Risks And Complications Of A Diabetic

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About 60-70% of diabetic people have some form of neuropathy. People with diabetes are prone to develop nerve problems, but the risks are higher based on the age of the person involved and how long has he been suffering from the disease. The highest rate of neuropathy is amongst people who had this disease for at least twenty five (25) years.
Diabetic neuropathy is a nerve disorder brought about by diabetes. Diabetic people can eventually develop nerve damage all throughout their bodies without having any symptoms at all. Nerve damage can occur in each organ of the person, including the heart, digestive tract and sex organs.

Signs and Symptoms
This disease affects the peripheral nerves of the body such as motor neurons, pain fibers and autonomic nerves. Hence, it affects all the organs that are innervated. Depending on the nerve that is affected, the symptoms can also vary and they usually progress slowly over years. The general symptoms are:

Numbness and Tingling sensation on the extremities
Dyesthesia – loss or decrease of sensation
Diarrhea
Urinary Incontinence – loss of bladder control
Erectile Dysfunction
Impotence
Vision Changes
Dizziness
Muscle Weakness
Speech Impairment
Treatment Plan

Any diabetic patient with clinical manifestation of such disease is at risk for ulceration of the foot. This is true for the fact that the presence of neuropathy can affect the sensation of the foot and therefore is prone to injuries. Once injured, the risk of foot ulceration and infection also rises, which can eventually lead to gangrene and amputation if not properly cared for. Therefore, education on foot care is provided. They also require frequent check ups with meticulous inspection of the foot and reinforce the necessitation of habitual self-care.
Medications are also available for the remedy of diabetic neuropathic pain. These drugs include tricyclic antidepressant, pregabalin, topical lidocaine, duloxetine and gabapentin. Further medications are also used such as carbamazepine, lamotrigine, phenytoin, opiods and oxcarbazepine.

Topical Medications also use such as lidocaine patches or capsaicin. They are helpful in some diabetic patients with localizes pains. However, bear in mind that all medications have their corresponding side effects if not used properly, hence, proper handling and usage of the medication is vital.
Prevention Is Better
The best way for a diabetic person from having a complication such as this is to control his/her diabetes. He/She should try to maintain a normal blood glucose or blood sugar level. Aside from this, keeping normal blood pressure and regular exercise is also important. Through exercise, you will be able to burn those excess sugar in you blood thus lowering your risk of developing neuropathy.
If a diabetic person smoke or drinks excessive alcohol, he or she should also put a stop to this because excessive smoking and alcohol intake can lead to neuropathy or it can make it worse. Instead, a healthy diet is necessary and frequent follow up appointments with you healthcare provider is a must.

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Shopping Online for Diabetes Medical Supplies

admin    Discuss     Diabetes, diabetes medical supplies, diabetes supplies, diabetic medical supplies, diabetic medical supply, home medical supplies, medical supplies

Are you on a lookout of the best diabetes medical supplies? Then we suggest that you discard the traditional way of sourcing these medical supplies. Yes, perhaps you have done business with the medical supplies shop in the city for the last few months and you are quite satisfied with their service since they were able to give you all their attention. But remember that this traditional way of sourcing medical supplies right for diabetics is very time-consuming and highly inconvenient. It’s time to take a good look at the other way of sourcing your medical supply needs.

One way is through the use of the internet. Just sit in front of the computer and search for diabetes medical supplies online, and you are ready to go. This kind of set-up ensures that you can save time as it also help you avoid the usual inconveniences brought about by travel time. The time that you can save when you go online can be focused on more important activities inside your clinic.

Indeed, the internet is the place to look when it comes to diabetes medical supplies. Often you will be overwhelmed with choices if you just know where to turn to and what site to rely on. Some of the more popular supplies that can be seen online include blood glucose meters, test strips, control solutions, lancet devices, alcohol preparations and syringes. These supplies can be yours in a span of a day or two if your order these medical supplies online. Some sites deliver within the day, so it’s best to seek the one nearest your place. Many sites offer free shipping as well.

You may also be fortunate to have all your diabetic medical supplies covered by insurance or Medicare or Medicaid. Check with your insurance before you start ordering your supplies. Read reviews of medical supply sites at Medical Supplies Post.

Diagnosis of Diabetes

admin    Dieting Analyzed     Diabetes, Diabetes Supplement, Diabetic Health Supplement

Almost everyone knows someone who has diabetes. An estimated 20.8 million people in the United States—7.0 percent of the population—have diabetes, a serious, lifelong condition. Of those, 14.6 million have been diagnosed, and 6.2 million have not yet been diagnosed. In 2005, about 1.5 million people aged 20 or older were diagnosed with diabetes

What is diabetes?

Diabetes is a disorder of metabolism—the way our bodies use digested food for growth and energy. Most of the food we eat is broken down into glucose, the form of sugar in the blood. Glucose is the main source of fuel for the body.

After digestion, glucose passes into the bloodstream, where it is used by cells for growth and energy. For glucose to get into cells, insulin must be present. Insulin is a hormone produced by the pancreas, a large gland behind the stomach.

When we eat, the pancreas automatically produces the right amount of insulin to move glucose from blood into our cells. In people with diabetes, however, the pancreas either produces little or no insulin, or the cells do not respond appropriately to the insulin that is produced. Glucose builds up in the blood, overflows into the urine, and passes out of the body in the urine. Thus, the body loses its main source of fuel even though the blood contains large amounts of glucose.

What are the types of diabetes?

The three main types of diabetes are

• type 1 diabetes
• type 2 diabetes
• gestational diabetes

Type 1 Diabetes

Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease. An autoimmune disease results when the body’s system for fighting infection (the immune system) turns against a part of the body. In diabetes, the immune system attacks and destroys the insulin-producing beta cells in the pancreas. The pancreas then produces little or no insulin. A person who has type 1 diabetes must take insulin daily to live.

At present, scientists do not know exactly what causes the body’s immune system to attack the beta cells, but they believe that autoimmune, genetic, and environmental factors, possibly viruses, are involved. Type 1 diabetes accounts for about 5 to 10 percent of diagnosed diabetes in the United States. It develops most often in children and young adults but can appear at any age.

Symptoms of type 1 diabetes usually develop over a short period, although beta cell destruction can begin years earlier. Symptoms may include increased thirst and urination, constant hunger, weight loss, blurred vision, and extreme fatigue. If not diagnosed and treated with insulin, a person with type 1 diabetes can lapse into a life-threatening diabetic coma, also known as diabetic ketoacidosis.

Type 2 Diabetes

The most common form of diabetes is type 2 diabetes. About 90 to 95 percent of people with diabetes have type 2. This form of diabetes is most often associated with older age, obesity, family history of diabetes, previous history of gestational diabetes, physical inactivity, and certain ethnicities. About 80 percent of people with type 2 diabetes are overweight.

Type 2 diabetes is increasingly being diagnosed in children and adolescents. However, nationally representative data on prevalence of type 2 diabetes in youth are not available.

When type 2 diabetes is diagnosed, the pancreas is usually producing enough insulin, but for unknown reasons the body cannot use the insulin effectively, a condition called insulin resistance. After several years, insulin production decreases. The result is the same as for type 1 diabetes—glucose builds up in the blood and the body cannot make efficient use of its main source of fuel.

The symptoms of type 2 diabetes develop gradually. Their onset is not as sudden as in type 1 diabetes. Symptoms may include fatigue, frequent urination, increased thirst and hunger, weight loss, blurred vision, and slow healing of wounds or sores. Some people have no symptoms.

Gestational Diabetes

Some women develop gestational diabetes late in pregnancy. Although this form of diabetes usually disappears after the birth of the baby, women who have had gestational diabetes have a 20 to 50 percent chance of developing type 2 diabetes within 5 to 10 years. Maintaining a reasonable body weight and being physically active may help prevent development of type 2 diabetes.

About 3 to 8 percent of pregnant women in the United States develop gestational diabetes. As with type 2 diabetes, gestational diabetes occurs more often in some ethnic groups and among women with a family history of diabetes. Gestational diabetes is caused by the hormones of pregnancy or a shortage of insulin. Women with gestational diabetes may not experience any symptoms.

How is diabetes diagnosed?

The fasting blood glucose test is the preferred test for diagnosing diabetes in children and nonpregnant adults. It is most reliable when done in the morning. However, a diagnosis of diabetes can be made based on any of the following test results, confirmed by retesting on a different day:

• A blood glucose level of 126 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL) or more after an 8-hour fast. This test is called the fasting blood glucose test.
• A blood glucose level of 200 mg/dL or more 2 hours after drinking a beverage containing 75 grams of glucose dissolved in water. This test is called the oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT).
• A random (taken at any time of day) blood glucose level of 200 mg/dL or more, along with the presence of diabetes symptoms.

Gestational diabetes is diagnosed based on blood glucose levels measured during the OGTT. Glucose levels are normally lower during pregnancy, so the cutoff levels for diagnosis of diabetes in pregnancy are lower. Blood glucose levels are measured before a woman drinks a beverage containing glucose. Then levels are checked 1, 2, and 3 hours afterward. If a woman has two blood glucose levels meeting or exceeding any of the following numbers, she has gestational diabetes: a fasting blood glucose level of 95 mg/dL, a 1-hour level of 180 mg/dL, a 2-hour level of 155 mg/dL, or a 3-hour level of 140 mg/dL.

What is pre-diabetes?

People with pre-diabetes have blood glucose levels that are higher than normal but not high enough for a diagnosis of diabetes. This condition raises the risk of developing type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and stroke.

Pre-diabetes is also called impaired fasting glucose (IFG) or impaired glucose tolerance (IGT), depending on the test used to diagnose it. Some people have both IFG and IGT.

• IFG is a condition in which the blood glucose level is high (100 to 125 mg/dL) after an overnight fast, but is not high enough to be classified as diabetes. (The former definition of IFG was 110 mg/dL to 125 mg/dL.)
• IGT is a condition in which the blood glucose level is high (140 to 199 mg/dL) after a 2-hour oral glucose tolerance test, but is not high enough to be classified as diabetes.

Pre-diabetes is becoming more common in the United States, according to new estimates provided by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. About 40 percent of U.S. adults ages 40 to 74—or 41 million people—had pre-diabetes in 2000. New data suggest that at least 54 million U.S. adults had pre-diabetes in 2002. Many people with pre-diabetes go on to develop type 2 diabetes within 10 years.

The good news is that if you have pre-diabetes, you can do a lot to prevent or delay diabetes. Studies have clearly shown that you can lower your risk of developing diabetes by losing 5 to 7 percent of your body weight through diet and increased physical activity. A major study of more than 3,000 people with IGT, a form of pre-diabetes, found that diet and exercise resulting in a 5 to 7 percent weight loss—about 10 to 14 pounds in a person who weighs 200 pounds—lowered the incidence of type 2 diabetes by nearly 60 percent. Study participants lost weight by cutting fat and calories in their diet and by exercising (most chose walking) at least 30 minutes a day, 5 days a week.

What are the scope and impact of diabetes?

Diabetes is widely recognized as one of the leading causes of death and disability in the United States. In 2002, it was the sixth leading cause of death. However, diabetes is likely to be underreported as the underlying cause of death on death certificates. About 65 percent of deaths among those with diabetes are attributed to heart disease and stroke.

Diabetes is associated with long-term complications that affect almost every part of the body. The disease often leads to blindness, heart and blood vessel disease, stroke, kidney failure, amputations, and nerve damage. Uncontrolled diabetes can complicate pregnancy, and birth defects are more common in babies born to women with diabetes.

In 2002, diabetes cost the United States $132 billion. Indirect costs, including disability payments, time lost from work, and premature death, totaled $40 billion; direct medical costs for diabetes care, including hospitalizations, medical care, and treatment supplies, totaled $92 billion.

Who gets diabetes?

Diabetes is not contagious. People cannot “catch” it from each other. However, certain factors can increase the risk of developing diabetes.

Type 1 diabetes occurs equally among males and females but is more common in whites than in non-whites. Data from the World Health Organization’s Multinational Project for Childhood Diabetes indicate that type 1 diabetes is rare in most African, American Indian, and Asian populations. However, some northern European countries, including Finland and Sweden, have high rates of type 1 diabetes. The reasons for these differences are unknown. Type 1 diabetes develops most often in children but can occur at any age.

Type 2 diabetes is more common in older people, especially in people who are overweight, and occurs more often in African Americans, American Indians, some Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians and other Pacific Islander Americans, and Hispanics/Latinos. On average, non-Hispanic African Americans are 1.8 times as likely to have diabetes as non-Hispanic whites of the same age. Mexican Americans are 1.7 times as likely to have diabetes as non-Hispanic whites of similar age. (Data are not available for estimation of diabetes rates in other Hispanic/Latino groups.) American Indians have one of the highest rates of diabetes in the world. On average, American Indians and Alaska Natives are 2.2 times as likely to have diabetes as non-Hispanic whites of similar age. Although prevalence data for diabetes among Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders are limited, some groups, such as Native Hawaiians, Asians, and other Pacific Islanders residing in Hawaii (aged 20 or older) are more than twice as likely to have diabetes as white residents of Hawaii of similar age.

Diabetes prevalence in the United States is likely to increase for several reasons. First, a large segment of the population is aging. Also, Hispanics/Latinos and other minority groups at increased risk make up the fastest-growing segment of the U.S. population. Finally, Americans are increasingly overweight and sedentary. According to recent estimates from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), diabetes will affect one in three people born in 2000 in the United States. The CDC also projects the prevalence of diagnosed diabetes in the United States will increase 165 percent by 2050.

If you are suffering from Diabetes you should take Optimum Diabetics Health supplement which provides essential nutrients that may be lacking due to the strain diabetes can often put on the body’s health. Each serving provides a complete, full potency formulation of vitamins, minerals and Alpha Lipoic Acid. Formulated Nutritional Supplement For People With Diabetes

Weight Control With a Type 2 Diabetes Diet

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Type 2 diabetes occurs in the blood when the body is unable to produce enough insulin. Folks who suffer diabetes have to undergo insulin shots to break down the glucose and raise thier insulin levels. Suffers have to watch what they eat and develop a nutritional type 2 diabetes diet. Obviously exercise and managing your weight will reduce the effects of type 2 diabetes, but you also must eat properly as well. Excercise and losing weight will help you control type 2 diabetes. At any rate a type 2 diabetes diet can help reduce this disease.

Healthy eating is good for anyone with or without diabetes. A type 2 diabetes diet simply reduces some of the foods that cause a rise in your glucose levels. A good place to start is by reducing simple carbohydrates. You should strive to eliminate refined carbs completely from your diet. You want to replace them with complex carbohydrates and fibers. This will help reduce your body from having to produce insulin as quick as it would if you consumed more simple carbs. These types of foods include fibers, fruits and vegetables. Because they are rapidly broken down and easily digested by the body, they are excellent for type 2 diabetes diet. Diabetics will have a simpler time with this food because the insulin demand for these foods are low.

20% daily intake of protein is optimal for a type 2 diabetes diet. You do not want to eat more than 20% though. Somewhere between 10 and 20% would be optimal and is an essential part of a diabetic’s diet. Fiber is also an important component of your healthy diet. You should strive to consume at least 20 grams of fiber every day.

Additionally you will want to make sure your fat intake is less than 30% of your daily caloric intake. You should not eat more than 10% in saturated fats in any nutritional diet. The idea is to keep your type 2 diabetes diet as lean as possible. Saturated fats are prevalent in a lot of foods we eat particularly fast foods. The fewer saturated fats that are eaten will make you healthier and they are the best way to lose weight too.

You can simply treat type 2 diabetes. The problem is making the changes in your lifestyle like exercising and eating properly is not easy. To achieve a goal of eliminating diabetes you should motivate yourself to become healthier.

Is Diabetes In Your Future?

admin    Dieting Analyzed     Diabetes, diabetes diagnosis, diabetes signs, diabetes symptoms, diagnosing diabetes, signs of diabetes, symptoms of diabetes

Diabetes is a growing problem in most developed nations. Greater percentages of people are learning to live with diabetes. These new diabetes patients are threatening to overwhelm the healthcare systems of these states.

The key to diabetes avoidance is diet and exercise. A healthy weight and plenty of exercise really help in avoiding the disease.

But if you get diabetes, the next best thing is early detection of the disease. Like other conditions, the sooner it’s diagnosed, the easier it is to treat. Many sufferers are able to avoid medication and treat their condition through diet and continued exercise.

Common signs of diabetes include:

• Constant need to relieve yourself. Increased urination is a problem because the glucose in the blood overwhelms the kidneys. The kidneys use more water to eliminate the sugar, requiring more trips to the toilet.
• Unquenchable thirst. unsurprisingly, diabetes patients are often thirsty. Constant urination is usually the cause, as the body seeks to replace the liquid taken out by the kidneys.
• Unwanted weight loss. This doesn’t always happen, but losing weight without trying is many times a flagpost that something’s a problem in the human body. With diabetes, it can be due to the body using up muscle and fat cells for energy.
• Tiredness and weakness. Again, many diseases cause you to feel run down.
• Tingling in hands and feet. As too much sugar damages the nervous system, the patient develops neuropathy, problems with the limbs.
• Problems seeing. Excess blood sugar can affect the eye. Blindness and other eye ailments are possible with untreated diabetes.
• Healing problems. Diabetes can make it harder for a body to heal. Cuts and infections can take a lot longer than normal to heal.

If you think you are developing diabetes, don’t hesitate! Make an appointment with doctor. A simple blood glucose test will quickly tell the doctor if you have diabetes. The sooner you know, the better off you’ll be in treating the disease.