Posts Tagged ‘type 1 diabetes’

Living With Diabetes

Monday, May 11th, 2009

 

 Facts About Diabetes

I have Type 2 diabetes and have been battling it for several years. So far,so good.It’s under control but I do take diabetes medication for it (glyburide/metmorphin tablets). My objective is to get off the diabetes drugs! But, to be honest, it’s difficult.

The solution theoretically is simple–lose weight,alter your diet,and exercise regularly.It can be done but it takes will power.What gave me the will power to do something about it was a stern warning from my cardiologist–either fix your diabetes problem or look forward to a shoterned, very disabling departure from this mortal coil.Since I was approaching 60 years old, it’s not like I had forty or fifty years left! So diet and exercise I did. And it can be done with the proper incentive, which I now have. Living with diabetes can be simple for some people.You can cure diabetes naturally if you change your lifestyle. Consider this–there are cultures and populations in the world right now where diabetes is virtually non-existent. So why is it so prevalent here in the U.S.? It’s our lifestyles.

Types of Diabetes

Type 1 diabetes is the one that some people are either born with or develop as young children. This type of diabetes usually requires insulin and aggressive blood sugar management.Type I diabetes is incurable. But only 5% 0f all diabetes cases are type 1. Type 2 is the one we can beat, or at least control.

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So just how serious is diabetes? Very! The early symptoms of untreated diabetes mellitus are related to the elevated blood sugar, or glucose,levels. Excess glucose in the blood ultimately results in high levels of glucose being present in the urine. This increases the urine output, which leads to dehydration and increased thirst. Other symptoms include extreme tiredness, blurred vision, itchy skin and repeated minor infections such as thrush and boils.You might also fell sharp pains in your extremities–your feet and fingers. These are more like sharp "pings" of pain. Late stages of diabetes result in having your toes/feet/legs amputated, going blind, having kidney faiure–it’s just not pretty.

Another form of diabetes, known as gestational diabetes, occurs in some women during pregnancy. It is a temporary condition caused by pregnancy and usually occurs in the later stages, once the baby has formed but is still growing

Although there is currently no cure for diabetes mellitus, it can be controlled successfully with an active treatment plan. The potential benefit of pancreas transplants and islet cell transplants in type 1 patients is being investigated.

Symptoms Of Diabetes

Type I diabetes develops very quickly. The classic signs of diabetes include:

1. Frequent urination, because the body is trying to get rid of the excess sugar in the blood
2. Intense thirst, because the body needs to replace the fluid lost through the urine
3. Increased hunger, because the cells need nutrients
4. Weight loss, because without insulin, the body begins to starve.

The onset of Type 2 diabetes is often very gradual and may develop without any symptoms at all. Sadly, the diagnosis most often is made only after a complication of the disease happens. It is a function or diet and lack of exercise. It used to be called "Adult Diabetes" because it did not develop until people became older,less active, and overweight. Sadly, because of our sedentary lifestyle these days and the easy availibility of junk and fast food, we’re seeing more cases of Type 2 diabetes develop among teenagers and even younger children who are obese.

Treating Diabetes

Your weight affects your health in many ways. Being overweight can keep your body from making and using insulin properly. It can also cause high blood pressure. The DPP showed that losing even a few pounds can help reduce your risk of developing type 2 diabetes because it helps your body use insulin more effectively. In the DPP, people who lost between 5 and 7 percent of their body weight significantly reduced their risk of type 2 diabetes. So here’s news flash–If you became a vegetarian, you probably wouldn’t have diabetes at all,at least Type 2 diabetes.

The good news is that treating diabetes can easily be done at home. With a diet plan for type 2 diabetes and regular exercise plus diabetes medication, you can do it through your determination.You can buy diabetes medical supplies including a diabetes glucose  monitor, and you can manage your problem effectively.

Measuring your blood glucose levels is quite simple–and virtually painless. You can now draw blood with a blood glucose monitor like the one shown above from other parts of your body besides the tip of your finger (which always gives me the willies) where the nerves aren’t as sensitive. We’ll have more on this in future posts. Here’s the place to review a sample of top

Published by Heart Wellness Store

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Early Signs Of Diabetes

Sunday, March 15th, 2009

Diabetes is a major health problem here in the U.S. It can be controlled or managed with lifestyle and diatary changes. In fact, it can actually be reversed. But it will require a major effort to do so. But it’s worth it. Diabetes most certainly will shorten your life, and if it is not controlled, it is nasty in its later stages.

It should be noted that we’re talking about Type 2 diabetes here, or adult diabetes. Type 1 diabetes is the one people have when they are born. Most of them take insulin all their lives, which generally are shorter than the average person. Type 2 sneaks up on you, and because a person is older, usually over 40 when he or she gets it, it requires a real lifestyle change to manage and/or control it. But it can be done, and the results of the effort are worth it.

treating diabetes

The Main Pre-Diabetic Symptoms

If you have two or more of these pre-diabetes symptoms you should seriously consider getting yourself checked out:

1) If you find you are excessively thirsty, not just after extreme exercise or hot weather.
 
2) You seem to constantly have a dry mouth – even if you’ve just had a drink.

3) You find you are having to urinate frequently.

4) You have unexpected weight loss or gain (even though you may be constantly hungry and eating well. Of course you may be eating the wrong things which would probably make your pre-diabetes symptom worse).

5) You feel lethargic.  You always feel as if you have no energy; you are weak and tired all the time.
 
6) Sometimes your vision is blurry – be careful, untreated eye problems caused through diabetes can lead to blindness. You should have regular eye checks, especially as you get older because your eyes can be the early warning signal for many diseases – not just diabetes.

7) You have cuts or sores or bruises (especially on your feet) that are slow to heal.

8) If you experience excessive itching or soreness in the genital area or yeast infections (which can be misdiagnosed as thrush) it may be a sign of too much sugar in your urine.

Risk Factors For Diabetes

There are different types of diabetes; pre-diabetes, type 1, type 2, gestational and maturity onset.  And, depending on your age, lifestyle and family history you may be more susceptible to developing diabetes.

Foe example you may be more prone to developing diabetes if any of these factors apply to you:

  • Your family background is African American, American Indian, Asian American, Pacific Islander, or Hispanic American/Latino.
  • You have a parent, brother, or sister with diabetes
  • You are aged over 45 and are overweight you might be at risk of diabetes type 2
  • You have had gestational diabetes or have given birth to a baby over 9 pounds in weight
  • Your cholesterol levels are not good.

I myself have diabetes and high blood pressure–or I used to. We’ll present you with a lot of opinions in future posts from all sorts of experts on what to do about diabetes. Well, the bottom line is this. Every doctor you’ll ever consult about diabetes will say these key things:

  1. Lose Weight–Probably the most important thing, If you’re like I was–55 years old, 5 feet, 5 inches tall, weighing 200 pounds–you’re too heavy. The pancreas, which produces insulin for your body which is used to keep blood sugars below the diabetic threshold level, can only produce a certain amount of insulin. In my case, for example, at 5′ 5” in height, my pancreas can only produce enough insulin for a weight of 175 pounds. After that–not enough insulin is produced and diabetes sets in. Drop 30 pounds and you’re good.
  2. Change Your Diet to Reduce Blood Sugar–Cut out sugar and "bad carbohydrates," which convert into sugar during digestion.
  3. Exercise Regularly– Aerobic exercise every other day will do the trick–30 minutes a day. A brisk walk will even suffice.

I know you’re thinking, O Boy! Is that all? Well, it’s doable. It’ll take some work and commitment. But if you’re like I was at 55 and the doctor says, "If you don’t lose weight and exercise, you probably won’t live 10 more years. If you do what I say and stay with it, you’ll see 80." Well, that was all the motivation I needed.

Oh, and one more thing. If you follow the guidelines above, your blood pressure and cholesterol will drop to normal levels, too. Just a little bonus for your effort!

We’ll have a lot more detailed information on diabetes and its treatment in future posts.

Published by Heart Wellness Store

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Hello from Nina In Georgia

Though not sure how long. Cataracts is comman in those with Diabetes is what my mom told me about my Grandmother. And Great Grandmother. I also have other symptoms, constant Dry mouth, frequent urination, and extreme impaired vision.

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If fatigue is paired with any of the other classic diabetes symptoms, you need to schedule a diabetes screening test. The reason diabetics experience fatigue is because their glucose is just floating around in their system instead of … 


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