Diabetes Information – Symptoms, Types, Causes and Treatment

Posted by admin on Jun 30th, 2010 | 0 comments

Sugar is part of a whole slew of meals. The carbohydrates that we eat are later on converted into sugar or glucose while it undergoes the processes inside our body. These sugars are what we use for energy. However, there are really foods that are pure sugar or contain a lot it, which can cause the sugar level in our blood. When this sugar level increase, we may suffer diabetes and other ailments.

What is Diabetes?

Diabetes is a disease resulting from the increase of blood sugar level above its normal values. The sugars in the blood are supposed to be transported to the cells of the body. But if a person has diabetes, the sugar build up in the blood. The build up of sugar is caused one of the following reasons: either the pancreas is not producing enough hormones called insulin that helps the glucose get into the cells or the body can not make use of the insulin as it is supposed to be.

Diabetes is a disease that exists not only on its own but could trigger a lot of complications and other diseases to surface. These diabetes complications include heart disease, blindness, kidney failure and amputations. It has become one of the major causes of death all over the world.

Symptoms of Diabetes

Like any other sickness, diabetes surface symptoms that should be monitored. These are physically manifested symptoms that could easily diagnosed so if anyone is suffering from the following, seeing a physician is recommended. Diabetes have the following signs: extreme hunger and thirst, excessive drying of the skin, unexplained weight loss, frequent urination, slow healing sores, tingling or numbness of hands or feet, sudden vision blurredness.

When the diabetes is insulin-dependent, other symptoms include nausea, vomiting or stomach pains.

Types of Diabetes

There are three kinds of diabetes that could be developed to specific age range or condition of people. Insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus or the type 1 diabetes is commonly developed among children while non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus or the type 2 diabetes is developed among adults. There is also the kind of diabetes that only pregnant women can acquire. The gestational diabetes, though, is not permanent because it disappears as soon as the pregnancy is over; however, if it is not treated it can cause a threat to both the mother and the baby.

Type 2 diabetes is affected by old age, obesity, family history of the ailment, history of gestational diabetes, impaired glucose tolerance, lack of physical activities and race or ethnicity.

Causes of Diabetes

Though researchers have found out what are the things that causes the acquisition of diabetes, the determination of the exact causes of the disease is yet to be discovered. They say that the causes of type 1 and type 2 diabetes are different. Type 1 seemed to be developed from environmental triggers like unidentified virus that attacks the pancreas and causes it to malfunction in producing insulin.

Type 2 diabetes on the other hand is closely associated with being obese and regular physical activities can help prevent the development of which.

Therapies and Treatment for Diabetes

When a person has developed type 1 diabetes, his or her blood glucose levels should be closely monitored through regular glucose tests. Since most food intake contains sugar or substances that will later on be converted to sugar, it is necessary that the food to be eaten is also monitored or measured. Healthy diet, exercise and insulin injections are the basic treatments for type 1 diabetes. However, the insulin should be balanced with metabolism of the body in terms of physical activities and food intake.

Treatment for type 2 diabetes is almost the same with that of type 1. Blood glucose should also be closely monitored; however, some people are required to take some oral medications to avoid blood sugar to increase beyond normal parameters. Since this type of diabetes is not insulin-dependent, insulin injections are not required.

Type 1 Diabetes Causes Myths and Facts

Posted by admin on Jun 27th, 2010 | 0 comments

What Causes Type 1 Diabetes?

Even with the modern technology and information available today, Type 1 Diabetes causes remain a mystery to the medical world. There is no one certain cause that can be linked to the onset of diabetes. However, there are certain factors that are present among the majority of the people who have been diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes.

Type 1 Diabetes is an autoimmune disease that occurs when the body’s defense system attacks and destroys its own cells. In Type 1 Diabetes, the immune system destroys the cells in the pancreas that make insulin, which is a hormone that is used by the body to convert sugars and carbohydrates into the energy that is needed for your body to maintain its normal function. Once these cells are destroyed, the body does not produce enough insulin to convert the sugars and carbohydrates that are consumed. This can lead to other, life threatening illnesses and diseases.

It is believed that one Type 1 Diabetes cause is genetics. Some people may be genetically inclined to develop the disease and viruses such as Coxsackie, rubella, and mumps can trigger the onset of the disease. The Type 1 Diabetes cause is not the viral infection, however the infection may trigger the symptoms of the disease. In other words, in people who are predisposed to contract diabetes, the disease may lay dormant until triggered by one of the factors that are believed to cause the onset of the symptoms.

What Does Not Cause Type 1 Diabetes

When a disease that is as prevalent in society as Type 1 Diabetes has no known cause, myths become a part of the mystery. Human intelligence demands that we know a definite cause for all diseases and events, and in the absence of something that we can definitively “put our hands on it is human nature to find something in our lives that may cause the disease. Here are some of the myths surrounding Type 1 Diabetes causes:

1. Eating two much sugar causes diabetes this myth is based on the fact that diabetes involves a high content of sugars in your blood. Consuming too much sugar can trigger the onset of some of the symptoms of diabetes, however, the cause of the disease is not the intake of too much sugar.

2. Stress causes diabetes while stress can trigger some of the symptoms of diabetes, stress does not cause the disease.

3. Diabetes can be caught from another person diabetes is not a contagious disease and cannot be transferred from one person to another.

While there are many myths surrounding Type 1 Diabetes causes, there are just as many that involve the management of the disease. It is often believed that people who have been diagnosed with diabetes can never consume foods that contain sugars or starches, however these foods can be consumed within a healthy diet plan. Diet and other factors do not cause diabetes, but are often the triggers that cause the onset of the disease and the symptoms that alert you to the possibility of being diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes.

Since one of the prevalent Type 1 Diabetes causes is genetics, there are certain things that a person can do in order to delay or possibly even prevent the onset of the disease. If your family has a history of diabetes, the best way to accomplish this is to lead a healthy lifestyle that includes a healthy diet and regular exercise. Starting a healthy diet as early in life as possible not only reduces the risk of the onset of diabetes symptoms, but also can reduce the risk of obesity and the illnesses and complications that are associated with obesity. While eating a healthy diet and maintaining a regular exercise regimen may not guarantee that the disease will remain dormant forever, it will help you to better manage the disease once the symptoms begin and give you a chance to maintain a normal lifestyle. Knowledge and preparation is often the key to success.

Myths About Diabetes?6 Most Popular Myths you Should Know

Posted by admin on Jun 24th, 2010 | 0 comments

Human tendency is always to have doubts and suspicion about one thing or the other. Regarding diabetes people have lots of doubts and suspicion, and these doubts generate different myths. It is necessary to understand what are those myths and why one should not believe in them. This article is all about those myths and how incorrect and irrelevant are they. Read it to believe it.

Diabetes simply can be defined as a diesease in which a body is unable to produce or utilize insulin to convert sugar, starch, etc., into energy.

Diabetes Myth no. 1:

A person suffering from diabetes should never exercise

This is not a sin but a crime to spread such rumors. In fact, it is always advised to a diabetic patient to do mild exercise regularly, this will help them to recover completely and even fast. The complications caused to different Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes is controlled through doing proper exercises. However, patient should also remember that this has to be started slowly. That is to say patient should do brisk walk, simple exercise, etc., and gradually start some other exercises, but that too should not be dangerous or risky. It is also found that patient who complains of kidney problems or any kind of eye infection should restrict from exercise, but starts once again when these problems are over.

Diabetes Myth no. 2:

Diabetes is contagious.

This again is a crime, as this not only creates problem to the patient but also to the people around him. In fact this rumor makes many diabetic patients unwilling to socialize with normal people, as they feel inferior. Hence, one should know it very clearly that diabetes is not at all contagious and does not spread from one person to another by sleeping, eating, sitting together, etc. Diabetes is a hereditary disaese as there are some genetic causes for it. Daibetes is also very commom among fat people and people who ignores exercise like anything. But whatever may be the cause of diabetes, it is still not communicable or contagious.

Diabetes Myth no. 3:

Daibetes causes cough and cold

This is completely incorrect. Diabetes neither is communicable nor spread cough and cold.

Diabetes Myth no 4:

Diabetes may cause brain hemorrhage

Now this is also a very wrong thought, as it creates nothing but much more stress and confusion among the patients. When a diabetic patient keeps fasts, he may complain of a severe headache and extreme weakness. All these symptoms let people to assume that it is due and diabetes which gradually will result in brain hemorrhage. However, it is not at all correct and should not be believed. It is also found that children suffering from diabetes may suffer severe headache when they fast, and thus may effect their brain slightly, still it will never cause a brain hemorrhage.

Diabetes Myth no 5:

Say no to fruits

It is not correct. People suffering from disease, in fact should take various fruits, which are healthy. However, all fruits may not sound healthy, so patient should consult the doctor and dietician to know what all is suitable for a diabetic patient.

Diabetes Myth no 6:

Diabetic patient should never touch sweet and sugar content-food

It is a very common and wrong notion that a diabetic patient should strictly avoid sweets and other sugar containing foods. It is true that they should not take excess sweets, sugar, etc. However, a balanced diet including a sweet dessert or sweets is always acceptable. It is also said that if a diabetic patient do exercise, take balanced diet food, they can take one sugar candy every night. Here one should also remember that it is not his excess eating of sugar candies that caused diabetes, but because of his unhealthy practices, also lack of exercises and genetic reasons that cause diabetes.

Eighty Seven Percent Of All Type 2 Diabetes Can Be Prevented Naturally

Posted by admin on Jun 21st, 2010 | 0 comments

It is a fact that almost 90% of Type 2 diabetes can be prevented by attention to diet and the use of specific supplements. However, before having a look at these possibilities, we shall first have a look at what type 2 diabetes is so that the means of prevention can be better understood.

Diabetes is a condition, not a disease. It cannot be passed from one person to another, and there is evidence that it is hereditary since it tends to run in families. In the past it tended to develop later in life, although the modern lifestyle appears to have made it more common now in children and young adults.

Diabetes occurs when the level of glucose in your blood becomes higher than it should be. The reason for this is twofold: either the body produces no or insufficient insulin or it cannot use the insulin that is produced. Sugars and other carbohydrates are metabolized to glucose that is the body’s source of energy. The parts of your body that do this are the mitochondria that are contained within your body cells, and the hormone insulin is essential in allowing this to happen.

When the concentration of glucose in your blood reaches a certain level, the pancreas secretes insulin into your blood. The insulin is synthesized in special cells called the islets of Langerhans, after the person who discovered them. Also produced is glucagon which is also secreted into your bloodstream, and the glucagons and the insulin work together to ensure that your blood glucose levels remain stable (when everything is working correctly).

Glucagon is secreted when your glucose levels are low, and its presence in the bloodstream stimulates the conversion of the emergency energy store in the liver (glycogen) to glucose in order to maintain this stability. Insulin, on the other hand, is released after you have consumed a meal, and your glucose levels are high. What insulin does is to stimulate the cells of your body to convert glucose to energy and either use it immediately, or store it as glycogen for use later. By means of these two substances, the level of glucose in your blood is maintained at safe levels – normally.

If something happens to the supply of insulin, then the blood sugar level will continue to rise until the bloodstreams contains too much glucose, a condition known as hyperglycemia. The symptoms are excessive thirst, a frequent desire to urinate, fungal infections or thrush around the genital area (due to yeasts and sugar fermentation), and various others such as mood swings, cramps, dizziness and a feeling of tiredness and weakness.

Type 1 diabetes occurs when the body produces no insulin, and the only possible treatment is continual insulin injections. Type 2 diabetes is defined in two ways. Either your body does not make enough insulin for your needs, or the cells in your body cannot use the insulin produced properly. It is Type 2 diabetes we are concerned with here, and that we shall be exclusively discussing. With Type 2 diabetes, insulin shots can be provided, but there are other factors that can also help to resolve the problem.

Before discussion treatment or prevention, you should be aware of the complications that Type 2 diabetes can lead to. Hyperglycemia is not common with this type of diabetes, but it can develop. If it does then it can be a life-threatening condition needing a rapid injection of insulin into the bloodstream Symptoms prior to the critical stage are drowsiness and dehydration, although as stated, this is more commonly associated with Type 1 diabetes where regular insulin injections is the normal treatment.

Longer term complications of Type 2 include kidney damage, hardening of the arteries, eye problems, impotence and problems with your circulation. Nerve damage can also occur, and it is important that you avoid these by changing your diet and lifestyle. These problems occur if you have had high blood glucose levels over a long period of time, and you therefore have time to take the steps necessary to avoid them if you start now. The same steps will also help you to avoid the condition from occurring. So what are these steps you should take?

The first is to look carefully at your diet. A healthy balanced diet is essential if you are to beat your condition naturally and avoid the potential longer term side effects. Diabetes is associated with the overweight and obese. That is not to say that only these people become diabetic, but the majority are. Most people with Type 2 diabetes are overweight, and although around 65% of Americans are overweight or obese, a considerably higher proportion of those with Type 2 diabetes are overweight.

The first and obvious action to take to avoid this type of diabetes would therefore be to lose weight, and adopt a healthy diet that is free from junk food, trans fats and alcohol, all of which contribute to obesity. The next is to look to your blood pressure and keep it normal, and also to keep your low density lipoproteins (LDL) low. These affect the propensity for your blood cholesterol to deposit in your arteries, especially if they are oxidized by free radicals. A good antioxidant content is therefore recommended in your diet. Although blood pressure and high LDL levels do not directly contribute to diabetes, they are risk factors that could increase the risk to your health if you are diabetic.

You should eat a diet that is high in whole grains and fiber, and eat lean meats and fish rather than fatty foods. Stick to complex carbohydrates that metabolize to glucose slowly and steadily, rather than starchy foods that produce a sudden sugar rush that will give you problems and could promote Type 2 diabetes in those that are prone to it.

Specific supplements that you could take include chromium picolinate that can not only be used to treat existing diabetes patients but also to reduce your chances of developing Type 2 diabetes. Studies involving the use of chromium picolinate on patients with this type of diabetes have been very positive, resulting in reduced blood sugar, lipid and insulin levels. The optimum dosage is around 500 micrograms twice daily. Such treatment has been shown to both prevent and reverse Type 2 diabetes.

Magnesium is another specific supplement that studies have suggested can lower the risk of developing this type of diabetes. Magnesium rich foods have also been found to be effective, and the fact that a magnesium deficiency can lead to diabetes supports the findings that its use can help to prevent it. Green leafy vegetables such as spinach, and beans nuts and seeds are generally rich in magnesium.

Vitamin D can also help protect against the development of diabetes. Although the research is relatively new, it has been established that the cells that produce insulin are affected by a lack of vitamin D in the blood, and low levels of vitamin D can also led to insulin resistance. If you spend more time out in the sun, you should have less chance of contracting Type 2 diabetes, although you could also take a supplement.

Although Type 2 diabetes is not as serious as Type 1, no form of diabetes is desirable to have, and ultimately both types can be extremely serious. You should do what you can to avoid diabetes, and Type 2 is easier to avoid then Type 1. Diet, weight and supplementation as described above will all help to avoid contracting this condition, so follow the advice, especially if you are overweight and have a sweet tooth.

Reverse Diabetes By Understanding The Causes Of Insulin Resistance

Posted by admin on Jun 18th, 2010 | 0 comments

Think diabetes is irreversible?

Nothing could be further from the truth.

Despite what the medical establishment tells you, you can reverse diabetes — without insulin or medication.

Today, I’d like to tell you about a new way of viewing — and treating — diabetes.

First, though, you need to understand why diabetes is such a problem.

A Growing Epidemic

The disease has reached epidemic proportions: Type 2 diabetes (formerly called adult onset diabetes) now affects nearly 100 million people worldwide, 20 million of which are Americans.

And it’s on the rise — especially in kids. One in three children born today will have diabetes in their lifetime.

That’s because the path to diabetes starts very early.

The culprit is insulin.

When you eat a lot of sugar and other refined carbohydrates like bread, pasta, rice, and potatoes, your body eventually becomes resistant to the effects of insulin. It requires more and more insulin to keep your blood sugar balanced. High insulin levels increase your appetite — and your belly fat.

High levels of insulin can occur decades before you’re diagnosed with diabetes. They are warning signs of this condition.

So are the other symptoms of insulin resistance, like belly fat, sugar cravings, feeling tired after meals, high blood pressure and triglycerides, and inflammation.

A family history of obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and even dementia can increase your chances of developing insulin resistance and pre-diabetes.

And pre-diabetes is just as bad as full-blown diabetes. It, too, can cause heart attacks, strokes, dementia, cancer, and impotence.

So why is diabetes on the rise?

The answer is as close as the food on your plate.

Our bodies were meant to consume a diet that’s high in nutrients, fiber, and omega-3 fats and low in sugar. So when we eat unhealthy foods — like sugar, trans fats, white flour, and processed foods — we activate genes that promote diabetes.

Yet type 2 diabetes is almost totally preventable. In fact, in one major study, Harvard researchers found that lifestyle and diet changes could prevent more than 90 percent of all type 2 diabetes cases.

Early Diagnosis is Key

Diagnosing type 2 diabetes early is crucial to its management and reversal.

Because damage to the body can occur with even small changes in insulin and blood sugar, doctors should diagnose pre-diabetes as soon as possible.

The proof is in the research. One recent study found that people whose fasting blood sugar was higher than 87 were at increased risk of diabetes.

Yet most doctors don’t worry until the blood sugar is over 110 — or worse, over 126, which is diabetes.

Instead, I recommend early testing with anyone who has a family history of type 2 diabetes, belly fat, or abnormal cholesterol — regardless of your blood sugar level.

Ask your doctor for these tests:

1.Insulin glucose challenge test with 2-hour glucose challenge, 75 grams measuring fasting, 1 and 2 hour blood sugar AND insulin.

Your blood sugar should be less than 80 fasting and never rise above 110 or 120 after one to two hours. Your insulin should be less than 5 fasting and should never rise above 30 after one to two hours.

I recommend this test for everyone over 50, and for anyone with any risk of insulin resistance, even children.

2.The hemoglobin A1C is an important measure of glycated hemoglobin, which can be an early indicator of sugar problems. It should ideally be less than 5.5. Anything over 6 is considered diabetes.

3.Lipid profiles are important. An HDL under 40 and a triglyceride level over 150 usually means diabetes.

4.An NMR lipid profile identifies the size of your cholesterol particles.

5.High sensitivity C-reactive protein is a measure of inflammation, which is both a cause and result of insulin resistance and diabetes. It should be less than 1.

6.Homocysteine is often abnormal in people with diabetes. It should be between 6 and 8.

7.Fibrinogen measures your risk of clotting and is associated with insulin resistance and diabetes. It should be less than 300.

8.Ferritin is a nonspecific marker of inflammation associated with diabetes. It should be less than 150.

9.Uric acid should be less than 6. Higher levels indicate problems with insulin resistance.

10.Elevated liver function tests result from insulin resistance.

These are tests any doctor can perform and are covered by insurance. If you’re at risk for diabetes, I urge you to get tested.