Myths About Diabetes

Despite the wide array of information about diabetes, many people still have little or no knowledge about this condition. And with many so-called truths going around, it is important to dispel any myths about diabetes.

Diabetes is not that serious of a disease – Diabetes is not like common colds. It has caused more death annually compared to breast cancer and AID combined. In fact, two out of three people suffering from diabetes die from heart disease or stroke.

Overweight and obese people will eventually develop type 2 diabetes – Excess weight is a risk factor for developing the disease. However, there are other factors that should be considered such as family history, ethnicity, and age. Most overweight people actually do not develop type 2 diabetes. In contrast, many people with type 2 diabetes are at normal weight or moderately overweight.

Eating too much sugar causes diabetes – Contrary to popular belief, eating sugar does not develop into diabetes. Type 1 diabetes is caused by genetics and factors that still baffle scientists to this day, while type 2 diabetes is caused by genetics and lifestyle factors such as being overweight.

People with diabetes should eat special diabetic foods – In fact, a simple healthy eating plan is enough for people living with diabetes. It should be low in saturated and trans fat, moderate in salt and sugar, more whole grains, vegetables, and fruit. Do not be mislead by diabetic or dietetic foods, as they could still raise blood sugar levels, not to mention more expensive than regular foods.

Diabetic people should only eat small amounts of starchy foods – Avoiding starchy foods like bread, potatoes, and pasta is not part of a healthy diet. What is important is to control the portion size. For people with diabetes, three to four servings of carbohydrates is enough.

People with diabetes are not supposed to eat sweets or chocolate – As long as they are eaten moderately and combined with exercise, sweets and desserts can be eaten by people with diabetes.

You can catch diabetes from someone else – Although the exact reason why we get diabetes is still unknown, it is certain that it is not contagious like flu or common cold.

Diabetic people are more likely to get colds and other illnesses – Having diabetes does not increase the chances of contracting other diseases. However, people with diabetes are advised to get flu shots because any illness can make diabetes more difficult to manage.

People with type 2 diabetes who are taking insulin failed in taking care of their diabetes properly – For most people, type 2 diabetes is a progressive disease. At first, they can keep their blood sugar levels at a healthy level. However, as the body gradually produces less of its own insulin, even oral medications may not be enough to keep the blood sugar levels normal, which is why they may resort to taking insulin shots.

Source: American Diabetes Association

Traveling with Diabetes

People living with diabetes should travel with utmost care, as changes in meal patterns, activity levels, and even time zones can affect their blood sugar levels. Keep in mind these helpful reminders to make traveling with diabetes easier.

Preparation – Before traveling, make sure to consult with your health care provider and discuss your travel plans. Have immunization shots three to four weeks before you travel. You should also inform the airline in advance about your condition. Pack twice as many supplies needed to travel, as well as extra prescriptions and a letter from your doctor stating that you have diabetes. Take note of what health facilities are available in your destination, just in case.

What to bring – For starters, bring a piece of paper containing your doctor’s name and phone number as well as a list of current medicines. Keep your medicines, syringes, blood sugar testing supplies, all oral medications, and even something sweet in a carry-on luggage (never put them in your check-in luggage). Make sure to bring enough medicines and medical supplies to last an extra week in case you get stranded. A sugar source is needed in case you develop hypoglycemia.

At the airport – Always inform security that you are diabetic and that you are carrying medical supplies. If you are wearing an insulin pump, request to security that the meter not be removed. Also, check out the Transportation Security Administration website to see what you can take on board.

Insulin injections while traveling – Taking insulin injections while in an airplane has one difference: put only half as much air into your insulin bottle as you normally to prevent the plunger of the needle from resisting your efforts to inject air into the insulin bottle. Keep your insulin in temperature between 33 degrees F and 80 degrees F. Do not freeze or expose your insulin to direct sunlight. You also need to adjust your insulin dosage when crossing time zones, taking shots every four hours until your body has adjusted.

Foot care while traveling – Pack at least two pairs of shoes so you can change foot wear often. This prevents blisters and sore pressure points. Make sure to wear comfortable shoes and socks. Bring a first-aid kit in case you suffer minor foot injuries. Never go barefoot or wear open-toe shoes and sandals, instead wear special foot wear made for ocean or beach walking.

Coping with emergency – In case an emergency occurs and you do not know where to go, try contacting the American consulate, the Red Cross, or a local medical school. Learn phrases in the local language like "I need help" or "I have diabetes, where is the hospital" or "I need sugar."

Source: Web MD

Diabetes Medicare Coverage

Every state has a responsibility to its citizens. The US government does this by providing Medicare, the country’s insurance program. People may avail of Medicare health insurance ages 65 or older. There are however, cases wherein some individuals are given the privilege in particular to the permanently disabled.

Such program is very beneficial to individuals since having a Medicard helps with the cost of health though it does not cover the whole medical treatments. Medicare is paid in portion by taxes from payrolls by both workers and employers. Moreover, those deductions in your Social Security check goes to Medicare.

In 2006, President George Bush, gave importance to health care needs of seniors by signing the law updating Medicare. Hence, all Medicare and future Medicare members have the privilege of Medicare drug coverage assisting beneficiaries to pay for prescription drugs, beneficiaries can choose among a variety of plan, beneficiaries with high expenses are given extra special attention and advantage, and most especially Medicare can assist those coming from the low-income beneficiaries.

Individuals with diabetes enrolled in Medicare are fortunate to have the benefit of seeking treatment without shouldering all the expenses. The following are Medicare’s coverage of diabetes supplies and services taken from the medicare.gov.

Diabetic supplies:

Self-testing equipment and supplies

Medicare Part B covered diabetes supplies: Coverage for glucose monitors, test strips, and lancets. All people with Medicare who have diabetes are covered (insulin users and non-users).Medicare covers the same supplies for people with diabetes whether or not they use insulin. These include glucose testing monitors, blood glucose test strips, lancet devices and lancets, and glucose control solutions.

There may be some limits on supplies or how often you get them. For more information about diabetic supplies, call your Durable Medical Equipment Regional Carrier. To get your diabetes equipment and supplies under Medicare, you need a prescription from your doctor. The prescription should say:

• You have been diagnosed with diabetes.
• How many test strips and lancets you need in a month.
• What kind of meter you need. For example, if you need a special meter for vision problems, the doctor should say that and state the medical reason why you need a special meter.
• Whether you use insulin or not.
• How often you should test your blood sugar.

Points to remember :

• Ask your doctor or health care provider if regular blood sugar testing is right for you.
• You need a prescription from your doctor to get your diabetes equipment and supplies under Medicare.
• Learn the correct way to use your blood sugar meter properly. Your pharmacist, doctor, diabetes educator, or another health care provider can help you.
• Keep track of your blood sugar readings and share them with your doctor or health care provider at regular visits.
• Do not accept shipments of diabetes equipment and supplies that you did not ask for.

Therapeutic shoes

Medicare also covers therapeutic shoes for people with diabetes. Medicare covers depth-inlay shoes, custom-molded shoes and shoe inserts for people with diabetes who qualify under Medicare Part B. Your doctor must certify that you:

• Have diabetes;
• Have one or more of the following conditions in one or both feet;
• history of partial or complete foot amputation;
• history of previous foot ulcers;
• history of callus that could lead to ulcers;
• peripheral neuropathy with signs that you have problems with calluses;
• poor circulation;
• foot deformity .

Are being treated under a comprehensive diabetes care plan and need therapeutic shoes and/or inserts because of diabetes. In the Original Medicare Plan Medicare pays for 80% of the Medicare-approved amount. You pay 20% of the total payment amount. This amount can be higher if your doctor doesn’t accept assignment, and you may have to pay the entire amount at the time of service. Medicare will then send you its share of the charge.

Referrals for more information (DMERC)

If you have questions about durable medical equipment, including diabetic supplies, call your Durable Medical Equipment Regional Carrier.

Diabetes services:

Diabetes self-management training

Medicare Part B covered preventive services; diabetes self-management training. In the Original Medicare Plan, you pay 20% of the Medicare-approved amount after the yearly Part B deductible.

Medical nutrition therapy services

Medicare coverage; medical nutrition therapy services are covered for people with diabetes (or kidney disease) when referred by a doctor. These services can be given by a registered dietician or nutrition professional and include diet counseling and therapy services to help you manage your diabetes. In the Original Medicare Plan, you pay 20% of the Medicare-approved amount after the yearly Part B deductible.

Flu and pneumoccocal pneumonia shots (vaccinations)

Medicare Part B covered preventive services;
Flu Shot – Once a year in the fall or winter. Pneumoccocal Pneumonia Shot – One shot may be all you ever need. Ask your doctor. All people with Medicare are covered. In the Original Medicare Plan, you pay nothing for flu and pneumoccocal pneumonia shots if the health care provider accepts assignment.

Glaucoma screening

Medicare Part B covered preventive services: Once every 12 months. Must be done or supervised by an eye doctor who is legally allowed to do this service in your state. Cover people with Medicare who are at high risk for glaucoma, including people with diabetes or family history of glaucoma.In the Original Medicare Plan, you pay 20% of the Medicare-approved amount after the yearly Part B deductible.

Health is a precious gift. Unluckily for some people, they do not take pleasure on having a healthy body, hence some in the course neglect health only to be sorry when everything is already late.

As one ages, health complications are unavoidable. Entropy kicks in our body making us feel sick some way or the other. Luckily, the government has given attention to the increasing need of seniors in terms of availing health treatments.

Diabetes Management Devices

When people with diabetes can control their blood sugar (glucose), they are more likely to stay healthy. People with diabetes use two kinds of management devices:

• Glucose meters help people with diabetes check their blood sugar at home, school, work, and play.
• Diabetes management tests. Blood and urine tests reveal trends in diabetes management and help identify diabetes complications.

Without good control of blood sugar, diabetes can cause life-threatening events, such as severe hypoglycemia, hyperglycemia, ketoacidosis and even coma. Every person with diabetes can do several things to help control their blood glucose:

• Blood glucose testing
• Taking insulin via injection or an insulin pump
• Eat a healthy diet
• Get daily physical exercise
• Take diabetes medications as prescribed
• Check your feet daily
• Don’t smoke

The goal of diabetes management is to keep blood glucose levels as close to the normal range as possible. Thus, people with diabetes must learn to self-test their blood sugar on a regular basis. There are a number of aids and devices that are available to help people with diabetes control their insulin levels. Some of the diabetes supplies that a diabetic may need are:

• Insulin syringes
• Insulin pens
• Blood glucose monitors
• Lancing devices
• Lancets
• Test strips for measuring blood sugar in the urine.

Diabetes care should be designed for each individual patient. Some patients may need to test (monitor) more often than others do. How often you use your glucose meter should be based on the recommendation of your health care provider. Self-monitoring of blood glucose is recommended for all people with diabetes, but especially for those who take insulin. The role of self-monitoring of blood has not been defined for people with stable type 2 diabetes treated only with diet.

Your pharmacist can help you in deciding which product is right for you . Each product has its advantages (e.g. some devices require less blood and are more comfortable).

Diabetes and Nutrition

When people think of diabetes, they usually think of that old rule against eating sweets. But today’s dietary guidelines have no forbidden foods and make controlling your blood sugar much easier. The guidelines are:

• Eat a variety of healthy foods.
• Eat smaller amounts of protein foods and fewer high fat foods. |
• Balance the carbohydrates you eat with insulin.
• Exercise
• Eating the appropriate amounts of healthy food will keep your weight under control and help manage your diabetes. Your body needs foods from the four main food groups every day:
• Fruits and vegetables (oranges, apples, bananas, carrots, and spinach)
• Whole grains, cereals, and bread (wheat, rice, oats, bran, and barley)
• Dairy products (whole or skim milk, cream, and yogurt)
• Meats, fish, poultry, eggs, dried beans, and nuts.

Reducing Protein and Fat in Foods

Protein and fat do not raise blood sugar levels as high or as quickly as carbohydrates do. Furthermore, when protein and fat are eaten at the same time as carbohydrates, blood sugar may not rise as quickly. But most people consume more protein and fat than they actually need for good health.

Foods high in protein include:

• Meat;
• cheese;
• nuts;
• eggs.

Foods that are high in fat include:

• red meat;
• dairy products (whole milk, cream, cheese and ice cream);
• egg yolks;
• butter;
• salad dressings;
• vegetable oils;
• many desserts.

Too many servings of foods high in fat can increase risk of heart disease and cancer, and can cause weight gain. You should limit your intake of foods such as cream sauce, gravy, butter and regular stick margarine, salad dressing, and fried foods.

The key is to replace fat with other ingredients, like herbs and spices, or try to use healthy fats and consume no more than the daily-recommended amounts.

Note: This page contains information that may be helpful for people with diabetes when making certain food choices. Always ask your doctor or dietitian when creating a food plan that is right for you.

Diabetes & Healthy Eating

Eating healthy is the key to managing your diabetes. The Diabetes Food Guide can help you figure out how many servings of grains, vegetables, fruits, dairy, protein, and fats you should eat each day. Make sure you limit alcohol. The number of servings you need depends on how many calories are right for you. This is based on your age, sex, size, and activity level.

Grains, beans, and starchy vegetables

Daily servings: About six a day

• Choose whole grains, such as whole wheat or rye bread, brown or bulgur rice, that are high in fiber.
• Choose beans as a good source of fiber.
• Eat low-fat breads, such as bagels, English muffins, pita bread, and corn tortillas.
• For snacks, try pretzels or low-fat crackers.

Vegetables

Daily servings: Three to five

• Include vegetables are low in fat and provide vitamins, minerals, and fiber.
• Choose fresh or frozen vegetables without added sauce, fat, or salt.
• Choose more dark green and deep yellow vegetables, like spinach, broccoli, romaine, carrots, chilies, and peppers.

Fruits

Daily servings: Two to four

• Include fruits and fruit juices are low in fat and provide vitamins, minerals, and fiber.
• Choose whole fruits more often than juices for the fiber.
• Choose citrus fruits, like oranges, grapefruits, or tangerines.
• Choose juices without added sweeteners.

Milk

Daily servings: Two to three

• Choose low-fat or nonfat milk, or yogurt.
• Yogurt has natural sugar. It may also have added sugar or sugar substitutes. Choose the yogurt with sugar substitutes. It has fewer calories.
• Choose low-fat or nonfat milk, and yogurt. These are good sources of calcium.

Meat and other protein

Daily servings: Two to three

• Include poultry, fish, dry beans, meat, eggs, cheese, and nuts are sources of protein.
• Choose fish and skinless poultry more often.
• Broil, bake, or roast, instead of frying.
• Select lean meats and trim off fat.

Fats, sweets, and alcohol

Eat sparingly

• Includes fats and oils, sweets, and alcohol. Fats and oils include salad dressings, cream, butter, or margarine. Sweets include sugars, soft drinks, candies, and sweet desserts. Alcohol includes wine, beer, and liquor.
• Choose sweets less often because they are high in fat and sugar.
• If you choose alcohol, drink it with a meal. Also, ask your doctor about a safe amount for you.
• Eat less saturated (solid) fats, such as butter and cheese.

Making Healthy Food Choices

Knowing what to eat can be confusing. Everywhere you turn, there is news about what is or isn’t good for you. Some basic principles have weathered the fad diets, and have stood the test of time. Here are a few tips on making healthful food choices for you and your entire family.

• Eat lots of vegetables and fruits. Try picking from the rainbow of colors available to maximize variety. Eat non-starchy vegetables such as spinach, carrots, broccoli or green beans with meals.
• Choose whole grain foods over processed grain products. Try brown rice with your stir fry or whole wheat spaghetti with your favorite pasta sauce.
• Include dried beans (like kidney or pinto beans) and lentils into your meals.
• Include fish in your meals 2-3 times a week.
• Choose lean meats like cuts of beef and pork that end in "loin" such as pork loin and sirloin. Remove the skin from chicken and turkey.
• Choose non-fat dairy such as skim milk, non-fat yogurt and non-fat cheese.
• Choose water and calorie-free "diet" drinks instead of regular soda, fruit punch, sweet tea and other sugar-sweetened drinks.
• Choose liquid oils for cooking instead of solid fats that can be high in saturated and trans fats. Remember that fats are high in calories. If you’re trying to lose weight, watch your portion sizes of added fats.
• Cut back on high calorie snack foods and desserts like chips, cookies, cakes, and full-fat ice cream.
• Eating too much of even healthful foods can lead to weight gain. Watch your portion sizes.

How To Read Food Label

The food label offers complete, useful and accurate nutrition information to consumers. With food labels, you get the following information:

• nutrition information about almost every food in the grocery store;
• distinctive, easy-to-read formats that enable consumers to more quickly find the information they need to make healthful food choices;
• information on the amount per serving of saturated fat, cholesterol, dietary fiber, and other nutrients of major health concern;
• nutrient reference values, expressed as % Daily Values, that help consumers see how a food fits into an overall daily diet;
• uniform definitions for terms that describe a food’s nutrient content–such as "light," "low-fat," and "high-fiber"–to ensure that such terms mean the same for any product on which they appear;
• claims about the relationship between a nutrient or food and a disease or health-related condition, such as calcium and osteoporosis, and fat and cancer. These are helpful for people who are concerned about eating foods that may help keep them healthier longer;
• standardized serving sizes that make nutritional comparisons of similar products easier;
• declaration of total percentage of juice in juice drinks. This enables consumers to know exactly how much juice is in a product.

Begin with the Nutrition Facts panel, usually on the side or back of the package. The Nutrition Facts panel has two parts: The main or top section, which contains product-specific information (serving size, calories, and nutrient information) that varies with each food product; and the bottom part, which contains a footnote. This footnote is only on larger packages and provides general dietary information about important nutrients.

Several features of the Nutrition Panel help people with diabetes manage their diets. First of all, serving sizes now are more uniform among similar products and reflect the amounts people actually eat. The similarity makes it easier to compare the nutritional qualities of related foods. People who use the Exchange Lists should be aware that the serving size on the label may not be the same as that in the Exchange Lists. For example, the label serving size for orange juice is 8 fluid ounces (240 milliliters). In the exchange lists, the serving size is 4 ounces (one-half cup) or 120 mL. So, a person who drinks one cup of orange juice has used two fruit exchanges.

The label also gives grams of total carbohydrate, protein and fat, which can be used for carbohydrate counting. The values listed for total carbohydrates include all carbohydrates, including dietary fiber and sugars listed below it. Not singled out is complex carbohydrates, such as starches. The sugars include naturally present sugars, such as lactose in milk and fructose in fruits, and those added to the food, such as table sugar, corn syrup, and dextrose.

The listing of grams of protein also is helpful for those restricting their protein intake, either to reduce their risk of kidney disease or to manage the kidney disease they have developed.

Elsewhere on the label, consumers may find claims about the food’s nutritional benefits. These claims signal that the food contains desirable levels of certain nutrients. Some claims, such as "low fat," "no saturated fat," and "high fiber," describe nutrient levels. Some of these are particularly interesting to people with diabetes because they highlight foods containing nutrients at beneficial levels.

Other claims, called health claims, show a relationship between a nutrient or food and a disease or health condition. FDA has authorized a number of claims, which are based on significant scientific agreement. Three claims that relate to heart disease are of particular interest to people with diabetes:

• A diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol may help reduce the risk of coronary heart disease.
• A diet rich in fruits, vegetables and grain products that contain fiber, particularly soluble fiber, and are low in saturated fat and cholesterol may help reduce the risk of coronary heart disease.
• Soluble fiber from whole oats, as part of a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol, may help reduce the risk of coronary heart disease.

Nutrient and health claims can be used only under certain circumstances, such as when the food contains appropriate levels of the stated nutrients.

Making Healthy Food Choices

Knowing what to eat can be confusing. Everywhere you turn, there is news about what is or isn’t good for you. Some basic principles have weathered the fad diets, and have stood the test of time. Here are a few tips on making healthful food choices for you and your entire family.

• Eat lots of vegetables and fruits. Try picking from the rainbow of colors available to maximize variety. Eat non-starchy vegetables such as spinach, carrots, broccoli or green beans with meals.
• Choose whole grain foods over processed grain products. Try brown rice with your stir fry or whole wheat spaghetti with your favorite pasta sauce.
• Include dried beans (like kidney or pinto beans) and lentils into your meals.
• Include fish in your meals 2-3 times a week.
• Choose lean meats like cuts of beef and pork that end in "loin" such as pork loin and sirloin. Remove the skin from chicken and turkey.
• Choose non-fat dairy such as skim milk, non-fat yogurt and non-fat cheese.
• Choose water and calorie-free "diet" drinks instead of regular soda, fruit punch, sweet tea and other sugar-sweetened drinks.
• Choose liquid oils for cooking instead of solid fats that can be high in saturated and trans fats. Remember that fats are high in calories. If you’re trying to lose weight, watch your portion sizes of added fats.
• Cut back on high calorie snack foods and desserts like chips, cookies, cakes, and full-fat ice cream.
• Eating too much of even healthful foods can lead to weight gain. Watch your portion sizes.

Diabetes: Understanding Carbohydrates

What is carbohydrates?

Carbohydrates provide fuel for the body in the form of glucose. Glucose is a sugar that is the primary means of energy for all of the body’s cells. There are two ways to classify carbohydrates simple and complex.

Simple carbohydrates are sugars — like glucose, sucrose, lactose and fructose. They are found in refined sugar and in fruits. Complex carbohydrates are the starches, which are the simple sugars bonded together chemically — they are found in beans, nuts, vegetables and whole grains. Complex carbohydrates are considered healthier mostly because they are digested by the body slowly, providing a steady source of energy. They also contain valuable amounts of fiber.

Carbohydrates, rather than fats or proteins, have the most immediate effect on your blood glucose since carbohydrates are broken down directly into sugar early during digestion. It is important to eat the suggested amount of carbohydrate at each meal, along with some protein and fat.

Carbohydrates are mainly found in fruit, milk and yogurt, bread, cereal, rice, pasta, starchy vegetables

Carbohydrate Counting

Carbohydrate counting is a method of meal planning that is a simple way to keep track of the amount of total carbohydrate you eat each day. Counting grams of carbohydrate and evenly distributing them at meals will help you control your blood glucose.

With carbohydrate counting, you plan your carbohydrate intake based on what your pre-meal sugar is and your intake or insulin dose can be adjusted. Carbohydrate counting can be used by anyone and not just by people with diabetes that are taking insulin. If you eat more carbohydrates than your insulin supply can handle, your blood glucose level goes up. If you eat too little, your blood glucose level may fall too low. These fluctuations can be managed by knowing how to count your carbohydrate intake.

Carbohydrate counting is most useful for people who take multiple daily injections of insulin, use the insulin pump or who want more flexibility and variety in their food choices. However, it may not be for everyone, and the traditional method of following food exchange lists may be used instead. A registered dietitian can help you figure out a carbohydrate counting plan that meets your specific needs.

How Diabetic Count Calories

If you have been diagnosed as being diabetic, then a healthy regular lifestyle is necessary for you to be able to maintain your blood glucose levels. There should be regular exercise, a sensible weight control program and most importantly, a regular, balanced diet.

As with all diabetic conditions, it is not so much the cutting down of sugar that is important but the maintenance of a balanced, healthy diet. Here are some tips for you to be able to come up with an optimal diet for you if you are a diabetic.

Glucose control

The indication of diabetes is that one’s blood sugar level increases. Therefore, one should be constantly aware of what their blood sugar level is. Several researchers have discovered that people who are diagnosed with Type 1 or 2 diabetes benefit from an improved glycemic control.

Researchers have found that for each percent reduction in the results of A1C blood tests, there is a corresponding 40 percent decrease in risk of developing microvascular diabetic complications which include complications in the diabetic’s kidney, nerve tissue and the eye. One should be able to come up with a healthy diet which mixes in enough low and high glycemic index foods

One should be able to closely monitor the different types of foods that one takes in during the course of the day in order to keep one’s blood glucose levels from ballooning to an excessive degree. To keep one’s blood glucose levels at a stable and health level, one should strive to do the following things.

• Eat at approximately the same times times each day
• Eat the same amount of food each day
• Engage in physical exercise at around the same time each day
• Take one’s medicine at similar times of each day
• Choose foods which are from the starches, vegetables, fruit, meat and its substitutes as well as dairy products such as milk and yogurt.
• Avoid as much as possible the types of sweets and fats in your diet

Another technique that can help is to practice counting the total number of grams of carbohydrates that you take in each meal or planned snack time. This should be done while considering one’s level of activity or inactivity as well as the medication that one takes. Doing this exercise will enable you to meet the carbohydrate needs of a diabetic and will ensure that you do not go beyond your allowable limit.

You can try to find a calorie counting book which can be available at a supermarket or bookstore. If you want to proceed with calorie counting in a more serious manner, you may be able to seek professional help from a nutritionist in order to help you count calories more effectively and accurately.

These are just some of the tips that one can follow if he or she wants to be able to manage calories more effectively. It is important that this becomes a habit of all diabetics in order to avoid overstocking up on carbohydrates, which by in itself is a very dangerous habit for diabetics to cultivate. The bottom line is, if you are a diabetic, the more conscious you are about what you eat, the better.

Managing Diabetes with Supplements

The idea of treating diabetes with other supplements is not a new thing and it certainly is not out of the question since most of these particular supplements are able to lower one’s blood glucose level.

Here are more supplements that you can look into if you are a diabetic who has considered taking extra supplements for your condition. However, be wary about the different side effects and remember to check with your physician if it is advisable for you to take these. Here are some of the most common supplements for the management of diabetes.

Garlic

This is also known by its scientific name of allium sativum. It is the same type of garlic that is used to put more flavor in food. It can be processed as a dietary supplement which is not uncommon since in other cultures, this herb is widely used for strict medicinal purposes.

The chemical allicin in garlic is the one that gives it a pungent taste and odor. There have been claims for this herb that for those countries who consume garlic in large quantities, the rates of specific diseases in those countries are surprisingly low. However, with regard to the herb having a significant impact on type 2 diabetes, it still remains to be seen.

There are hypotheses that would like to claim that garlic does have a beneficial impact to people who have type 2 diabetes but as far as solid scientific evidence is concerned, it is still up in the air. Like most medicinal supplements, when consumed along with other medicines that treat specific diseases, garlic decreases their effectiveness.

There are also certain birth control pills such as cyclosporine which may be affected when dietary supplements of garlic is consumed. Other negative effects are allergic reaction, skin rashes, diarrhea and upset stomach.

Magnesium

Magnesium is present in green leafy vegetables as well as seeds and whole grains. This mineral is used to maintain important functions in the body which include making proteins, maintenance of muscles, bones, nerves and handling glucose. People with diabetes normally have low levels of magnesium which leads to the connotation that a diabetic who is experiencing such should take dietary supplements of magnesium. However, the link between this mineral and diabetes is still very vague.

The studies that have been conducted regarding diabetes and magnesium have actually found out that there are some uses for magnesium in patients who have diabetes. It may help diabetics combat insulin resistance. However, controlled studies should still be conducted in order to fully conclude the apparent benefits of taking magnesium as a supplement for diabetics.

The discovered side effects of taking magnesium supplements are muscle weakness, breathing difficulty, low blood pressure, irregular beating of the heart, loss of appetite, nausea and diarrhea. These are uncomfortable side effects so the beneficial effect of taking this mineral is still yet to be understood. As with all supplements, one should consult with an expert and a doctor in order ensure that one’s condition might not become worse.

Fighting Diabetes with Supplements

If a person has diabetes, the traditional means of addressing the disease is regular exercise coupled with a conscious maintenance of one’s diet.

However, it is also possible that supplements may benefit a diabetic even more and give the person a better quality of life in the long run. There are those supplements for diabetics which will give substantial advantages but as with all good things, there will be sacrifices made-more specifically one’s comfort.

Taking one’s multivitamins seem to be too much work for some people. How would a diabetic expect to even remember taking the different recommended supplements that may help him or her with diabetes. Here are a few of those supplements:

Alpha-Lipolic Acid

This is basically found in foods such as liver, potatoes, spinach and broccoli. This is also commonly known as lipolic acid or thiotic acid. It is an antioxidant which means that it combats the cell damage that comes from free radicals which is a by-product of oxidative stress.

Since high levels of blood glucose is just one cause of oxidative stress, Alpha-Lipolic Acid (ALA) is able to counteract oxidative stress and thus normalize high blood glucose levels in a person.

Although, the principle of ALA works on paper, there is yet a big room for improvement with regard to significant scientific evidence that will support a regular dosage of ALA in diabetics. The side effects is that ALA might lower one’s blood sugar level to dangerous levels.

Another side effect is that ALA could potentially lower the blood levels of various minerals such as iron and it could dampen the effectiveness of some anti-cancer drugs. Headaches, upset stomach and skin rashes might also happen.

Chromium

This is found in meats, animal fats, fish coffee, brewer’s yeast, whole-wheat and brown sugar. The marketed form of it is in the form of chromium nicotinate, chromium picolinate and chromium chloride. Although the effect of chromium might essentially lower one’s blood sugar, it is possible that chromium might overdo it.

A study that confirms the benefits of taking chromium is yet to be done. The milder side effects are mood swings, weight gain, sleep problems while other side effects might include diarrhea, bleeding into the gastrointestinal tract and vomiting. Clearly, taking this mineral must only be done under direct supervision of a doctor.

Coenzyme Q10

This is also known as ubiquinone or ubiquinol. It aids cells in the production of energy and is an antioxidant. Its effectiveness in high blood glucose levels in diabetes cases is not yet proven. Therefore it is possible that it may have uses for other conditions such as heart disease in diabetics.

Again, further studies should still be conducted in order to have a solid conclusion about the drug. Side effects of the drug are found when it interacts with other medicines which includes warfarin which is a blood thinner and medicines for cancer chemotherapy and high blood pressure. More side effects of this drug is loss of appetite, heartburn and vomiting.

Can Diet Soda Make You Gain Weight

For some people weight loss is simply not possible. And most of them might actually be right. It may be almost inconceivable granted that people are not careful with what they eat or drink. The majority of those people who cannot lose weight are those people who are either blissfully ignorant about the ill-effects of the food they eat or those who simply do not have enough willpower in them to actually eat the right way. One of the culprits to the obesity and the majority of the overweight people today is "sugar water" or sodas.

The term strikes at the heart of an ignorant binge addict. It is even much more horrifying when people ascribe to it the term "liquid candy". Nutritionists, dietitians as well as parents never had a soft spot for sodas as they completely destroy the nutrition that children and teenagers need to follow. Because of this, the reputation of sodas nowadays is definitely plummeting. There have also been several proposals to run them out of the schools.

There is a louder call to erase sodas out of the lives of people simply because the need to eat better has become a substantial interest to the American people. These drinks are a very significant source of added sugars. The different studies have concluded that sodas essentially make people heftier and compromise their nutrition.

Dr. Camargo who is an associate professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School has suggested that if a person wants to cut back on the calories and lose a fair amount of weight, they should start with the calories. Doing this will not only improve one’s weight but will also trim down the excess sugar that a person with diabetes takes in everyday. This is very significant to people who will have diabetes because gaining weight and obesity is closely linked to the consumption of sodas.

A study conducted be several scientists at a hospital in Boston was able to track 548 children for a total of 19 months. The study which was composed of a fair mix of ethnicities discovered that those children who increased their consumption of sugar-sweetened drinks during the study’s course had slightly higher body mass indexes. These children had a higher tendency to become more obese in the future even after determining those children’s lifestyles such as their level of physical activity.

Clearly the study has already given enough evidence that "liquid sugar" is definitely a bad move for those people who plan to stay healthy and even a worse thing to add and even continue in one’s diet if you are already suffering from diabetes. It will only aggravate the situation and simply accelerate the different complications that accompany this dreaded disease.

Knowing all of this, the choice is left to the consumer. Will you continue to slowly but surely destroy your health by taking these empty calories and increase your chances of becoming obese or will you do the right thing, avoid developing diabetes as much as you can and eliminate these from your diet.

How Does Humalog Work

Knowing there is something wrong with your bodily functions can creep one out. Nobody wants feeling sick since everything seems to be an effort. Your activities are limited. One appear imprisoned because of his or her inability to perform.

Diabetes can just do that. A diabetic is pliable to so many complications that sheer disregard of the disease results to further body dysfunctions. Diabetes is mainly caused by high glucose level in the blood due to the lack of insulin. Insulin is the hormone released by the pancreas to break down sugar or glucose which is carried through the blood stream as fuel for body cells.

In the case, the pancreas can no longer produce the essential insulin for the body, external intervention is demanded. Many types of insulin have been produced to address the need of diabetics. One of the few medications used to control high blood sugar is humalog.

Humalog in general, is used for people with diabetes which is taken each time you eat. Humalog serves like the body’s own insulin during mealtime, even reckoned as number one mealtime insulin. Most doctors prescribe humalog to diabetics.

Unlike other types of external insulin, humalog works fast even in over 15 minutes that lasts for a few hours. Also considered to be a rapid acting insulin, humalog acts like the body’s insulin. It lowers the blood sugar so quickly once absorbed in the body.

For anyone and everyone, good control of the body’s sugar level is essential to having a healthy and longer life. Moreover, you will always feel great about yourself once you have your blood sugar in the right track.

What can you enjoy when you take humalog? Though it is inconvenient to go through the rigorous intake and injection of such medication, it is guarantee to a longer life. Diabetes is not something one should toy with or even ignore. It is as much as deadly as heart disease since it webs to several complications even affecting the nervous system. With humalog, patients are guaranteed to bask in convenience. Below are the benefits of taking humalog:

The dosing schedule of humalog is very flexible since it is your choice as which meal you prefer to take the medication.

Having the choice to manage the time of dosage of humalog will lessen your stress when you miss having it in a meal. Thus, you can take your humalog anytime as you want it.

This type of insulin can be taken in small doses just enough to let you go throughout the day without thinking much of your blood sugar.

Most convenient is the production of pre-filled pen humalog that is light weight and most of all pocket size. So if you are on the go, you would never have to worry of missing out taking your dosage.

Humalog, however cannot be taken without any prescriptions from the doctor. It is a prerequisite for you to consult your physician since humalog may or may not be taken along with other insulins. Be sure to talk to your doctor about your needs. Every case of diabetes is different from another. Prescriptions vary for each patient.

When you have diabetes, no one is responsible but you. It is your job to maintain your blood sugar level. Medication can be truly tiring and for some even depressing due to the routine. But you have to always remind and empower yourself to battle with this illness. Try to get more information about diabetes since knowing will eventually lead you to understanding the disease. In doing so, you lay more options in front of you to fight the disease and live as comfortable as you can.

Fasting Blood Sugar Level

For health organizations such as the American Diabetes Association, they emphatically claim that "there are 20.8 million children and adults in the United States, or 7% of the population, who have diabetes. While an estimated 14.6 million have been diagnosed with diabetes, unfortunately, 6.2 million people or nearly one-third of the population are unaware that they have the disease".

There are approximately more than 20 million Americans who have diabetes. It was also revealed that diabetes is more common in African Americans, Latinos, Native Americans, Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders.

The health organization states that anyone who is 45 years old or older should undergo tests for diabetes. People who are 45 or older and is overweight needs to undergo testing. If one is younger than 45 and overweight, he should consider testing. If one has a parent, brother, or sister with diabetes, then he should consider testing since the disease is definitely genetically passed on to immediate family members.

Researchers also cite that people also need to get a regular aerobic exercise to help regulate blood sugar and to track diabetes by writing down the time and content of each meal, the kind and amount of exercise one gets, the level of energy and if one has a home glucose monitor, it is best to check blood sugar level at least once a day at different times each day

For a diabetic patient, a positive outcome should be verified by any of the aforementioned methods on a separate day, unless there is no suspicion of significantly-elevated glucose levels. Most physicians favor measuring a fasting glucose level since it is easier to measure and the time that is needed to be committed to formal glucose tolerance testing is much more manageable. By definition, two fasting glucose measurements above 126 mg/dL or 7.0 mmol/l is believed to be a correct diagnosis for diabetes mellitus.

The patients who have fasting sugars between 6.1 and 7.0 mmol/l (110 and 125 mg/dL) are believed to have a condition called "impaired fasting glucose" and if the patient’s plasma glucose is at or over 140mg/dL or 7.8 mmol/l two hours after a 75g oral ingestion of glucose, then that patient is considered to have "impaired glucose tolerance".

The concept of "prediabetes" is either impaired fasting glucose or impaired glucose tolerance. The condition of impaired glucose tolerance seems to be much more of a risk factor for the development of adult-onset diabetes mellitus as well as cardiovascular disease.

The measurement of one’s blood fasting sugar level is very relevant because it will be the indicator whether one is in range or diabetes or not. It is therefore quite significant that each patient would be keenly aware and conscious of how well they are doing in terms of their blood fasting sugar measurement. Knowing that would significantly spell the difference between a manageable type of outcome or a diabetes condition that will be out of control. Knowing that will ultimately spell life or death for the patient in the long run.

What Is Humalog Insulin?

If you’re a diabetic who’s taking insulin, you might be well aware of the fact that taking it becomes such a hassle. Injecting oneself with regular insulin essentially reminds you constantly that you are a diabetic because you would normally need to take it around 30 to 45 minutes before chowing down on your meal. That type of maintenance already has an alternative. For the diabetic who wants to have much more flexibility in taking insulin, there is an answer. Enter Humalog insulin.

What is humalog insuline?

Humalog is a new faster-acting type of insulin that enables the person to be more flexible when it comes to maintaining his blood sugar levels. This type of insulin is a better version of the enzyme simply because there is a quicker reaction time for Humalog to start taking effect compared to regular insulin. It also features a higher peak activity as well as a shorter working time. There are testimonies that already confirm that they have already noticed the improved effects and they noticeably feel better now.

Apparently, Humalog insulin has become a very good measuring stick by which all other medicines for diabetics are measured. The speed and the effectiveness with which it works is astounding.

How humalog insuline work?

Humalog will allow you to simply stop worrying about thinking in advance when it comes to eating. Normal regular insulin would require that you take it around half an hour before you start eating. With Humalog, it only requires that you take it 10 minutes before you decide to eat.

So you could take the humalog insulin and then probably take out the salad from the freezer, set the table, pour out a glass of fruit juice and then start eating. This is one of the greatest achievements of humalog and it does not stop there. Humalog insulin only works as long as your eating time. Normal insulin will hang around up to 8 hours while humalog insulin will only take about 3.5 hours before it goes away from your body. This is one of the clearest advantages of the medicine in the sense that it sort of syncs with the action time for most meals.

There are even those people who have already praised humalog insulin because they don’t need to be anticipating when their diabetic child will go hungry and demand food. Waiting for half an hour before you get fed is simply unacceptable especially for kids.

Humalog insulin takes care of the waiting and simply allows you to focus on your meal instead of thinking about the fact that you didn’t take your prescribed medicine properly the whole meal.

Humalog insulin is a nice innovation by the medical community and it already has had a wide acceptance of those people who simply do not want the hassle of guessing when they need to take their insulin at any point of the day. With many people already taking it instead of regular insulin, Humalog insulin has become a choice of some diabetics. Simply put, Humalog insulin is a rare sweet deal for a diabetic.

Prevent Diabetes Problems: Keep Your Feet Healthy

So you’ve already agreed that proper foot care is necessary in order to address the possibility of having your feet amputated because of diabetes. Well, how does a diabetic exactly tell when they already need to see a doctor about their foot. After all, you might just have had a really bad buy when you bought those new pair of slip-ons for your Saturday night out with your friends.

Well, here are a few symptoms that you might want to look out for when debating as to whether you need to see a doctor about the potential of having a good foot care program. So be ready to take down some notes because these are a lot to handle for someone who’s already stressing out because they already have diabetes.

Diabetic’s Guide to spotting foot problems

You might want to have a check up with your physician regarding damage to your feet’s nerve endings and blood vessels if you have the following symptoms:

Persistent pain on the foot – This is a really good sign that one should look out for. If your shoes don’t fit or if you have any underlying infection that stubbornly refrains from wanting to heal itself. Other foot concerns might be increased sprains and bruises. This might effectively tell you that the tissue around your feet isn’t able to handle the stress that it is taking day in and day out.

Redness and infection - This is when you have a wound because of abnormal rubbing against one’s shoes and socks. Again, one should be looking out for stubborn wounds that refuse to heal.

Swelling - When this happens to one’s feet, it is the body’s way of telling us that there is an underlying inflammation or infection that is present. There could also be impaired blood circulation that is happening to the veins surrounding one’s foot.

Claudication - This is essentially a medical term for when you experience pain in your legs as well as buttocks when you involve yourself with walking. You’ll recognize this right away when the pain subsides whenever you rest.

Nonexistent hair – If you had some hair growing on some areas of your foot before and they’re no longer there, that is one telltale sign that you might be having complications to your foot. Be sure to observe for other aforementioned signs.

Hard shiny skin - If you have shiny but not supple skin on your legs, you might want to wipe that smirk off your face. Even though your skin may be shiny, the hardness that it is already attaining is a red flag for your foot and you could be a legitimate candidate for diabetic foot problem.

Fever and chills - This is a big sign that the worsening condition on your foot could already be on its advanced stages already. This is already a limb or life-threatening situation and you need immediate action when facing this. Be always on the lookout of any complications and be more sure that you’re going to visit the hospital as soon as possible.

Understanding Humalog Side Effects

How does it work?

The advent of humalog insulin or human insulin analog has brought about a new type of diabetic. It is one that is free from the trivialities of taking one’s insulin shot many minutes before one decides to eat or take in something that might be able to elevate his or her blood sugar levels to significant degrees. It has given diabetics the option to at least not think of their disease in advance so as to give them a regular and normal life as possible.

Humalog insulin is essentially a mealtime insulin which one takes around 15 minutes before any meal. This is also a type of insulin that has a short duration of action . There are several other complications that might come out of taking in insulin whether it be humalog or normal insulin.

Humalog side effects

Hypoglycemia is one of those negative effects. This is essentially the deficiency of sugar in one’s blood because there is too much insulin present that is acting on the blood sugar level of a person. This is quite a significant condition for the diabetic because the insulin shock might inevitably render them unconscious or, in some cases, even lead to their death.

Another one of those things that might be the typical localized allergies that result from the therapy. The diabetic might essentially experience redness, swelling or itchiness at the site of the injection. These minor side-effects are usually seen in the first few days or weeks after a shot has been made.

The much more dangerous type of allergy that the person could experience is the systemic type of allergy which is quite rare but it potentially more threatening. This is essentially allergy to insulin which may immediately cause rashes all over one’s body, asthmatic wheezing, drop in blood pressure, shortness of breath, sweating and having a much more rapid pulse. Those more severe cases of this type of systemic allergy is the body reacting to it so badly that it goes into anaphylactic shock. This will eventually lead to death if it is not treated immediately.

As the development of medicines for diabetes has improved, it also has accompanying side effects that a discriminating person might want to look into before switching to this type of insulin. Reasons for wanting to switch to another type of insulin might come from other reasons such as choosing whether to change the strength of the insulin (NPH or analog), the species (animal or human) or the manner in which it is manufactured (rDNA or animal-source insulin).

These types of choices give the diabetic more than enough options to unconsciously orchestrate his own demise if he is not careful enough. As with all types of medication, any changes made to one’s medical maintenance should only be done under the direct supervision and consent of a legitimate medical physician.

With all of this in mind, one must realize that there are a lot of things to consider when administering insulin. One should take extra care and never underestimate the side effects that may happen in the case of an overdose

Dealing with Diabetic Nerve Pain

There are many symptoms associated with diabetes; one of them is nerve pain or peripheral neuropathy, characterized by pain, numbness, or discomfort in the feet and hands. This has made many diabetics unable to live through their lives comfortably. Fortunately, there is a variety of choices to treat the discomfort.

Apart from controlling the blood sugar level, regular exercise, and maintaining a normal weight, peripheral neuropathy needs to be controlled through medications. These drugs have its advantages and disadvantages; and it is up to you to weigh in your options.

Over-the-counter pain relievers

These medications are purchased in drugstores even without a prescription and are recommended for mild pain. Aspirin, ibuprofen, and naproxen are the most common non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID) available.

These could relieve pain and inflammation, but long-term usage may also cause stomach irritation, kidney and liver damage, high blood pressure, and fluid retention. Acetaminophen, meanwhile, can soothe the pain but not the inflammation. It does not upset the stomach, but it may not be effective in treating nerve pain.

Creams, gels, and oils

Topical creams and gels, which are applied directly over the skin where the pain and discomfort manifest, are recommended for mild symptoms of diabetic nerve pain. Capsaicin is made from crushed chili peppers and works by depleting nerve endings that transmit pain signals.

Recommended application is four to five times a day and it takes several weeks before its effectiveness is felt. However, capsaicin may interfere with wound healing. Meanwhile, lidocaine is a topical anesthetic that numbs the area where it is applied.

Botanical extracts

Botanical oil blends may provide rapid relief, albeit temporary, to chronic nerve pain. Neuragen, for example, is a combination of extracts from geranium, lavender, bergamot, eucalyptus, and tea tree.

Prescription medication

There are several NSAID that cater to nerve pain, but purchasing them requires a doctor’s prescription. Examples of these are celebrex, lodine, and Relafen. These drugs are similar to non-prescription NSAID when it comes to effect and side-effects, but there is an added risk of heart problems among prescription NSAID.

Anti-seizure drugs like Neurontin and Lyrica may also help people deal with depression that can accompany nerve pain. Antidepressants, meanwhile, can also help relieve peripheral neuropathy as well as depression. Selective serotonin reuptate inhibitors (SSRI) like Paxil or Prozac may work with its increased level of serotonin and can be a good choice for both nerve pain and depression.

Meanwhile, serotonin and norepinephrine reuptate inhibitors (SNRI) like Cymbalta or Effexor work by changing the levels of serotonin and norepinephrine that promote stress response and release of glucose from our body’s energy source. Tricyclic antidepressants like Elavil or Imipramine do not relieve nerve pain directly, but they can lower the pain threshold and make people drowsy enough to sleep better.

However, beware of its potential side-effects such as dry mouth, constipation, and fast heart rate. Finally, opioids like morphine, contained in painkiller Ultram, are often recommended by doctors for moderate to severe pain. These drugs, however, can cause dependency if used long-term.

Source: Web MD

Dealing with Diabetic Infections

One of the major struggles people with diabetes face is fighting infections. Because of the high levels of sugar in body tissues of diabetics, bacteria grow more rapidly, making infections develop more quickly. Infections are commonly seen on the feet of people living with diabetes, although the problem can also appear on the genitals, gums, skin, bladder, and kidneys. The earlier these infections be treated, the less likely these wounds would lead to complications.

Although most infections in people with diabetes can be treated successfully, there are also symptoms of infection that they should recognize in order to get proper and effective treatment. Inform the health care provider immediately for any manifestations of symptoms such as high fever exceeding 101 degrees F, night sweats, skin rashes, pain or swelling, wound that won’t heal, sore throat, sinus drainage, nasal congestion, headaches, white patches in the mouth and tongue, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, vaginal itching, difficulty of urinating, and foul-smelling urine.

Source: Web MD

Prevent Diabetes Foot Problems

Diabetics are not free from the prison of having infections on the foot. Thus foot care is essential otherwise expect a batch of complications even to the point of amputation.

But what causes complications on the foot? How susceptible are diabetics to foot complication? What can one do to avoid such complication?

One of the other complications brought by diabetes is peripheral neuropathy. It is a condition wherein is causes harm to the nerves specifically in the peripheral nervous system. This part of the nervous system includes the nerves running from the brain to the spinal cord.

It would also include the nerves of the rest of the body. These nerves involve sensations feeling pain, touch and even temperature. When ones experience neuropathy, the patient would feel shooting pain coupled with burning sensations even to the point of just like having frostbites.

There are many causes of neuropathy and one of which is diabetes. Neuropthy in diabetes directly affects the foot precisely because neuropathy can be the grounds for the numbness in the feet along with weakness and pain on the muscles of the legs and feet. Moreover, total skin problem should be expected especially with regard to the sweat glands resulting to dry and cracked skin.

And since diabetes causes other complications such as poor blood circulation and diminished immune system response can add more to foot problems. It is common for diabetics to have skin ulcers, cracked skin and fungal infections and supposing the patient do not take care of this problem, it can worsen to the degree of not being able to cure it.

Diabetics have a hard to cure themselves. Improper foot care can lead in to bone displacement, more so in case of sever circulation can result to amputation. Therefore proper foot care should be taken seriously.

Below are some ways to take care of your foot:

Diabetics should first and foremost start with the control the intake of blood sugar levels. Doing so would reduce the symptoms leading to foot complications.

When the skin looses moisture, the skin start to crack and more often causes fungal infections. Diabetics have slow healing ability. To avoid cracked skin, apply diabetic foot cream as well ointments for toe nails for moisture.

Since there is a deficiency in blood circulation, much attention is demanded in massaging the feet. You can purchase foot rollers or otherwise, massaging with the hands would do.

Diabetics have sensitive skin. In case you have warts or callous on your feet, do not purchase over the counter drugs since these medications are strong enough to cause lesions.

Lastly, use proper socks and shoes. There are socks and shoes specifically for diabetics preventing pressure ulcers, fungal infections, and bone displacement.

There are many ways to prevent foot complications. It is a matter of having the knowledge and will to prevent these complications. Having diabetes poses a lot of complications. The wealth we should treasure must include our health. Knowing the effects of diabetes will give you the heads up so as to preclude other health problems. Paying attention to your health is worthwhile.

Common Diabetes Myths – Part 2

The first part of the diabetes myths tackled the some of the common preconceived notions about diabetes and how it affects children. This article is a continuation of the dispelling of the different myths that people might have of the dreaded disease. Whatever myths that you are holding onto regarding diabetes, read on first. You might learn a thing or two about what the disease is really about.

Myth 1: If diabetics take insulin, their condition will be cured.

Taking insulin is only for maintenance. The insulin that a person takes does not cure him or her from the dreaded disease. It only keeps the person alive but it does not take away the disease. Even though research and discoveries regarding a cure for the disease has improved by leaps and bounds, a remedy for the disease remains undiscovered. So the myth that diabetics will soon be cured if they regularly take enough insulin is not true.

Myth 2: Diabetes is caused by eating too much sugar.

The increased consumption of sugar in one’s diet has not been scientifically proven to cause diabetes. Scientific evidence actually has determined that diets which are high in sugar do not directly cause diabetes. There are people who have had high-sugar diets whose blood sugar levels have remained the same.

The one thing that went through the roof was their insulin level. The person’s pancreas was overexerting itself to try and manage the person’s blood sugar at that level. Despite the sugar binge, the pancreas tried to cope with the increased sugar intake and the person’s blood sugar level stayed level.

One of the things that could be an indirect reaction to this is that, if a person would constantly tax their pancreas at that level, they might develop insulin resistance which will eventually result to them putting on weight.

Myth 3: If a person who has diabetes abides by a strict diet and exercise strategy while closely monitoring his or her blood sugar levels through daily multiple insulin injections, they will be able to have complete control over their blood sugar levels.

There are people who think that as long as they are able to strictly follow their strict low-sugar diets and continuously take in insulin, that they will be able to control their blood glucose levels. This is not entirely true.

While the most effective strategy to achieve and maintain a solid control of one’s blood sugar is through a good diet and a good exercise plan, this plan does not necessarily promise to deliver optimal results in controlling one’s blood sugar level.

There are several factors which may contribute to a spike in a person’s blood sugar level. Some of these are periods of growth, illnesses, hormone changes or increased stress levels. All of these contribute to the increase of one’s blood sugaar levels and may be the trigger for diabetes in a person.

These are just some of the myths that one should know about regarding the dreaded disease of diabetes. It is recommended that you consult with your doctor in order to get your facts straight and also have yourself checked if you are a candidate for this particular disease. After all, a ounce of prevention is worth more than a pound of cure.

What is Diabetes?

Diabetes is a disease in which your body cannot properly store and use fuel for energy. The fuel that your body needs is called glucose. Glucose comes from foods such as breads, cereals, pasta, rice, potatoes, fruits and some vegetables. To use glucose, your body needs insulin. Insulin is made by a gland in your body called the pancreas.

You have diabetes because either:

• Your body makes too little or no insulin. This is called type 1 diabetes; or
• Your body can’t use the insulin it makes. This is called type 2 diabetes.

With little or no insulin, glucose builds up in your blood instead of being used for energy. This causes high blood glucose levels. When this happens, you may:

• Feel tired;
• Be thirsty;
• Urinate often
• Be hungry;
• Be moody.

You may also:

• Lose weight;
• Have blurry vision;
• Get infections Over the long term, abnormally high blood glucose levels can lead to conditions called either impaired glucose tolerance, impaired fasting glucose, or diabetes. These conditions, when left untreated, can lead to:
• kidney failure;
• heart disease;
• impotence;
• Blindness;
• amputation

Whether you have type 1 or type 2 diabetes, by keeping your blood glucose levels in a target range determined by your doctor, you can reduce your risk of complications and live a long and healthy life. Your doctor will tell you what type of diabetes you have and what you need to do.

Common Diabetes Myths – Part 1

The reality is that diabetes is something serious. It can be hard on the families because they are called to cope with an array of adjustments that will mostly be permanent for the rest of their lives.

It will only be appropriate for the diabetic or people who might get the disease to know and discover the facts behind the disease. There are different things that ever person should know regarding the disease and here are just some of the myths that this articles wishes to dispel:

Myth 1: Whatever a diabetic does to take care of his condition, if he or she has had diabetes for years, complications will ultimately happen.

The different mechanisms that causes complications in diabetics have not yet been understood. And what’s more is the degree to which they develop greatly differs from individual to individual. The only tried and tested method by which one can reduce the risk of developing complications is a rigid control of one’s sugar intake although this particular method still remains unpredictable. Research shows that there are some people who have a genetic predisposition towards complications of type 1 diabetes.

Myth 2: Diabetics cannot engage in exercise

Some people think that if you have diabetes, you are automatically forbidden to engage in athletics. Quite the contrary. The opposite is actually true. If a person has diabetes, it is very important that the person engages in regular exercises. The physical fitness of a person who has diabetes is very important and it has been known to help lower one’s blood sugar level and maintain them in the proper range.

History is littered with popular and timeless examples of people who have had tremendous success even though they were diagnosed as diabetics. A few examples of these people are Olympic Gold Medalist swimmer, Gary Hall and hockey legend Bobby Clarke. Therefore the myth that people with diabetes shouldn’t exercise at all does not have any truth with it.

Myth 3: Only children can have Type 1 Diabetes

Whoever said that children are the only ones which can have type 1 diabetes or "juvenile onset" diabetes did not have their facts straight. While it is true that juvenile diabetes is more commonly first diagnosed in young adults, children and teenagers, it is still possible that people may develop Type 1 diabetes at any age.

Myth 4: Children are unable to get Type 2 Diabetes

This is the myth at the other end of the spectrum of the above myth. Even though type 2 diabetes is ordinarily diagnosed in adults, a diabetes epidemic which is caused increased obesity have led to young adults and children under 10 years old having type 2 diabetes. However, the more regular form of diabetes that children will get is type 1 diabetes.

These are just some of the myths that most people know about this particular disease. It is important that people know the truth and get their facts straight so that they would be able to properly respond to the disease and act accordingly towards fighting it.

Eye Exams Can Provide Early Warnings of Diabetes

Do you know that diabetes can be detected even before the disease could completely take over your body? Ophthalmologists claim that a simple eye examination can detect early signs of diabetes.

The ophthalmologist examines your retina-the light-sensitive tissue in the back of the eye-and check for signs of bleeding outside of the blood vessels inside your eye, a sign of diabetic retinopathy. If left untreated, this damage could lead to permanent blindness.

However, a simple laser treatment may help prevent further loss of vision, although it cannot cure diabetic retinopathy completely. The laser travels through the eye and hits the retina, creating a minute amount of heat enough to cauterize the retina.

If your family has a history of diabetes or you are over 45 years of age, ophthalmologists recommend that you undergo a complete eye examination to look for signs of diabetic retinopathy.

Source: WCBD-TV

High-Risk Patients with Diabetes

Diabetes is one disease that does not come from out of nowhere. It is slowly but surely developed by an individual either through negligence or ignorance. There is hardly anyone who actually desires and works in order to get this particular disease by a certain age.

As underrated as it may seem, it certainly isn’t up there with the to-do-lists of a person before they die. And so we’re here to help you identify several risk factors that you might run into when you are on the road to a life imprisoned with diabetes.

One of the most acute indicators of the disease is the blood sugar metabolism which is believed to be a precursor of diabetes even years before clear manifestations of the disease is seen by the individual or the doctors.

Health experts are now consistently looking at several solid indicators of patients who may have a high risk of diabetes.

Impaired Fasting Glucose

This is a particularly significant indicator as a person with an impaired fasting glucose is also susceptible to increase their risk for stroke as well as heart disease. So what exactly constitutes impaired fasting glucose?

Well, for starters, a person who is diagnosed to be a diabetic is a person who has a fasting blood sugar greater than 126mg/dl. There is another group that for those who fall under this range. It is those people who have a fasting blood sugar value of 110 mg/dl to 126 mg/dl.

This is a concern for those who are in the medical field simply because this group has a greater chance to develop type 2 diabetes when compared to the normal population whose fasting blood sugar levels are certainly lower than those in this range.

While it is important to also note other factors that will essentially increase one’s risk of developing diabetes, a good indication of a person developing diabetes in the long run is if he or she has a fasting blood sugar level that falls within the 110 mg/dl to 126 mg/dl range.

Irregular menstruation

One of the strangest and unpreventable factors that a woman might encounter with regard to risk indicators of diabetes is delayed menstruation. This is particularly much more prominent in obese women.

There was a study which concluded that those women who had a cycle of more than 40 days increased their likelihood of developing the disease by as much as 50 percent. This is attributed to polycystic ovary disease which is known to be a significant risk factor for type 2 diabetes. This is why it is important that women should regularly have consultations with their physicians.

These are only two risk indicators of diabetes. However mild they may be, it is understood that one should not underestimate the fact that most of these risk indicators can be dealt with accordingly if one is prudent enough to have a checkup and consult with his physician about his overall health.

Diabetes and African American

The disease that is diabetes became an unnatural cause of death among African Americans at the turn of the century. By 1993, however, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Center for Health Statistics, death certificates listed diabetes as the fifth leading cause of death for African Americans aged 45 to 64, and the third leading cause of death for those aged 65 and older in 1990.

Diabetes is more dangerous for African-American women, for whom it was the third leading cause of death for all ages in 1990. Diabetes death rates may actually be higher than these studies show for two reasons. First, diabetes might not have been diagnosed. Second, many doctors do not list diabetes as a cause of death, even when the person was known to have diabetes.

African Americans experience higher rates of three diabetes complications – blindness, kidney failure, and amputations. They also experience greater disability from these complications. Some factors that influence the frequency of these complications, such as delay in diagnosis and treatment of diabetes, denial of diabetes, abnormal blood lipids, high blood pressure, and cigarette smoking, can be influenced by proper diabetes management.

The following are the most common complications that one may run into when diabetes is left unchecked. There are even more diseases and complications that might come after diabetes. It is through constant regular checkup and consultations with doctors that one will be able to pick up signs of whether one already is in danger of having this disease.

Kidney Failure

African Americans experience kidney failure, also called end-stage renal disease (ESRD), from 2.5 to 5.5 times more often than white Americans. Interestingly though, hypertension, not diabetes, is the leading cause of kidney failure in black Americans. Hypertension accounts for almost 38 percent of ESRD cases in African Americans, whereas diabetes causes 32.5 percent. In spite of their high rates of the disease, African Americans have better survival rates from kidney failure than white Americans.

Visual Impairment

The frequency of severe visual impairment is 40 percent higher in African Americans with diabetes than in white Americans. This is a very significant fact that should prompt more focus on the community. Blindness caused by diabetic retinopathy is twice as common in blacks as in whites. Compared to white women, black women are three times more likely to become blind from diabetes. African-American men have a 30 percent higher rate of blindness from diabetes than white American men. Diabetic retinopathy may occur more frequently in black Americans than whites because of their higher rate of hypertension.

Amputations

African Americans undergo more diabetes-related lower-extremity amputations than white or Hispanic Americans. One study of 1990 U.S. hospital discharge figures showed amputation rates for African Americans with diabetes were 19 percent higher than for white Americans. In a 1991 California study, however, African Americans were 72 percent more likely to have diabetes-related amputations than white Americans, and 117 percent more likely than Hispanic Americans.

Having a Healthy Pregnancy with Diabetes

This dreaded disease of diabetes is an illness which affects the blood sugar levels of a person. If a person is diagnosed with diabetes, that means that the amount of sugar in that person’s blood is much too high for the body to cope with.

The body simply cannot generate enough insulin for it to use up the sugar that is present in a person’s blood or the condition could simply be a manifestation of the person’s body’s failure to utilize insulin properly. Insulin is the hormone that is created by the pancreas in order to directly turn a person’s blood sugar into energy or maybe even transform it and store it as fat.

Aside from the fact that there are some women who have preexisting diabetes before their pregnancy, there are cases in which women who are bearing a child in their womb develop diabetes. These women generally constitute around 2 to 5 percent of the current population. This is called “gestational diabetes”. Today, despite the disease, these women do have an opportunity to have their baby as healthy as any newborn child.

Risks to the baby

There are those women who already have diabetes before their pregnancy and those women might not have been taking care of their condition during that time. For these types of women who have been very careless with their disorder, their babies are three to four times more likely to have dangerous birth defects than those women who do not have diabetes.

These types of birth defects can range from heart defects to brain defects to NTD, which is short for neural tube defect which might be identified in the future as anencephaly, encephalocele or spina bifida. Another thing is that pregnant women have an increased risk of miscarriage or stillbirth which is when the fetus dies in the womb of the mother or while being delivered.

Risks to the mother

For women who have preexisting or gestational diabetes might cause some problems for the women in the sense that they might have significant trouble while delivering the baby.

Women who have not been able to control their diabetes during pregnancy are at an increased risk of having their baby develop a disorder which is called macrosomia. This condition develops because of increased sugar that is in the blood. What happens is that the babies which have macrosomia grow to be very large (up to 10 pounds or more) because the sugar from the mother’s blood is passed onto the baby and thus the baby’s body compensates by producing more insulin for these sugars to be stored as fat.

Because of the exaggerated amounts of sugar, this particular reaction happens and the fat that is produced is stored around the shoulders and the trunk of the infant. The added girth that these infants have essentially translate to an increased difficulty for the mother if she is having a normal vaginal delivery. This could put the mother at risk for serious injuries during childbirth.

Diabetes and Impotence

Diabetes is like a spiderweb concerting not one but more complications in the body. Starting from the blood sugar level to the heart, kidneys, eyes, and nervous system.

Recent studies have prove diabetes can even cause impotence among

men. Since diabetes can damage the the peripheral nervous system, which includes nerves from the spine to the brain and the rest of the nerves of the body. The harm done by the diabetes on the nervous system leads to impotence. Nerves serve as messengers of the body. It the main connecting point of the rest of the body to the brain.

To have high blood glucose for years harms the covering on the nerves. It is the peripheral, autonomic, and cranial nerves which is directly harmed by diabetes. Due to high glucose in the blood, less oxygen in brought to the nerves. Nerves that are damaged sends wrong messages to the other parts of the body, this includes the sexual organs.

As mentioned earlier, diabetes also affects the autonomic nerves. It is this part of the nervous system that regulates the organ function of the most. Moreover, it also modulates homeostasis and mostly not capable of voluntary control. The automatic system is usually referred in academic textbooks as the visceral system.

The major role of the autonomic system is to transmit impulses from the Central Nervous System to the peripheral organ systems. It regulates and control heart rate and force of contraction, contraction and relaxation of smooth muscle in various organs, constriction and dilatation of blood vessels, pupillary size and secretions both from exocrine and endocrine glands.

The fact that the automatic system controls the organs can be a in great risk when one has diabetes. The damage diabetes can do to the body is extensive that even impotence and erectile dysfunction is among the list. Researches have discovered a particular sugar to present in diabetics intervene with the chain of nerves commanding for the penis to maintain erection.

Diabetic erectile dysfunction is caused partially by the interruption in an enzyme starting the chain of vascular events resulting to erection. A team of researches surmise O-GlcNAc, a blood sugar that exist in hyperglycemic circumstances as the interrupting factor.

An estimate of 50-70 percent of men with diabetes suffer erectile dysfunction You have to take note that diabetic erectile dysfunction is unlike the usual case of impotence that can be treated with Viagra.

Men get an erection when there is a sexual stimulus, thus it follows– activating an enzyme called neuronal nitric oxide synthase. These enzymes cause short term release of nitric oxide at the end of the penis.

The sugar O-GlcNAc impede these events by suppressing the NOs. The consequent reduction of NOs discharged prevents the smooth muscle of the penis from relaxing. No relaxation means no production of NOs, thus no normal and prolonged hard on.

Studies show and emphasize those with diabetes suffer from reduced blood vessel function. The vascular function is very important in erectile response and the dysfunction in the blood vessels no doubt lessens the erection.

Sex is an essential part of a relationship. Though it is not the very important level for other people, being humans, still give us sexual urge. Having sex is part of our being human or being mammals so to speak. Having an erectile dysfunction can cause embarrassment for most men. However, the advancement in medicine presents options to treat it.

Complications from Diabetes

What is diabetes?

Insulin is a vital hormone in the body as it helps glucose to be properly used by the body. Without the production of the insulin, sugar will not be converted into the necessary energy resulting to diabetes– a state wherein the sugar level in the bloodstream becomes very high.

Too mush sugar in the body serves like a poison since its not working its purpose to give the necessary energy to the cells of our body. In short, the fuel becomes venomous to the body if kept to a high level.

This state is what we call diabetes.

The worst thing about diabetes, is it merely does not concern the sugar level of the body but complications originate from this illness. Short term complications include hypoglycemia, hyperglycemia, keteoacidosis, and hyperosmolar syndrome. Long term complications, on the other hand, may extend to heart disease, kidney disease, neuropathy, disease of the eyes, peripheral vascular disease and so much more depending on the status of the patient.

Most common complications of diabetes:

Heart Disease

Heart disease is one of the most deadly of all illnesses. It can strike anytime without a person even knowing about it. It is believed and proved people with diabetes are likely to be twice more susceptible and vulnerable to heart disease. It is not only common to diabetics but progresses quicker than for a normal person. The hardening of the arteries is swift when a person has diabetes.

Having diabetes slows down the LDL’s or low density proteins to be carried to the heart. LDL’s are essential for it carries the needed cholesterol all through out the circulatory system. The unneeded cholesterol, however, is carried back to the liver when not utilized.

Too much glucose in the body can slow down the circulation of LDLs making it sticky. Thus, cholesterol gets stuck building up on the blood vessel walls. It is for this reason, diabetics are pliable to heart attack.

Blood Pressure

Blood pressure is very much related to the function of the heart. Hypertension actually adds to the workload of the heart, arteries, and kidney. Often, high blood pressure is considered to be a silent killer precisely because it cannot be detected until the moment comes.

The complication of having high blood is that it affects other parts of the body. And since the regulation of the blood is irregular for diabetics, the risk of having blood pressure is high. It’s a tandem that can cause more than heart disease but can go as far as eye, kidney, and nerve complications.

Depression

There are two most common types of diabetes. Type 1 and Type 2. Type 1 usually develops by the age of 40 and is characterized by the body’s inability to produce insulin. Type 2 on the other hand, is wherein a person still produces small amount of insulin that may or may not function in the body. Most people with Type 2 diabetes are overweighted.

Studies have shown, diabetics are very prone to depression and conversely, can increase the risks of diabetes particularly with type 2 diabetes. The tediousness of monitoring one’s diabetes which include strict compliance to medications, eating habits, and constant exercise can be very overwhelming to diabetics. This overwhelmed feeling transcends to fatigue and loss of interest.

Depression gets worse as the complications increase. The routines predisposed by being a diabetic causes fatigue and lack of enthusiasm resulting to withdrawal from reality.

Depression, just like having heart disease and blood pressure is twice prompted by diabetes.

Diabetic Neuropathy

This particular complication affects the nerves of the body and may develop for both type 1 and type 2 diabetes. Sadly, this complication causes a great deal of pain and numbness in the body.

Since it is a long term effect of diabetes, it develops slowly making itself known after a few years. Nerve damage happens over time and this is caused by the high blood glucose levels. The longer an individual have had diabetes, the more likely he or she acquires neuropathy.

Diabetes can cause a lot of complications. These complications are a lifetime struggle, however, thorough medication and constant monitoring of one’s health can help in preventing these complications. Much more to consider, perhaps, is to discipline one’s self early on to avoid diabetes in later years.

How Gestational Diabetes Can Affect Your Baby

Gestational diabetes affects the mother in late pregnancy, after the baby’s body has been formed, but while the baby is busy growing. Because of this, gestational diabetes does not cause the kinds of birth defects sometimes seen in babies whose mothers had diabetes before pregnancy.

However, untreated or poorly controlled gestational diabetes can hurt your baby. When you have gestational diabetes, your pancreas works overtime to produce insulin, but the insulin does not lower your blood glucose levels.

Although insulin does not cross the placenta, glucose and other nutrients do. So extra blood glucose goes through the placenta, giving the baby high blood glucose levels. This causes the baby’s pancreas to make extra insulin to get rid of the blood glucose. Since the baby is getting more energy than it needs to grow and develop, the extra energy is stored as fat.

This can lead to macrosomia, or a “fat” baby. Babies with macrosomia face health problems of their own, including damage to their shoulders during birth. Because of the extra insulin made by the baby’s pancreas, newborns may have very low blood glucose levels at birth and are also at higher risk for breathing problems. Babies with excess insulin become children who are at risk for obesity and adults who are at risk for type 2 diabetes.

What Is Gestational Diabetes

Gestational diabetes is a type of diabetes that occurs only during pregnancy. Like other forms of diabetes, gestational diabetes affects the way your body uses sugar (glucose) – your body’s main source of fuel. The result may be dangerously high blood sugar levels. Pregnant women who have never had diabetes before but who have high blood sugar (glucose) levels during pregnancy are said to have gestational diabetes.

What are the cause of gestional diabetes?

We don’t know what causes gestational diabetes, but we have some clues. The placenta supports the baby as it grows. Hormones from the placenta help the baby develop. But these hormones also block the action of the mother’s insulin in her body. This problem is called insulin resistance. Insulin resistance makes it hard for the mother’s body to use insulin. She may need up to three times as much insulin.

What are the risk factors?

Age. Women older than age 25 are more likely to develop gestational diabetes.

Family or personal history. Your risk of developing gestational diabetes increases if you have prediabetes a precursor to type 2 diabetes or a close family member, such as a parent or sibling, has type 2 diabetes. You’re also more likely to develop gestational diabetes if you had it during a previous pregnancy, if you delivered a baby who weighed more than 9 pounds, or if you had an unexplained stillbirth.

Weight. You’re more likely to develop gestational diabetes if you’re overweight before pregnancy.

Race. For reasons that aren’t clear, women who are black, Hispanic, American Indian or Asian are more likely to develop gestational diabetes than are other women.

Buying Individual Insurance for Diabetics

Not many are lucky enough to be insured either by the company they work for or through public programs like Medicare, which is why they resort to buying individual insurance coverage. However, not all insurance companies are willing to provide coverage for chronic diseases like diabetes. But there are ways to be able to purchase health insurance despite the obstacles being faced by diabetics.

In the case of the United States, it is the states that regulate the individual health insurance market. Each state has its own set of laws as to who can purchase and what is included in the insurance coverage. Many states, however, let individual insurers decide whether to sell coverage based on the health status, prior medical history, age, gender, and other characteristics of applicants. This practice, called "medical underwriting," is where a lot of people get rejected either from chronic diseases like diabetes and HIV to even common ailments like acne.

Some states, meanwhile, consider medical underwriting as an illegal activity. All individual health insurance policies in these states must be sold on a "guaranteed issue" basis with a single "community rate" as premium. This means that insurance companies must never turn down any application for insurance, as well as charge premiums, based on their health status.

In other states, only a certain number of residents who have fulfilled a set of criteria (such as having continuous insurance coverage) are allowed to have guarantee-issued individual health insurance. Meanwhile, a few other states designate one or more insurance companies as an "insurer of last resort," who must provide guarantee-issued coverage.

To know the laws concerning the individual health insurance in your state and where you can look to obtain coverage, contact the office of your state insurance commissioner. You may also want to check out the health insurance coverage guide by Georgetown University.

Source: American Diabetes Association