Diabetes
Diabetes is a growing problem in this country. With our
population at an all time high in weight gain and a low in
Healthcare, the problem is only growing.
Diabetes is a disease of the metabolism, our metabolism is
what way our bodies use digested food for energy and for
growth.
Most food that is processed through our bodies is broken
down by digestive juices into a sugar called glucose.
Glucose is the fuel our bodies run on.
When we eat, and our food is processed, the pancreas is
supposed to produce the right amount of glucose from our
blood automatically and release the right amount of insulin
into our blood.
In people with diabetes, little to no insulin is produced
or the body’s cells don’t respond correctly to the insulin
that is produced. Therefore the glucose builds up and
overflows into the urine and passes out of the body.
This is how the body loses its main source of fuel even
though the bloodstream contains good amounts of the
natural glucose.
There are three types of diabetes, type 1, type 2 and
gestational diabetes. People who have type 1 are known as
insulin-dependent.
This is an autoimmune disease where the body’s natural
system is fighting against another part of the body. In the
case of type 1 diabetes, the system attacks the insulin
producing cells and destroys them.
Therefore the pancreas can produce little to no insulin.
These people are in need of daily injections of insulin to
live. Five to ten percent of diabetes cases are type 1 in
the United States.
Diabetes Epidemic
With obesity levels being at an all time high, the epidemic
of type 2 diabetes is growing at an alarming rate, and will
get worse.
Between 2001 and 2002, the diagnosis of diabetes went from
5.5 percent of Americans to an alarming 6.5 percent. In
just one year!
Overall, twelve million Americans have been diagnosed and
another 5 million Americans have diabetes and don’t know
it. And yet another 12 millions are on their way to type 2
diabetes because of impaired glucose levels.
Not knowing is the worst because risks of untreated
diabetes puts us at a terrible risk of complications
including but not limited to blindness, amputations and
ultimately death.
The stickler is, that type 2 diabetes is almost completely
preventable. Doctor’s say eat less, eat better and
exercise. The numbers show just how many Americans are
currently overweight.
Statistically, people are now living longer, and it has
been on the rise for years. But this will not continue if
type 2 diabetes is not put under control.
We are a gluttonous society and ultimately it is affecting
how we live and how long we live.
And unfortunately, the diabetes epidemic is not just a US
problem. It is spreading worldwide with epidemic reports in
Asia, the Middle East and the Caribbean.
It is estimated that by 2025, the number of diabetics
worldwide will rise to 380 million.
And diabetes is now affecting more of the young and
middle-aged population in developing countries between
the ages of 40 and 59.
Diabetes In Children
Diabetes in Children is also known as Juvenile Diabetes,
more commonly known as Type 1 Diabetes. It is the
most common form of diabetes in children with 90% to
95% of carriers being under 16.
Juvenile diabetes is caused by the inability of the
pancreas to produce insulin. It is an autoimmune disease,
which means the bodies own defense system attacks the
body’s tissues or organs.
In the last 30 years the number of juvenile diabetes had
increased three times over and in Europe and the US we are
now seeing type 2 diabetes in children for the first time.
Obesity easily explains type 2, but not why there is such a
rise in type 1 diabetes in children. It is believed that a
mixture of genetics and environmental factors are what
triggers juvenile diabetes. But the majority of children
don’t have a family history of diabetes.
The symptoms for juvenile diabetes are the same as in
adults. Thirst, weight loss, fatigue, frequent urination is
typical, but diabetes in children can also increase stomach
pains, headaches and behavior problems.
Doctors should consider the possibility of diabetes in
children who have unexplained stomach pains for a few
weeks, along with the typical symptoms.
If you believe your child may be experiencing these
symptoms you should schedule them for a thorough
examination and tell your doctor what you suspect your
child may have. Be sure to tell them about any and all
symptoms your child may be experiencing.
Diabetes Symptoms
All too often we get sick but ignore the symptoms we may be
feeling, shrugging them off to a cold, stress from work, or
just not feeling well.
There are certain symptoms that shouldn’t be ignored if
they develop. These symptoms could lead to blindness,
amputation of limbs, coma or even death.
Symptoms of type 1 diabetes often come on suddenly and are
severely dramatic. The extra stress of diabetes can lead to
something called diabetic ketoacidosis.
Symptoms of ketoacidosis may include nausea and vomiting,
which may also lead to dehydration and serious problems
the blood levels of potassium. This could lead to a diabetic
coma, and ultimately death.
Other symptoms of diabetes may include extreme fatigue. We
all get tired at times, but diabetes triggers a more severe
fatigue than normal.
People with diabetes also experience unexplained weight
loss. This is because they are unable to process many of
the calories they consume. Losing sugar and water in the
urine also contributes to the weight loss.
Extreme thirst is another symptom of diabetes. Diabetes
develops high blood sugar levels and the body tries to
compensate by diluting the blood, which translates to our
brain that we are thirsty.
With this is also excessive urination. It is another way
our bodies have of getting rid of the extra sugar in our
system. But this can also lead to dehydration.
One of the hardest symptoms to deal with is poor wound
healing. Wounds heal slowly, if at all when the carrier has
diabetes. This along with infections that are not easily
remedied can attribute to ulcers and loss of limbs.
Diabetes Management
As of 2007, there is no cure for either type 1 or type 2
diabetes. This may seem like a dim outlook for many people,
but the fact is that even though there is no cure, there
certainly are ways to manage your diabetes.
Proper management can give you many years of healthy
living.
Diabetes management starts with a visit to your doctor.
first, finding out you have diabetes, what type you have
then arming yourself with as much information as possible
about the diabetes you are diagnosed with.
All management begins with controlling the glucose cycle.
The glucose cycle is affected by two factors, entry of
glucose into the bloodstream and blood levels of insulin to
control the transport out.
Your glucose levels are very sensitive to both diet and
exercise, so change in either should first be discussed
with your physician. Proper management of diabetes can be
very intrusive to the patient.
Proper management requires a complete lifestyle change and
frequent, sometimes multi-daily checks of glucose in the
blood.
It can change as people grow and develop and no two cases
are ever really the same. Today it is easier to measure the
blood sugar level.
Glucose meters are readily available and are quite easy to
use with a little practice and patience.
With a small drop of blood to the testing strip attached to
the glucose meter, the user is given the number, which
represents their blood sugar level. This in turn will let
the user know if and when insulin is needed.
Diabetes Mellitus
Diabetes Mellitus is also simply known as diabetes. It is
the disease characterized by a malfunctioning metabolism
and a high blood sugar level.
The result can be low levels of insulin or abnormal insulin
resistance. This mixed with inadequate levels of insulin
secretion results in diabetes.
Symptoms of diabetes mellitus include increased urine
production, excessive thirst, extreme fatigue, and
excessive thirst and weight loss. These symptoms though may
not be present in those people with only mildly elevated
sugar levels.
Diabetes mellitus includes type 1, type 2 and gestational
diabetes, which occur only during pregnancy. Each type has
a different cause and different severity of symptoms.
But all forms of diabetes are dangerous if not treated.
With proper management though, people with diabetes can
live a long, healthy, normal life.
The main cause of type 1 diabetes mellitus is the loss of
insulin producing cells in the pancreas. This ultimately
leads to an insulin deficiency.
Type 1 diabetes mellitus is typically found in children and
young adults. It is also termed juvenile diabetes. The
common treatment for type 1 diabetes mellitus is daily
insulin injections to replace the insulin the body is not
producing properly, along with careful blood glucose
monitoring.
Without careful monitoring and treatment, complications
from diabetes could include loss of limps such as arms,
legs and feet, blindness and diabetic comas, which can be
fatal.
It is extremely important that if you suspect you or your
child to have symptoms of diabetes, that you visit your
doctor to be tested. If the tests are positive it is not
the end of the world. With careful monitoring and care,
type 1 diabetics can live long healthy lives.
Gestational Diabetes
Gestational diabetes is a disorder in which women that
previously did not carry diabetes test positive for high
blood glucose levels during their pregnancy.
Though not uncommon, it is thought that anywhere between
three and ten percent of pregnant women are diagnosed with
gestational diabetes sometime during their pregnancy.
But just what does this diagnosis mean to the health and
welfare of the mother and her unborn child?
Since no specific cause has been identified for gestational
diabetes, scientists don’t know how to prevent it. The
closest they have come to understanding is that it is
believed that hormones produced during pregnancy reduce a
woman’s sensitivity to insulin and the result is high blood
sugar levels.
Every pregnant woman is tested for gestational diabetes
during her prenatal care visits because generally there are
very few symptoms.
If the mother has gestational diabetes, babies are at a
higher risk for complications. These are typically growth
abnormalities and low blood sugar.
The good thing is that gestational diabetes is completely
reversible and women who otherwise have good control over
their glucose levels can decrease the risk of these birth
problems.
In fact, women who can keep their gestational diabetes
under complete control are known to give birth to perfectly
healthy babies.
The down side is women who develop gestational diabetes
during their pregnancy now run a higher risk of developing
Type 2 diabetes post-pregnancy. Some children are prone to
develop childhood obesity and develop Type 2 diabetes later
in life.
Pregnant women who develop gestational diabetes are
generally treated with diet modification and exercise, but
in some extreme cases they are administered an
anti-diabetic drug, such as insulin. The goal of treatment
is to reduce the risks for both m other and child without
endangering either.
Type 1 Diabetes
Type 1 diabetes accounts for five to ten percent of
diabetes cases in the United States. A person who is
diagnosed with type 1 diabetes must receive insulin shots
daily in order to live.
Scientists are not exactly sure why the body attacks the
immune system and the production of insulin, but it is
believed that both genetics and viruses are involved.
Type 1 diabetes is most commonly found in children and
young adults, but can appear at any age and symptoms can
develop over a short period of time. Symptoms include
increased thirst and urination, extreme fatigue, weight
loss and constant hunger.
If a person with type 1 diabetes is not diagnosed and
treated with insulin, there is a risk of that person
slipping into a diabetic coma that may prove life
threatening.
The key when first diagnosed with type 1 diabetes is to arm
yourself with information. Being diagnosed is not the end
of the world. In fact, most people go on to live normal,
healthy lives as long as they stay aware of their condition
and continue to treat it.
After being diagnosed with diabetes, it is important to
maintain your general health paying special attention to
the care you give your eyes, feet and skin as well as your
heart and oral health.
This basic care could prevent complications brought on by
diabetes later in life. Other recommendations are to stop
smoking and reduce the amount of alcohol you consume.
Type 2 Diabetes
Type 2 diabetes is the most common form found in the US.
Ninety to ninety-five percent of people diagnosed with
diabetes have this type.
Usually developed later in life, it is most commonly
diagnosed in people over the age of fifty-five, but in many
cases as young as forty or even younger.
This is because eighty percent of people diagnosed with
type 2 diabetes are overweight. With obesity at an all time
high, the diagnoses for type 2 diabetes is also at an all
time high.
In type 2 diabetes, the pancreas is still producing
insulin, but for some unknown reason, the body is not able
to utilize it effectively. As a result, just as in type 1
diabetes, type 2 people develop a dangerous buildup of
glucose in the blood and the body is not able to utilize it
for fuel.
People who have type 2 diabetes may see their symptoms
develop over time. They are not usually as noticeable as
the type 1 symptoms.
Symptoms include fatigue, frequent urination, especially
throughout the night hours, unusual thirst, weight loss,
frequent infections and slow healing sores.
In fact, sores may never heal and if not treated it is
common for people to have limbs amputated. This usually
occurs in the legs, feet and toes.
Also as with type 1, if the symptoms go untreated and
insulin is not administered when necessary, the patient
runs the risk of slipping into a diabetic coma, which can
be fatal.
It is important if you have any symptoms of type 1 or 2
diabetes you speak with a health professional and get
tested.
Diabetes in Pets
It is not only the human kind that can develop diabetes.
Even our beloved pets, no matter how well we care for them,
can develop diabetes.
This is often a scary situation for the pet owner and the
first question that is usually asked of the veterinarian is
-will my pet need to be put to sleep-?
Of course this is a difficult issue and the answer may vary
on the overall age and health of your pet.
Many older pets that are diagnosed with diabetes go on to
live many more happy years, but this takes commitment and
close care of your pet.
Diabetic cats and dogs can live just as long as perfectly
healthy pet if the diabetes is diagnosed and treated
properly by both the veterinarian and the owner.
This takes great commitment from the owner. Pets must be
cared for and watched daily with a high level of care and
patience.
There can be no feeding the cat and forgetting until the
next day. There is no leaving the pet along to go on a
trip. Every day your pet will need medication, fed a proper
diet and his behavior will need to be monitored closely.
This doesn’t mean you will have to give up your job and
stay home full time with your pet, but it does mean you
will have to pay more attention to what his behavior is and
know what to do if the situation should change.
It is also more of a financial obligation to have a sick
pet. So it is something that should be discussed in length
with your vets.
