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Archive

Archive for the ‘diabetes information’ Category

What Are The Two Main Types Of Diabetes And How Do They Differ?

May 8th, 2010

The two know types of diabetes are the Type 1 which is known as the “juvenile diabetes and the Type 2 which is known as the “adult onset” diabetes. Understanding the difference between the two types is very important because it tells you what type of caring and remedy you need to do.

Type 1 diabetes can be found in children and/or adolescents, but may also occur in adults. With type 1 diabetes, the patient’s pancreatic cells are almost dead and therefore there is almost always a complete deficiency of insulin. As a result, it requires a daily treatment of insulin injections. It would also require a lifestyle that consists of both diet and exercise and regular monitoring of blood sugar level.

However, patients who have been diagnosed with type 1 diabetes can still continue to enjoy a normal life provided they continue with their treatment and take special care to follow their doctor’s instructions and/or recommendation.

The second type is more complicated compared to the first type. With type 2 diabetes, an individual’s insulin level is usually either normal or sometimes even elevated, but is not deficient. Although it is more complicated, doctors found it easier to treat because insulin is still being produced inside the body. Based on statistics, about one third of diabetes 2 cases were not detected at the early stage. Cases like this are harder to handle. If Type 2 diabetes goes undetected for years, potential serious complications are possible that include renal failure and coronary artery disease.

The first phase of treating type 2 diabetes will likely include a lifestyle adjustment to feature increased physical activity and a diet that is geared toward weight loss. The next step will be medication and possibly insulin therapy if needed.

Both types of diabetes require that the patient maintain normal blood glucose levels in an effort to reduce the possibility of organ damage, including eyesight, kidney, blood circulation, etc. In order for this to occur, patients must carefully monitor their food intake and make sure to participate in regular exercise, all the while continuing to monitor their blood glucose level.

In closing, the contents of this article are to be used for informational purposes only. It should not be used in conjunction with, or in place of, professional medical advice relating to diabetes. Consult a licensed Physician if you think you have any symptoms of diabetes.

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The Main Symptoms of Diabetes

May 8th, 2010

Diabetes mellitus is a chronic disease caused by the inability of the pancreas to produce insulin or to use the insulin produced in the proper way. Diabetes is the 7th leading cause of death among Americans; over 15 million Americans suffer from one form or another of this disease.

The most consistent symptom of diabetes mellitus (Type I and II) is elevated blood sugar levels. In Type I (insulin dependent / early onset) diabetes, this is caused by the body not producing enough insulin to properly regulate blood sugar. In Type II (non insulin dependent/adult onset) diabetes, it is caused by the body developing resistance to insulin, so it cannot properly use what it produces.

However, high blood sugar is not something you can see in the mirror at home, so it is useful to know the side-effects of high blood sugar, which are commonly recognized as the noticeable symptoms of diabetes.

If you find yourself experiencing many of these diabetes symptoms on a consistent, long term basis, you should visit a doctor to be tested for diabetes. Ignoring (or not recognizing) the symptoms of diabetes can lead to long-term serious health risks and complications from untreated diabetes. Some of the common ‘early warning’ signs of diabetes are:
• The first symptom of diabetes is often excessive thirst (unrelated to exercise, hot weather, or short-term illness)
• Excessive hunger (you know you’ve eaten “enough” but are still hungry all the time)
• Frequent urination (often noticed because you must wake up repeatedly during the night)
• Tiredness and fatigue (possibly severe enough to make you fall asleep unexpectedly after meals), one of the most common symptoms of diabetes.
• Rapid and/or sudden weight loss (any dramatic change in weight is a sign to visit a doctor)

While many of the signs and symptoms of diabetes can also be related to other causes, testing for diabetes is very easy, and the constant/regular presence of one or more of these symptoms over an extended period of time should be cause for a visit to the doctor.

If diabetes is suspected, tested for, and diagnosed when those symptoms first start appearing, other more serious symptoms of advanced diabetes can often be prevented or have their onset significantly delayed through diet, exercise and proper blood sugar management. However, often the ‘minor’ symptoms of diabetes go unrecognized, and physical and neurological problems may arise, resulting in some of the following symptoms:
• Blurred vision (diabetes can lead to macular degeneration and eventual blindness)
• Numbness and/or tingling in the hands and feet (peripheral neuropathy, a symptom of diabetes, causes nerve damage in the extremities)
• Slow healing of minor scratches and wounds (diabetes often leads to impaired immune system function)
• Recurrent or hard-to-treat yeast infections in women (another sign of impaired immune function)
• Dry or itchy skin (peripheral neuropathy also affects circulation and proper sweat gland function)
If you are experiencing any of these symptoms on a regular basis, or you recognize these symptoms in a child or relative, they may be signs of untreated diabetes. A doctor’s appointment should be made as soon as possible, so the individual experiencing the symptoms can — if diabetes is diagnosed — take the steps needed to prevent more serious health problems.

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What causes complications from diabetes?

May 8th, 2010

You may have developed one or more complications from type 2 diabetes before you were diagnosed. This can happen if you had diabetes for several years before being diagnosed. If your complication progresses, it may cause serious disability or even early death.

High blood sugar causes changes in hormones and cells that can damage your blood vessels or nerves, or both. Damaged blood vessels are more likely to build up plaque, increasing the risk of coronary artery disease, heart attack, and stroke. Damage to smaller blood vessels can lead to loss of vision, kidney disease, and nerve problems.
The complications from diabetes are:
• Heart or large blood vessel disease. These complications—sometimes referred to as macrovascular diseases—may cause peripheral arterial disease, stroke, or heart attack.
• Eye (diabetic retinopathy) and kidney (diabetic nephropathy) disease, which are sometimes referred to as microvascular diseases.
• Nerve disease (diabetic neuropathy), which can affect your internal organs as well as your ability to feel sensations and pain.

What are the symptoms of diabetes complications?
Your symptoms will vary depending on the complication. You may have:
• Chest pain (also called angina) or shortness of breath when you exercise, if you have heart and large blood vessel disease. You may have other symptoms, such as dizziness or lightheadedness, shoulder or stomach pain, or a racing heartbeat. You also may have no symptoms until having a heart attack or stroke. If the large blood vessels in your legs are affected, you may have problems with blood circulation to your legs and feet, causing changes in the skin color, decreased sensation, and leg cramps during exercise (intermittent claudication).
• Vision problems, vision loss, or pain in your eyes (rare), if you have diabetic retinopathy.
• No symptoms, if you have early kidney disease. Symptoms of swelling (edema) in your feet and legs and later throughout your body and increasing blood pressure develop as the disease progresses.
• Tingling, numbness, tightness, burning, or shooting or stabbing pain in the feet, hands, or other parts of your body, especially at night, if the nerves affecting sensation and touch are affected (peripheral diabetic neuropathy). If the nerves that control internal organs are damaged (autonomic neuropathy), you may have digestive problems (gastroparesis); profuse or reduced sweating; difficulty sensing when your bladder is full; sexual problems; dizziness, weakness, or fainting when you stand up (orthostatic hypotension); or difficulty knowing when your blood sugar is low (hypoglycemia unawareness).

How are diabetes complications treated?
The treatment for your complication focuses on stopping or at least slowing the progression of the damage. Depending on the complication, your treatment may involve medication, surgery, or other therapies. When complications are found early, only minor lifestyle changes may be necessary. For example, if you have early diabetic nephropathy, you can take a medication to slow the rate of further kidney damage.

If you are age 30 or older, talk to your health professional about taking a low-dose, or baby, aspirin daily to help prevent heart attack, stroke, or other large blood vessel disease. People with diabetes are 2 to 4 times more likely than people who don’t have diabetes to die from heart and blood vessel diseases.

Early treatment for a complication and keeping your blood sugar levels within a normal or near-normal range can help slow the progression of your complication and may prevent other complications from developing.

To keep your blood sugar tightly within a normal or near-normal range, spread carbohydrate in your diet throughout the day, get regular physical exercise, and take oral diabetes medication and/or insulin, as prescribed. See your health professional every 3 to 4 months, or more often if indicated. Have exams and tests that monitor your complication and screen for other complications regularly.You should treat high blood pressure and high cholesterol to help prevent other diabetes complications.

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