than canned fruits for the best diabetes nutrition, and you can eat fresh vegetables and frozen or canned vegetables, whichever you prefer. Protein is also very important, and you can find protein in everything from meat, poultry, and fish, to beans and even some vegetables.

You also want to make sure that you are drinking enough water, usually about six to eight glasses a day is recommended, but you should speak to your doctor about this because they may advise that you drink more or less than that amount for your diabetes nutrition, depending on your condition.

diabetes mellitus

2008-08-01T12:43:00.004-07:00

Understanding Diabetes Mellitus

Whenever a physician diagnoses someone as having diabetes, they are most likely referring to diabetes mellitus, which is a condition that is characterized by superfluities of glucose in the blood and urine. This results from an abnormal carbohydrate metabolism.

What Diabetes Mellitus Is

This is a very common yet somewhat serious disease. In the United States alone approximately 2% of all males and around 5% of all females have this disease. It can start at any stage of a person's life. However, in the majority of cases diabetes mellitus manifests itself after a person has had a serious infection or injury or while a person is under a great deal of emotional strain. Those people who are overweight are known to suffer from this disease more often than those who are not overweight.

Many medical experts say that diet is probably the most important factor in successfully handling diabetes mellitus. A person who has this disease can enjoy a normal diet as long as they do not eat too much or too little of the nutrients they need. Controlling the blood-sugar level by means of administering insulin is another important part of treating diabetes mellitus.

The Symptoms Of Diabetes Mellitus

The symptoms of diabetes mellitus are almost always the same regardless as to whether the case began when a person is a child or an adult. These symptoms will usually include an excessive production of urine, a great desire to drink liquids, a feeling of weakness and itchy skin. After a medical examination has been done on a person who has diabetes mellitus the doctor will discover the presence of glucose in the blood. This will be in an amount that is a lot higher than what is considered to be the normal volume. The body being unable to produce or use the insulin that comes from the pancreas causes high blood sugar. So rather than being utilized for energy production, glucose that builds up in the blood will get carried off with the person's urine.

There are certain secondary conditions that are likely to develop if diabetes mellitus remains untreated. These include such things as kidney disease, the loss of bladder control, which will result in a person having the urge to urinate frequently; a person's skin and other body tissues may also become more prone to infections. Long-term conditions such as blindness and severe nerve damage can result from uncontrolled blood sugar levels.

diabetes medications

2008-08-01T12:43:00.003-07:00

A Run Down Of Some Of The Different Diabetes Medications

When someone is diagnosed with type 2 diabetes one of the first things the doctor will do is alter the diet, have the patient begin an exercise program, and encourage the patient to find some ways to lose weight. In some cases altering your diet and losing weight can be enough to keep the diabetes under control. However there are cases where diet and weight loss are not enough and diabetes medications need to be used.

Sulfonylureas

This is a diabetes medication that has been in use for over 50 years and, for the most part, is now on its second generation for use in patients. It is a drug that stimulates the pancreas to create more insulin and it is taken one or two times a day depending on what the doctor prescribes. Something like sulfonylureas requires a period of adjustment as its side effects can vary from patient to patient and are usually dependent on how the patient reacts to various dosages.

Biguanides

Biguanides are a diabetes medication that works from the other direction than sulfonylureas. Biguanides are used to reduce the amount of glucose introduced into the system by the liver and it also helps by making muscle tissue more able to absorb glucose from the system. This helps reduce the need for insulin and helps reduce the need to break down the glucose that would normally be present in the patient. To reduce any possible side effects of this diabetes medication the doctor will usually have the patient take the diabetes medication with food.

Oral Combination Therapy

When a patient is diagnosed with diabetes, and it is determined that losing weight and altering the diet is not helping, then a doctor will turn to a combination of the above mentioned diabetes medications and any other diabetes medication that they think may help the patient. Typically a full treatment is a combination of the drugs available and the dosages and types of medication are determined only after the doctor has conducted a comprehensive series of tests. Oral combination therapy is just the all encompassing term used by doctors to describe putting together different types of medication to combat diabetes.

When a patient is fighting diabetes it is always critical to make sure they win that fight for many years. To aid in that fight are dozens of effective diabetes medications. A trained professional physician can look at the patient’s profile and determine which drugs to use and in what dosage. Sometimes adjustments need to be made but in the end it is a therapy and a treatment that benefits the patient for a very long time.

diabetes medication

2008-08-01T12:43:00.001-07:00

A Guide to Diabetes Medication

Diabetes is a serious, lifelong disease that hundreds of thousands of people around the world suffer from. Although there is no single known cause of the disease and as of yet no cure, there are a number of different treatment methods that are used to control or manage the disease, one of the most popular being diabetes medication.

Types of Diabetes Medication

Diabetes medication is the most conventional method of treating diabetes, and there are actually a few different types that your doctor may recommend. After diagnosis with your condition, your doctor will usually prescribe you a specific drug regimen, and because every person is different, each diabetes treatment is tailed precisely to their needs in order to produce the best possible results.

Pioglitazone is one of the most commonly recommended diabetes medications, and it works by helping to restore the body’s proper response to insulin, thereby lowering the body’s blood sugar levels. It has been shown to be very effective when used in conjunction with a proper diet and exercise program, and can help to prevent the conditions that are often caused by diabetes, including blindness, strokes, kidney disease, and sexual function problems.

Glimepiride is another popular choice here, and it is typically used in patients that have type 2 diabetes or non-insulin dependent diabetes. The drug works by stimulating the release of the body’s natural insulin, although again in order for the drug to be effective the patient needs to be maintaining an otherwise healthy lifestyle as well, namely a well-balanced diet and regular exercise.

Starlix is a relatively new diabetes medication, one that you only have to take whenever you eat, in order to control mealtime spikes in your blood sugar level. It is an oral type 2 diabetes medication that can lower your overall blood sugar as well as prevent further illness that is caused by the condition. It works by triggering the release of insulin at the start of a meal to reduce those spikes, which over time can help you lower your blood sugar levels.

Taking control of your blood sugar has never been easier, and by working together with your doctor you will be able to come up with a specific diabetes treatment regime that is going to be perfectly suited to you and your condition and help manage the disease and the symptoms caused by the disease as best as possible. Just remember with any medication you will most likely experience certain side effects, and so you should learn about these before starting yourself on any medication so that you can be prepared for them.

diabetes insipidus

2008-08-01T12:42:00.003-07:00

Learn About Diabetes Insipidus In Between Trips To The Bathroom

Diabetes insipidus has been sometimes called “stupid diabetes” because, although it has the name, it doesn’t have the life-threatening problems of diabetes mellitus (sugar diabetes). Although you are not in risk for shock or diabetic coma, you are in for a very uncomfortable time. Diabetes insipidus doesn’t go away on its own and does need medical attention…as soon as you get out of the bathroom. Please do not use this article as a substitution for a doctor’s visit.

Why You Need To Go See A Doctor

With diabetes insipidus, an important hormone with an incredibly unpronounceable name is suddenly ignored (or not made) by your body. This hormone, however, helps the body to absorb water from the kidneys and decrease your urine output. Since you are mostly made of water, it is important to be properly hydrated to keep alert and healthy. When your body is running low on water, it goes into dehydration pains in an attempt to force you to drink more water, fruit juice or herbal tea.

However, since the kidneys can’t absorb the water you are drinking, it just goes right out of you instead of to the rest of your body. This leaves you with an insatiable thirst and constantly screaming bladder. You might even wet the bed, no matter what your age. You won’t be able to help it. And, sadly enough, you cannot drink enough water to satisfy your body. You could be drinking gallons of water a day and still become dehydrated.

Becoming dehydrated is very dangerous, as well as very painful. You become easily confused, can’t make the simplest of decisions and will look to others like you are incredibly drunk. The odds of getting into accidents are really high when you are dehydrated. If someone pinches your hand and tells you to go to the hospital, just go. They have checked to see if your skin has enough moisture to bounce back immediately when pinched. If it still stays in a tent-like formation, then you are in big trouble.

Why Me?

Diabetes insipidus happens to men more than women; no one is entirely sure why. You could have diabetes insipidus because of a tumor or other growth which needs to be dealt with. You can even get it after seeming to recover from a serious illness like menegitis or a head injury. Other causes seemed to have included complications during pregnancy and a result of kidney malfunctions.

diabetes information

2008-08-01T12:42:00.001-07:00

Diabetes Information For Diabetics

Diabetes is a serious disease that affects the levels of insulin on our bodies. Insulin is needed by our body to tell the cells in or body that we are well. It is the hormone responsible for our muscle cells and liver to take in glucose. This glucose is stored in our bodies through the form of glycogen. Insulin also causes the lipids to be taken in by our fat cells to make into triglycerides. It also has other anabolic functions which are essential for our body. Some people need to have insulin injected into them when the need arises to be able to supplement the missing insulin which their body cannot produce.

The Use Of Diabetes Information Charts

Diabetes information is needed to keep diabetics and their family up to date with the latest news. Diabetes information is also good for many other things concerning people who have diabetes and what they should eat and what foods or beverages are good for them. There are also other helpful information and data regarding diabetes in information charts. These charts are a great help for those who have diabetes and those who think they might have it.

Diabetes information charts vary in what they contain. Some contain the proper foods and amounts of foods that they should take while others contain How to lose weight and more information regarding diabetes. These diabetes information charts are very good for diabetics’ families because they will know how to appropriately guide their diabetic family member and what to do and not to do.

Other Sources Of Diabetes Information

Diabetes information can also be had from medical practitioners who specialize in diabetes and the diagnosis and treatment of the disease. Medical practitioners are more than willing to diagnose you or a family member. Blood tests can show whether you have diabetes or you might be prone to it.

Books and other printed resources are great for getting diabetes information. These are great for obtaining information regarding your disease and whatever news updates you might need. Diabetes information is essential for most diabetics because it keeps them up to date regarding the many new developments of the disease.

Everybody needs to know more diabetes information because a lot of people have friends or family members who suffer fro this disease. Knowing diabetes information will help those who do not have the disease understand the needs and situation of the ones who do have it.

diabetes info

2008-08-01T12:41:00.002-07:00

Important Diabetes Info

When it comes to a disease such as diabetes, there is a wealth of important information that should be known on it, especially if you yourself are a sufferer of the disease. Only by truly understanding the diseases itself and how it works will you be able to feel more comfortable with your condition and manage and treat it effectively.

Diabetes Info

One of the most important pieces of diabetes info is that there is no single known cause of the disease. Many people mistakenly think that by eating too many sweet or sugary foods you can cause the disease to develop, but this is nothing more than a myth and is therefore not something that you should be concerned with.

Other important diabetes info involves how there are three different types of the disease: Type 1 diabetes, Type 2 diabetes, and gestational diabetes. The first, Type 1 diabetes, is the type which results from the body’s failure to produce insulin, and only about 5-10% of the population diagnosed with diabetes are diagnosed with this particular type.

Type 2 diabetes is much more common, and results from an insulin resistance, a condition in which the body fails to properly use the insulin in the body. While diabetes is a condition that occurs in people of all ages and races, there are some groups in particular that have a higher risk of developing the disease, as it is more common in African Americans, Latinos, Native Americans, and Asian Americans/Pacific Islanders.

Gestational diabetes is the type of diabetes that can only develop in a woman during her pregnancy, and although it only occurs in about 4% of pregnant women in total, it is a very serious condition that all pregnant women need to be on the lookout for during the time they are pregnant.

Gestational diabetes occurs when pregnant women who have never had diabetes before but who have high blood sugar levels during pregnancy. Again there is no known cause, but what is known is that the placenta supports the baby as it grows, and hormones from the placenta help the baby to develop. These hormones also block the action of the mother’s insulin in her body however, which is a problem known as insulin resistance, and which makes it much harder for the mother’s body to be able to properly use the insulin.

By learning as much diabetes info as you can, especially if you suffer from the condition yourself, you will be more educated and informed and be able to make better decisions regarding your health. You can find diabetes info everywhere, from your family doctor, to television and the Internet.

diabetes education

2008-08-01T12:41:00.001-07:00

Some Important Facts About Diabetes Education

Diabetes education is possibly the best way to help prevent a disease that the World Health Organization has dubbed an epidemic and is becoming more prevalent in the western countries than it ever was before. When you add to that the fact that diabetes is also becoming a problem in the developing nations of the world then it becomes apparent that the world would benefit from some diabetes education.

Diabetes, it is believed, is becoming a problem due to the decrease in the healthy content of the every day diet. With fast foods and sugary snacks taking the place of fruits and vegetables it becomes apparent that diabetes education may be the only thing that saves people from the disease in this day and age. The more you know about what causes diabetes the less likely you are to engage in those activities. But more than that, the more you know about the effects of a disease like diabetes and how it can permanently change your life then the more likely you are to want to make the changes in your life that cause you to have a more healthy lifestyle. While diabetes is not limited to overweight or under-active people those types of people are more apt to become afflicted with it than others. So engage in a little diabetes education and find out how to avoid this potentially fatal disease.

A Little Diabetes Education Goes A Long Way

Making the quest for diabetes education a personal one is probably the most effective way to motivate yourself to learn more about it. In one of my recent trips to the doctor he gave me the rundown of what diabetes is and what it can do to me if I don’t change my habits now. I am not getting any younger and as you age your body loses its ability to function as it did in your younger days. The inability to properly use insulin to process the glucose in your system is about as important of a thing to avoid as almost any other result of growing older. My doctor made it very clear what can happen to me if I do not make some changes and that little bit of diabetes education certainly helped me changed my life.

The more you know the safer you can be and when you take the time to learn more about diabetes you better your chances of avoiding the disease become. Take some time to learn about diabetes because it can affect anyone at any time and when it strikes it can be fatal if it is not properly treated.

diabetes drugs

2008-08-01T12:40:00.004-07:00

Diabetes Drugs Help Body Handle Sugar

Some people with diabetes may be able to control their blood glucose levels through diet and exercise however, the major will also require diabetes drugs to control the amount of sugar in their blood. Either diabetes is caused by the body not producing enough insulin to move the sugar from the blood into cells, where it is needed for energy, or the cells are not open to receive the sugar. In either event, the glucose is gathering in the blood with no way out and diabetes drugs can help it get through the system.

Persons with Type 2 diabetes are typically treated with oral medications, which are listed in five classifications. They are formulated to either increase the amount of insulin the body produces naturally, the effectiveness of how insulin works in the body or controls how the sugar is absorbed into the cells. Most diabetes drugs have few side effects, but all synthetic medications may create an adverse response in some patients and all side effects should be reported to the doctor.

One of the earliest diabetes drugs developed is sulfonylurea, developed to help the body produce more insulin. This class of drug has been in use since the mid-1900’s and has relatively few side effects.

Prompting Body To Use Available Insulin

Biguanides are a class of diabetes drugs usually prescribed to patients who are overweight. The most common brand name of this class of drug is Metformin and prompts the body to use the available insulin more effectively. These drugs have been known to cause nausea and diarrhea in some patients. Alpha-glycosidase inhibitors slow the absorption of insulin into the digestive tract, giving it time to help glucose find its way into the body’s cells. Stomach and bowel problems are possible side effects of these diabetes drugs.

Controlling how the body deals with sugar following meals as the function of the meglitinide class of diabetes drugs. Often used for patients whose blood sugar levels increase dramatically following meals. This class of drugs has shown few side effects. Thiazolidinediones are developed to help make the body’s cells more sensitive to insulin, however the first batch of these diabetes drugs were suspected of causing livier damage in a few patients.

Newer formulations are believed to be much safer, but doctors continually monitor patients for potential liver damage. Doctors may begin patients on one or more of the diabetes drugs, and make adjustments throughout their treatment to help patients maintain a balanced blood glucose level.

diabetes diet

2008-08-01T12:40:00.003-07:00

Everyone Should Be On A Diabetes Diet

Diabetes diets have sure changed in the last thirty to forty years. Back then, it was thought a diabetic had to avoid sugar entirely. Now, it is known that a diabetic can eat sugar – but only in small amounts as part of a varied diet. A diabetes diet is practically identical to the kind of diets the news and scientists say we should be eating anyway – more fresh foods, lower amounts of protein, less processed foods and less fatty foods.

You Can Still Eat Food

Finding diabetes diet books, recipes and suggestions are easier now than they ever have been. This is not only due to the Internet, but due to the demand of diabetics worldwide. Diabetic and hypoglycemic diet books and programs are available from your bookstore, library to even your supermarket. You might also want to check out what’s called the Glycemic Index diet which has been developed over decades. There are many books, websites and even professional diet programs that cater to Glycemic Index diets.

You don’t need to get hard to find ingredients for diabetes diets. Modern cookbooks and recipes catering to diabetics – even diabetic gluten intolerant people – use ingredients you can find at any supermarket. The important thing is portion control. You can basically eat what you want – but only a small bit of it. You also need to eat regularly. If you are thinking of going on any kind of fast for colon cleansing or any other health program – don’t!

Can You Eat Out?

Yes, you can still eat out, provided you know in advance what you can order. Even if you get a huge plate of meat and potatoes, don’t eat all of it and insist on having veggies with it (and not just a sprig of parsley). Eating slowly helps your body adjust. One of the advantages to being a diabetic is that you are part of a powerful lobby with money that restaurants want. Always be sure of what you are ordering – never be afraid to ask questions. If you go online to the American Diabetes Association website (www.diabetes.org), you will find a lot of tips and suggestions for eating out on a diabetes diet.

Even if you follow a diabetes diet, you still need to take your medications, have regular check-ups and exercise. Eating right won’t solve all your health problems, but it will certainly make less health problems for you. And it is one of the more ways of taking care of yourself.

diabetes cure

2008-08-01T12:40:00.001-07:00

Research On Diabetes Cure

Diabetes is a condition where an individual has problems with the levels of insulin in his body. Insulin is manufactured in the pancreas by beta cells that are found in the Islets of Langerhans in the pancreas. This deficiency in the production of insulin and the resistance of some tissues from receiving insulin results to diabetes.

There are three major types of diabetes namely, gestational diabetes, type 1 diabetes and type 2 diabetes. These are all due to some deficiency of sorts of the insulin producing beta cells and the tissue that receive the insulin. In gestational diabetes, the diabetes cure id for the mother to give birth. When this happens, all the mother’s hormones go back to their normal state and will stop affecting the production of insulin.

The other types of diabetes need either a strict monitoring of the individual’s diet or injecting of insulin to maintain the levels of insulin in the body. These constant monitoring is needed in order to avoid hypoglycemia or hyperglycemia. Diabetes is a disease that can have many complications arising from just this one disease.

Looking For Diabetes Cure

Diabetes cures are being researched by many pharmaceutical companies and scientists in order to help people regain their health and well being. There are actually many ideas regarding diabetes cure but all of these have not passed the point where researchers are satisfied with their results. Releasing a drug that has not been tested to the maximum extent can be dangerous. The side effects must also be considered before any drug is released to the public.

The many ideas that people think of for diabetes cures are really very feasible. It is the methods and ways to do them that have these researchers stumped. The most popular diabetes cure idea is to transplant better beta cells in the Islets of Langerhans in the pancreas to enable the cells to produce quality insulin. This is a highly feasible diabetes cure but the implementation needs a lot of work.

This diabetes cure needs to have constant medication for the transplants to work and not be rejected. In the long run, the medication given may have serious side effects that the researchers do not like to have. Diabetes cures need to be studied thoroughly before you can dispense them to the whole world. The safety of all the people who will take the diabetes cure depends on the thoroughness o the researchers and the FDA.

diabetes care

2008-08-01T12:39:00.004-07:00

General Diabetes Care

Diabetes is often described as a syndrome that affects the blood sugar of the people with this disorder. There are three basic forms of this disease which are type 2, type 2 and gestational diabetes. Of the three types of diabetes, gestational diabetes is uniquely for women who are pregnant. The other two types of diabetes are the results of either low levels of insulin or the resistance of the body to the hormone insulin.

Things To Remember In Diabetes Care

Diabetes care is needed to monitor and make sure that the individual is doing his part in taking care of himself. There are many ways to keep your diabetes in check especially if you are still in the pre diabetic stage, not the full blown one.

One of the things that you will need to be aware of is your family history. If there is diabetes in most or some of your family members who are directly related to you then you must be vigilant regarding your diet and lifestyle in order not to trigger diabetes. Diabetes care can be a tiring thing to keep up so, do not start it if you can avoid it.

Part of diabetes care is also to have regular general annual check ups in order to keep a close eye on the progression of your disease. Visit your doctor in order to keep abreast of what you diabetic state is and the dosage of your maintenance medication. Diabetes care means that you must be vigilant for any changes in your levels of blood sugar and to be careful of your diet.

An eye exam is another diabetes care regimen that you need to do yearly. Since diabetes affects the eyes, and our eyes are an essential part f our daily lives, we need to practice proper diabetes care by keeping our diets in check and maintaining our blood sugar levels. Avoiding smoking is part of diabetes care. Smoking increases the risk of narrowing of heart disease and stroke. It also increases the risk of kidney disease and nerve damage. These diseases are dangerous for people who have diabetes. Above all, learn to manage stress. Stress is a large factor in the production of hormones that could block insulin and its effects.

Diabetes care is a continuous process in which you have to be vigilant in monitoring your health. Once you start diabetes care, you must keep in mind that this is a good way of maintaining your well being and keeping you from risk of death.

diabetes bracelet

2008-08-01T12:39:00.003-07:00

The Purpose of a Diabetes Bracelet

Anyone who is diabetic should wear a diabetes bracelet at all times, and the basic purpose of this diabetes bracelet is so that if you ever have an accident, for instance you pass out from having too high or low blood sugar, then whoever attends to you will be able to see right away that you have diabetes and thus will be able to treat you properly.

Where to Find Them

If you are a diabetic and do not yet have your own diabetes bracelet, then you should know there are a few different places you can go to get one. The Diabetic Drug Store, for instance, which is a company that offers an assortment of goods relating to diabetes care. This includes but is not limited to cookies, bag candy, lancet devices, test strips, mouth care, vitamins, blood pressure monitors, control solutions, creams and lotions, cough and cold products and more.

To get a diabetes bracelet from them all you have to do is provide them with some personal information, including your name, address, type of diabetes, and health card number. You can do this either via telephone, in person, or online over their website. Then you just have to pay for the bracelet and it will be sent to you in the mail, which you should receive within a few weeks time.

Another company that you can purchase a diabetes bracelet from is the About Me Jewelry Company, which has been in the business for nearly a decade now and specializes in diabetes and personalized identification bracelets. Not only that, but as well all of the proceeds that are made from the purchase of these bracelets goes towards research to find a cure for diabetes.

Talk to Your Doctor

For more information on the diabetes bracelet issue and where you can go to get one, you should speak to your family doctor. You may even be covered for it in your health care plan, so it is important that you talk to them first before going out and purchasing one on your own. Remember that although you do not have to wear the bracelet it is a good idea, especially when you consider the number of accidents that diabetics experience on a regular basis.

Because the disease is so varied and volatile, you really never know when problems can arise, and at least with a diabetes bracelet you can feel safe knowing that you will get the proper medical care and treatment.

diabetes

2008-08-01T12:39:00.001-07:00

Celebrities Get Diabetes, Too

You can’t be too rich or too poor to get diabetes. Many famous people from all walks of life have contracted Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes and didn’t let it stop their careers. By looking at them, you can gain inspiration that your diabetes, or the diabetes of a loved one, can be managed to maintain your quality of life.

Diabetics In The World Of Sports

It is a myth that diabetics can’t enjoy sports. In fact, regular exercise is encouraged to help manage your condition. There are many diabetics past and present in the world of professional sports. Here are some of the more famous:

Arthur Ashe: The first African American to win Wimbledon, he had Type 2 diabetes. When he eventually died, it was due to AIDS contracted through a blood transfusion.
Bobby Clarke: His name is synonymous with the Philadelphia Flyers hockey team, which he helped win two Stanley Cups in the 1970’s, and then became general manager in the 1990’s. He has Type 1 diabetes.
James “Buster” Douglas: Heavyweight boxer who knocked out Mike Tyson in 1990 didn’t let Type 1 stop him.

Diabetics In Music

The crazy schedules of professional musicians make eating regularly a chore. But it must and can be done. Perhaps you went to a concert or have a record of one of these famous diabetic singers and musicians:

Elvis Presley: He had a lot of problems, and Type 2 diabetes became one of them.
Patti LaBelle: Still performing today, the soul singer with incredible hair is even a spokesperson for OneTouch blood sugar monitors.
Jerry Garcia: The immortal Grateful Dead lead guitarist did make an effort to manage his Type 2, and had a sense of humor about it.
Bret Michaels: Hunky lead singer of the metal band Poison was diagnosed with Type 1 when he was 6.

Diabetic Authors

Writers have a pretty dicey life as it is with very unpredictable sources of money. But with discipline, you can write and have enough to eat and manage your diabetes. You might have heard of these famous diabetic writers:
Ernest Hemmingway: When he eventually died, it was due to suicide thought to be from a combination of depression and alcohol.
H.G. Wells: Yes, THAT H.G. Wells, was born with Type 1 and eventually founded the British Diabetics Association.
Laura Ingalls Wilder: It is unknown what type of diabetes she had, but she did live to the ripe old age of 90.

Cure for Diabetes

2008-07-27T10:35:00.002-07:00

Understanding The Cause and Cure for Diabetes

Before you tackle the cure of diabetes, you must also be aware of what causes this disease. Diabetes is disease that affects the levels of insulin in a person’s body. There are basically three forms of this disease and these are type 2, type 2 and gestational diabetes. All these types of diabetes have something to do with the insulin levels and their functions in our bodies.

Types of Diabetes

Type 1 diabetes is the disease in which the individual’s ability to produce insulin is affected by the auto immune system. The pancreatic beta cells that produce insulin are being regularly destroyed by the immune system thus making the production of insulin nil. In type 2 diabetes, the issue is about insulin resistance by some parts of the individual’s body. This is a very serious condition that can cause many complications if left unattended.

On the other hand, gestational diabetes occurs only with women and only during pregnancy. The cure for diabetes of this type is actually very simple. Since some hormones produced in a pregnant woman’s body promotes some tissues to resist insulin, the cure for diabetes in pregnant women is to give birth.

Potential Cures For Diabetes

Doctors have no actual “cure” for diabetes at the moments. What they do now to “cure” diabetes is to present alternatives to patients who suffer from this disease. Actual cure for diabetes is not available but the cure for the symptoms are readily available.

For Type 1 diabetes and Type 2 diabetes, most doctors either recommend watching the patient’s diet rigorously or in some severe cases, injecting insulin into the body during times when it becomes too low.

There has been thought of transplanting the defective beta cells that produce insulin in order to refresh the pancreatic cells. This method of cure for diabetes is still undergoing experimental tests and therefore is not suitable for human beings. So far, the research and studies have brought to light the potential problem of needing long maintenance medication in order to support the transplanted beta cells.

Although there is still a long way to go before any cure for diabetes can actually become a reality. It is a good idea to keep track of the progress that researchers and pharmaceutical companies are making towards finding a cure for diabetes. While waiting for this cure for diabetes, maintaining your health and diet are important in order not to complicate the disease.

Childhood Diabetes

2008-07-27T10:35:00.001-07:00

The Link Between Childhood Diabetes And Obesity

It use to be quite unusual for children to contract childhood diabetes, which use to be known as adult onset diabetes. At that time it was more common for them to contract type 1 diabetes, which was known as juvenile diabetes. As you can see, the names of the diseases suggested the age of the person who contracted them. However, this is no longer valid and thus the change in names.

Understanding Childhood Diabetes

Childhood diabetes is being seen more and more often in today's overweight children. The best treatment for this type of diabetes is simply a planned diet that includes regular exercise. As such, it is not always necessary to have insulin replacement therapy, whereby a person injects insulin into their body depending upon their blood sugar levels. However, researchers believe that with childhood diabetes more complications can occur that with children who have type 1 diabetes.

Symptoms Of Childhood Diabetes

In the early stages of childhood diabetes the body becomes resistant to insulin. This means that while the body is still producing insulin, this insulin is either ineffective in reducing blood sugar levels or there is not enough of it being produced to support the body's needs. It is important to understand that insulin is the hormone that controls the level of sugar in your blood by converting glucose into the energy that your body needs to function and to reduce the glucose in your blood. If your glucose level cannot be reduced, then you are at risk of having complications such as heart disease, kidney disease, nerve damage, limb amputation and blindness.

Treating Childhood Diabetes

Treatment for childhood diabetes should include regular exercise and a healthy diet. This should greatly reduce the risk of health complications. The diet should be a well balanced one that is low in saturated fat, sugar and salt. It should be high in fiber, including a lot of vegetables and fruit. On the other hand, such foods as pasta, bread and cereals should be spread out throughout the day in order to prevent spikes in blood sugar levels after eating.

As you can see, the 2 primary aims of a diet and exercise plan are to control the level of sugar in the blood and to help the patient to lose weight. If a patient can follow the plan diligently then these goals can be met. Of course, early diagnosis also plays a great role here as well.