Diabetes – Symptoms Indicating Diabetes

The symptoms indicative of diabetes overlap with those of other ailments. Hence it is very difficult to zero down to diabetes by looking at the symptoms alone. The difficulty gets compounded when the symptoms keep appearing and disappearing. Yet, over the years, certain symptoms have come to be identified with diabetes with reasonable accuracy.

One definate indicator of diabetes is frequent and excessive urination. The body causes this to cleanse the blood of excess glucose. Excess glucose gets left in the blood because of inadequate or absence of insulin to help the cells absorb glucose, as in Type 1 diabetes. Inability to use insulin in the body is as in Type 2 diabetes.

Glucose in excess in the blood is harmful to the body. The immune system of the body gets worked up and tries to pass out this excess through urine. Kidneys have to work overtime to get this done. When they are not able to process, this excess is routed out through other channels of metabolic wastes.

Another indicator of the presence of diabetes is insatiable thirst. The need for more water is to compensate for the fluids lost by way of urination. Urination is pre-empted by excess water intake. This goes on cyclically.

Chronic weariness which does not find circumstantial explanation could be attributed to diabetes. Glucose is what provides energy to the cells to perform their functions. When glucose does not reach the cells, the cells are deprived of energy and hence become lax and lag behind in performance. The afflicted thus feels weary.

The incidence of insulin and glucose in the body causing diabetes is just one part of the saga. There are ailments which get triggered off by diabetes. These ailments turn up as symptoms which indirectly point out the presence of diabetes.

Presbyopia is a geriatric vision related ailment wherein the afflicted loses elasticity in the eye lenses. The condition results in blurry vision and inability to focus. This could even be caused by diabetes.

The tissues and the lenses in the eyes get less fluid when the level of glucose is high in the blood. The eyes are not able to focus. Further down, the condition aggravates enough to form new retinal vessels of blood. Under these circumstances, the eyes lose vision, or one encounters disturbed vision. Often one sees flashing light, stars and halo around the lights in the room.

Wounds in the body not healing in time, is another indication of presence of diabetes. Diabetes makes the immune system slow or unable to tackle infections. At times the portion of the body with the wound has to be amputated.

The presence of these symptoms by themselves, do not indicate diabetes. But the presence of these symptoms should prompt one to have a test for diabetes done with urgency. Procrastination could lead to losing an arm or a leg or an eye. A simple blood test and urine test is all that needs to be done to verify the presence or otherwise of the disease.

Diabetes – How to Manage Diabetes with Diet

Diet has the capacity to manage diabetes.

Those who are genetically disposed to diabetes will get afflicted no matter how less sugar they consume. Even otherwise, just consuming less sugar does not ensure adequate protection from diabetes. Diabetes arises out of a complex matrix of body conditions not deciphered by the medical research faculty yet. But yes, sugar in diet does have a role is causing diabetes.

It is well known that those who consume high levels of sugar in their diet are prone to be obese. The obese with large portions of their weight hanging around their waist are the ones who are the target of Type 2 diabetes.

It all boils down to a healthy balanced diet being suitable for everyone, those afflicted or otherwise with diabetes. A healthy balanced diet is one which consists of proteins, carbohydrates, fats, minerals in correct proportions. It should include grains, fruits and vegetables. It should also include fats and sugars in moderation.

Fats and sugars despite their harmful effects need to be consumed. Some fats are good which form good cholesterol and some are bad which form unhealthy cholesterol in the body. Care should be taken to select and consume the ones which form good cholesterol. Carbohydrates being the main element getting converted to glucose directly should be monitored with extra caution.

Fats weigh double in calories when compared to other components of diet.
Calorie intake should also be monitored. Tipping over the limit will lead to increase in weight which affects the diabetic more than others. The overweight among the diabetics need to consult a dietician to work out a diet plan customized to their individual conditions and not just reduce the overall food intake.

Maintaining a diary of daily food intake and glucose level readings whenever taken helps one analyse the relation between their diet and the glucose level in their blood. This helps in devising a personal diet plan to regulate glucose level in their body. A routine diet will help better regulate the glucose level in the body.

Some are advised to consume diet in small quantities more number of times over the day so that measured amounts of glucose is released into the body at a given time interval. Yet others are advised to take more of fibrous diet which takes longer to digest and thereby longer to release glucose into the body.

Working out a personalized diet plan, sticking to it in the present, allowing for gradual tuning in future, is the key to successfully managing diabetes. The repercussions of diabetes in future cannot be predicted but certainly curtailed through diet.

Diabetes – Diabetes in Detail

All of us have heard of diabetes. All of us know people who suffer from diabetes. Diabetes is so widespread a disease. Yet, many of us hardly know what diabetes is.

A person is said to be afflicted with diabetes when the blood glucose levels in the body are found to be away from the normal range, chronically. The body is unable to secrete enough insulin or is able to secrete enough insulin but the uptake of insulin by the body is low.

A lower amount of insulin production indicates Type 1 diabetes. Type 1 diabetes is genetically acquired and may also afflict a person while they are still young. The immune system of the afflicted, do not function well and affect the pancreas, the insulin manufacturer of the body.

A lower amount of insulin uptake indicates Type 2 diabetes. This is the most prevalent one, accounting to ninety percent of the diabetes cases. Seven percent of U.S. population, mostly the elderly, are afflicted with Type 2 diabetes. Diabetes is aggravated by lifestyle factors like unhealthy food intake, excess intake, stress and sedentary lives.

Gestational diabetes affects some three percent of the pregnant women in their last semester of pregnancy. They normalise soon after delivery of the baby.

Highly frequent excessive urination and unexplainable thirst are the characteristic symptoms of diabetes. Though, these symptoms do not necessarily point to diabetic conditions. A blood glucose test alone can confirm the presence of diabetic conditions in the body.

The body tries to wash out the glucose overload in the blood through frequent and more urination. Thereafter the body tries to compensate for the loss of fluids by seeking more water. This is the reason why the diabetes afflicted is forever thirsty.

The carbohydrates in the food that we take, gets converted to glucose through the process of digestion. Insulin released by pancreas helps glucose move into the cells. Glucose provides energy to the cells to perform their functions, to repair themselves, etc.

A low production of insulin or inability of the body to use insulin results in diabetes. This condition of the body cannot be reverted back. But it can be managed with external inputs. Diet control, insulin injections, exercise and lifestyle changes are some of the ways to manage diabetes.

The extent of glucose released in the body can be controlled by controlling the quantity of carbohydrate and sugar consumed. The less the quantity of carbohydrate and sugar consumed, the less will be the quantity of glucose released.

The glucose released into the body can be used up well by way of exercise. Exercising needs energy. Energy is sourced from glucose. In short, more glucose gets used up when we exercise.

Insulin shortage in the body has to be replenished by oral medication and injections.

Unutilized glucose present in the blood can cause a chain of medical ailments depending on the degree of intensity of diabetes. A condition of diabetes should not be left untreated.

Diabetes – Key Facts About Diabetes

Diabetes is essentially a consequence of the higher than norm glucose level in the blood. Now with the advent of technology, technique and equipments to measure the glucose levels in the blood, it is just a matter of monitoring and controlling the levels. The glucose levels in the blood can be controlled by induction of insulin.

Insulin is the carrier of glucose from blood to the cells of the body. Diabetes is understood to be caused because of inadequate production of insulin by the body or inability of the body to use the insulin produced. The dynamics of insulin production and insulin uptake by the body are still unknown.

There are two main types of diabetes. Type 1 diabetes is characterised by inadequate level of insulin production. Type 2 diabetes is characterised by inadequate uptake of insulin.

Diabetes specialised doctors believe the cause of diabetes to be genes, lifestyle and environment factors. Type 1 diabetes is said to be caused mainly because of carrier genes and attacks even at childhood. Some three percent of pregnant women suffer diabetes during their trimester. But the glucose level in their body normalizes soon after delivery. Asians are known to be more susceptible to diabetes than those belonging to the Caucasian race.

Whether it is Type 1 diabetes or Type 2 diabetes, the symptoms are more or less the same. The afflicted person is forever thirsty and consumes large quantity of water. He also passes urine in large quantities and more frequently. This is more than proportionate to the quantity of water consumed. But these symptoms alone should not make one come to the conclusion that one has diabetes. For instance, thirst could be because of thyroid problems and abnormal urination could be because of kidney problem. It is advisable to get oneself tested by a health care provider.

Test for diabetes starts with a small prick in the finger for blood sample. Sometimes two tests are taken one on empty stomach and another after consumption of sugary juice.

A blood glucose level between 70 to 110 mg/dL is said to be normal. A diabetic patient could be suffering from low glucose or high glucose levels. If the test reports confirm diabetes, the person should thereafter monitor the blood glucose levels at intervals suggested by the health care provider.

A diabetic need not necessarily go to a laboratory to get himself tested. Blood glucose measuring palm held devices are available. A drop of blood of the diabetic is wiped on a strip and fed into the device. Instantaneously it outputs the blood glucose level on its display screen. Advanced devices direct infrared rays through the skin to directly measure the blood glucose level.

Some diabetics need to just follow a diet and exercise regimen to maintain their glucose levels. Some need to take medicines regularly. While more severe cases of diabetics need to inject insulin shots in the prescribed dosage. Nowadays inhalers are also available as a method of treatment for diabetes.

For certainty none would like to have a brush with diabetes. The complications arising out of diabetes could be deadly. So if it does descend on you take help. The treatment methods are simple to follow. Live a life of discipline. Discipline diabetes.

Diabetes: Natural vs Synthetic Cures

Diabetes is fast becoming one of the most deadly diseases today. As the years go by, more and more people are plagued by this disease due to poor diet and exercise. This disease is also hereditary and one’s chances of becoming a diabetic increases if it is coupled with a high sugar and high carbohydrate diet.

Diabetes can be considered as a disease which is affected by one’s genes – that is, if you are part of a family of diabetics, you are most likely to develop it if you are not careful with what you eat. People who are a part of a family of diabetics are encouraged to eat healthy always to lessen the instance of becoming a diabetic. Even if your sugar levels are fine as of the present, you have to help yourself so that you won’t end up developing this condition.

Soda and chocolate intake has to be lessened to avoid being a diabetic. Carbohydrates in meals should also be lessened because it is converted into sugar to provide energy for the body and without exercise, an excess of carbohydrates can make a person overweight. Further, an increase in sugar levels is also observed with inactivity. Thus, it is very important to eat right and exercise to avoid becoming a diabetic. Aside from this, home remedies for diabetes can also be taken so that blood sugar levels are lowered.

Natural cures for diabetes are slowly becoming popular nowadays since people do not want to buy medicines to lower their sugar levels. Herbal remedies for diabetes gained popularity since prescription drugs are very expensive and can damage parts of the human body after prolonged use. With natural and home remedies, they not only promote your health, they are also reasonably priced and will not cause any damage in your system since they are natural cures. These natural cures for diabetes can also be taken together with prescription drugs and will not alter the effect of the medicine in any way. Some of these herbal medicines even claim to strengthen one’s immune system and improve the absorption of the drugs being administered to patients.

One should not refrain from taking medicines prescribed by their doctors despite taking natural remedies for diabetes because these drugs can improve your health and will allow you to live a longer and healthier life especially if you are a diabetic who is already taking insulin shots to control your diabetes. Natural remedies help improve your condition but you should not rely on them only. These natural concoctions can only do so much to improve your condition.

Also, discuss with your physician if it would be alright for you to take natural cures for diabetes so that he is aware of what you are taking and will guide you accordingly so that your condition will improve and not worsen in the long run. After all, health is wealth and diabetes is not an easy path to trudge along. So consider these things and think of yourself before it’s too late.

Diabetes – The Challenges of Being a Diabetic

Diabetes mellitus or more popularly known as diabetes has become one of the top ten most dreaded diseases in the world today. The number of diabetics has more than doubled in the last decade and this has alarmed health professionals all over the world.

Diabetes is developed due to insufficient production of insulin in the body, hence people who are full blown diabetics take insulin shots so that their sugar intake levels off with the help of insulin. The worst thing about diabetes is that once you are diagnosed as one, there is no cure. Some diabetics have had their legs or other parts of their bodies cut off since the healing process of a diabetic is very slow and sometimes even a small wound that doesn’t totally heal can be a disaster.

The 21st century is a time of natural cures and remedies for all types of diseases, including diabetes. Herbal remedies and other home remedies for diabetes are options that an average person would readily turn to since they are more affordable compared to medicines prescribed by the doctors. But do these natural cures for diabetes really work?

If one would look closely, most of the products being advertised in the market today which claims to cure diabetes have placed the phrase “No Therapeutic Claims” in their posters. This is because these natural cures for diabetes are not really cures. A person may or may not get better after taking these alternative medicines. Besides, once a diabetic, there is no going back so one should be careful of his food intake and exercise should always be a part of their daily routine to burn off the excess carbohydrates.

Home made remedies such as bitter gourd does not cure a person with diabetes but taking it on a daily basis may help your body since it curbs your sugar levels a little. Taking natural cures for diabetes on top of prescription drugs may be the best way to instead of just totally relying on herbal supplements. After all, these herbal supplements will not in any way lessen the effectiveness of the medicines one is taking so there shouldn’t be any problem there. This combination would work well for people who have type 1 diabetes. People who have type 2 diabetes may do well without insulin shots since their conditions are worse than those who are on stage 1.

Once a person is a diabetic, a lifestyle change should be top priority. Gone are the days when you are able to eat the kind of food that you would want to eat. A diabetic has to carefully calculate the number of calories and sugar content of the food that he takes in order to keep his condition stable. Sacrificing your lifestyle is a big blow, so as much as possible you should take care of your health so that you will still long despite the fact that you have a disease that may not be cured, but you know you can control with the right attitude.