About Diabetes

Elsie Shan asked:


Millions of people around the world are inflicted by diabetes mellitus, or more commonly called diabetes. You may be suffering from this chronic disease without even knowing you have it. Even though it an incurable disease, you can lead a long, normal healthy life if the diabetes is properly controlled by following the proper treatment method.

Causes Of Diabetes

Diabetes is the result of failure of your pancreas to produce insulin. Insulin is necessary to help glucose enter into the cells of your body where it is used to release energy. When insulin is not available or is not functioning like what it’s supposed to be, glucose will not be able to penetrate into the cells. It will remain in your blood and when the blood glucose level is too high it will result in a condition called pre-diabetes or diabetes. A pre-diabetes condition is a situation where the blood glucose level is higher than normal, but below the level where it would be classified as diabetes. If both this condition is left untreated, it will lead to other health problems such as renal failure, blindness, heart disease and even liver failure. Persons diagnosed with a diabetes condition should get immediate medical attention to avoid further complications because diabetes can be managed quite easily by the patient himself.

Diabetes can be generally classified into 3 categories, i.e. Type 1 Diabetes, Type 2 Diabetes and Gestational Diabetes. Type 1 diabetes is generally suffered by children or young adults. The most common form of diabetes is Type 2 diabetes which is experience by most adults and older people. Gestation diabetes is when a pregnant woman experiences a high blood glucose level although prior to her pregnancy, she does not have this condition. This condition may also disappear after she delivers her child.

Is Diabetes An Inherited Disease?

The answer is not too clear. Statistics have shown that 10 percent of children suffering from Type 1 diabetes have a close relative with this type of disease. Scientist and medical researchers have recently identified that when a muted gene (SUMO-4) is present, the risk of getting Type 1 diabetes in children increases. However for Type 2 diabetes, the role of genetics is unclear.

Symptoms of Diabetes

Most people do not know they are suffering from diabetes because the symptoms can be quite obscure without actually screening for the disease. Some of the symptoms of diabetes include the following:

* frequent urination especially at night
* feeling thirsty and hungry frequently
* blurred vision
* loosing weight without trying
* feeling tired or fatigue easily
* bruises and cuts which are difficult to heal
* numbness or tingling sensation in your hands and feet
* gum, skin or bladder infection that keeps coming back

Some of these symptoms are too obscure and leads to delayed diagnosis of diabetes. Some patients do not even show these symptoms. When in doubt, consult your family doctor and have the screening process for diabetes done.

Conclusion

Diabetes is a serious disease that affects many people. More than 6 million Americans do not know they are suffering from Type 2 diabetes. As a precaution, persons above the age of 45 should undergo screening for diabetes, especially if you are overweight. If it is confirmed that you have diabetes, do not feel as if your life is ending soon. Get medical attention fast and you will lead a long normal life.

April

Brooke Hayles asked:


Diabetes can be controlled effectively by taking exercise regularly and eating a healthy diet. The two main issues that need to be considered by anyone on a diabetic diet are sugar and fat intake. Constant weight monitoring is essential to prevent excessive weight gain as this can contribute to a number of problems.
Medication, Exercise and a Diabetic Diet
There is medical evidence that regular exercise can actually help prevent a person contracting diabetes as well as controlling it. The muscles in the body use up glucose during exercise, which leads to a reduction in the overall levels of sugar in the blood. The minimum recommended amount of exercise for it to be effective is 20 minutes taken three times a week. It is important to consult your medical practitioner before you take up a new form of exercise, especially if you have existing health problems apart from diabetes.
Exercise, on its own, is not sufficient to help control diabetes, which means that a diabetic diet should also be followed. Much of the advice that a dietician will give regarding a healthy diet applies to both diabetics and non-diabetics alike. The key is moderation in all things. However, a diabetic diet does have an emphasis on reducing the amount of sugary foods, especially cakes and cookies, and increasing the complex carbohydrate intake by eating more brown rice and whole-grain foods.
Medication is often not necessary to control diabetes as regular exercise and a diabetic diet is sufficiently effective. There are some diabetics for whom this is not enough and medication is needed. The majority of diabetic medications are taken orally. A diabetic may be prescribed one medication or a combination of different medications to properly control their diabetes.
The five main classifications of diabetic medication that may be prescribed are:

Alpha-glucosidase inhibitors
Biguanides
Meglitinides
Sulfonylureas
Thiazolidinediones

Alpha-glucosidase inhibitors
This group of diabetic medications slow down the rate at which sugar is absorbed in the digestive tract. However, it is rarely prescribed on its own as it has potentially serious side effects, including stomach and bowel problems.
Biguanides
Overweight diabetics are most likely to be prescribed this form of diabetic medication as it can help with controlling their weight as well as their diabetes. They cause the insulin to be used more effectively by the body than normal. Side effects are normally minor but can include nausea and diarrhoea. Biguanides can be prescribed on its own or combined with other medication.
Meglitinides
This types of diabetic medication is particularly effective for maintaining low blood sugar levels after eating, especially if a diabetic diet is being followed. The tablets are taken with food and have few, if any, side effects.
Sulfonylureas
By far the most frequently prescribed type of diabetes medication, this helps with insulin production in the body. Although there are few side effects for most people they cannot be taken by anyone with a sulpha medication allergy.
Thiazolidinediones
Perhaps the least used type of diabetic medication, this increases the sensitivity of cells to insulin. There are few or no known side effects with this form of medication.
The majority of diabetes can be controlled by taking one or more of the above oral medications. However, there may be cases where diabetics need to inject insulin. This is especially the case if the pancreas has ceased producing insulin completely as in Type 2 diabetes.
Effective diabetes management can usually be achieved by adhering to a sensible diabetic diet and exercise on a regular basis. In fact, this is often sufficient for most diabetics. It is important to consult with your medical practitioner on a regular basis and monitor your blood sugar levels. He can prescribe some of the many diabetic medications, if necessary. If you are in any doubt whatsoever regarding meal plans for a good diabetic diet or anything else related to your diabetes, you should always seek medical advice. However, the internet has a wealth of articles that you can read to keep yourself well informed about your condition.
Summary:
Exercise, on its own, is not sufficient to help control diabetes, which means that a diabetic diet should also be followed. Much of the advice that a dietician will give regarding a healthy diet applies to both diabetics and non-diabetics alike. The key is moderation in all things.

Lawrence