Archive for March 7th, 2010

Signs of Diabetes: Examining the Causes of Diabetes

Sunday, March 7th, 2010
diabetes
Steven R Arnold asked:


Healthily eating and regular exercise greatly reduces your risk of developing the signs of diabetes, regardless of the diabetes types in question. The symptoms of diabetes are always improved through consumption of nutritious, water-rich food and daily physical activity.

What causes diabetes?

Diabetes mellitus type II is caused by inadequate nutrition, overconsumption of high-fat foods, lacking exercise standards and a basic misrepresentation of health over years. Diabetes type 2 does not just happen overnight. In most instances, diabetes mellitus type 2 and gestational diabetes are the results of year after year of self-neglect. The facts are that we eat terribly-inefficient foods and we have become a physically inactive society. In fact, over one quarter of all Americans are labeled as completely sedentary.

What are the signs of diabetes?

The signs or symptoms of diabetes are as follows:

Being constantly thirsty; Having to urinate far too often; Never-ending hunger accompanied by unintentional weight loss; Dry skin and/or itchy skin; Tingling extremities; “Velvet-like” skin on your neck or underarms; Weakness and becoming easily fatigued; Being grouchy or irritable for no good reasons; Having difficulties waking from sleep; Bedwetting; Headaches; Nausea and/or vomiting; Blurry vision; Inability to focus mentally; More…

 

If you ignore the signs of diabetes for long enough and actually develop Type 2 diabetes mellitus, then you are going to need to seek medical assistance and drastically change your lifestyle. It is far better to manage the symptoms of diabetes before you ever have to. Remember that the things that are the causes of diabetes are the same as what you need to reverse the symptoms of diabetes. They are:

A diet that is mainly comprised of water-rich food sources – i.e. plants; Proper eating habits including portion sizes, proper carbohydrate levels and preset eating times; Daily physical activity that gets your heart pumping for at least 20 minutes or so; A stress management program that you employ constantly; Learning to see food as fuel instead of convenient pleasure;

 

Always remember that the signs of diabetes are able to be spotted, dealt with and reversed – at least in the vast majority of cases. If you feel that you may exhibiting any of the symptoms of diabetes, then schedule a visit with your physician and discuss them with him or her.

Symptoms and signs of diabetes left untreated for extended time periods can lead to:

Blindness; Kidney failure; Amputation of extremities; Nerve damage throughout the body; Heart disease; Strokes; Coma; Premature death;

 

Take the signs of diabetes seriously and deal with them expeditiously. Your health is your own responsibility and only you can know for sure how you are feeling. A water-rich diet and daily exercise are the keys to the prevention of diabetes mellitus Type 2.



Bamboo Steamers
Share and Enjoy: These icons link to social bookmarking sites where readers can share and discover new web pages.
  • Digg
  • Bumpzee
  • del.icio.us
  • Facebook
  • Furl
  • Mixx
  • NewsVine
  • Reddit
  • StumbleUpon
  • YahooMyWeb
  • Google

Diabetes - blood glucose, blood sugar

Sunday, March 7th, 2010
diabetes
Jenny asked:


Diabetes

Diabetes affects an estimated 18.2 million Americans, and the number rises each year. Diabetes is a chronic disorder, it means your blood glucose (often called blood sugar) is too high. Your blood always has some glucose in it because your body needs glucose for energy to keep you going. But too much glucose in the blood isn’t good for your health. One way it occurs is when the pancreas does not secrete enough of the hormone insulin.

There are three major types of diabetes:

1. Type 1 diabetes (Insulin-dependent diabetes): It is an auto-immune disease where the body’s immune system destroys the insulin-producing beta cells in the pancreas. This type of diabetes, also known as juvenile-onset diabetes, accounts for 10-15% of all people with the disease. It can appear at any age, although commonly under 40, and is triggered by environmental factors such as viruses, diet or chemicals in people genetically predisposed. To live, people with type 1 diabetes must inject themselves with insulin several times a day and follow a careful diet and exercise plan.

2. Type 2 diabetes (Non-Insulin dependent diabetes): It is the most common form of diabetes, affecting 85-90% of all people with the disease. This type of diabetes, also known as late-onset diabetes, is characterised by insulin resistance and relative insulin deficiency. The disease is strongly genetic in origin but lifestyle factors such as excess weight, inactivity, high blood pressure and poor diet are major risk factors for its development. Symptoms may not show for many years and, by the time they appear, significant problems may have developed. People with type 2 diabetes are twice as likely to suffer cardiovascular disease. Type 2 diabetes may be treated by dietary changes, exercise and/or tablets. Insulin injections may later be required.

3. Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM): GDM, or carbohydrate intolerance, is first diagnosed during pregnancy through an oral glucose tolerance test. Between 5.5 and 8.8% of pregnant women develop GDM in Australia. Risk factors for GDM include a family history of diabetes, increasing maternal age, obesity and being a member of a community or ethnic group with a high risk of developing type 2 diabetes. While the carbohydrate intolerance usually returns to normal after the birth, the mother has a significant risk of developing permanent diabetes while the baby is more likely to develop obesity and impaired glucose tolerance and/or diabetes later in life. Self-care and dietary changes are essential in treatment.

Why do we get high blood glucose?

Glucose comes from the food eaten and is also made in the liver and muscles. Blood carries the glucose to all the cells in your body. Insulin is a chemical (a hormone) made by the pancreas. The pancreas releases insulin into the blood. Insulin helps the glucose from food get into your cells. If the body doesn’t make enough insulin, or if the insulin doesn’t work the way it should, glucose can’t get into your cells. It stays in the blood instead and the blood glucose level then gets too high, causing pre-diabetes or diabetes.

What is pre-diabetes?

Pre-diabetes is a condition in which blood glucose levels are higher than normal but not high enough for a diagnosis of diabetes. People with pre-diabetes are at increased risk for developing type 2 diabetes and for heart disease and stroke. The good news is, if any have pre-diabetes, they can reduce the risk of getting diabetes. With modest weight loss and moderate physical activity, people can delay or prevent type 2 diabetes and even return to normal glucose levels.

Symptoms

You probably knew something was wrong before your doctor told you that you had diabetes, you may have:

Excessive thirst and appetite Increased urination (sometimes as often as every hour) Fatigue Weight loss Blurred vision Nausea, perhaps vomiting In women, frequent vaginal infections In men, impotence In men and women, yeast infection

If you have type 1 diabetes, be especially alert for the warning signs of ketoacidosis: nausea, excessive thirst, frequent urination, extreme weakness, abdominal pain and rapid deep breathing. Failure to respond immediately with injections of insulin and intravenous salt solutions (to replenish lost body fluids) can result in coma or death. Following list the symptoms that tell you more specifically that you blood sugar is low (hypoglycemia):

Shakiness Dizziness Sweating Hunger Headache Pale skin color Sudden moodiness or behavior changes, such as crying for no apparent reason Clumsy or jerky movements Difficulty paying attention, or confusion Tingling sensations around the mouth

Self Care Tips

Physical activity helps to burn calories, lower blood glucose levels, build muscle mass and improve body image. Additionally, it improves overall health and well-being.

Stretch daily. Park farther away and walk to destination. Take the stairs rather than the elevator. Engage in regular aerobic exercise (with approval from your doctor).

For more health articles kindly visit our website: http://www.getnutri.com/articles



Paint Stick
Share and Enjoy: These icons link to social bookmarking sites where readers can share and discover new web pages.
  • Digg
  • Bumpzee
  • del.icio.us
  • Facebook
  • Furl
  • Mixx
  • NewsVine
  • Reddit
  • StumbleUpon
  • YahooMyWeb
  • Google