Some people think that just because they have no particular type 2 diabetes symptom that they are protected from diabetes. This May not always be the case if the understanding and the true nature of type 2 diabetes symptom May help save your life.

The figures

If you have the condition, however, it means that the cells of your body does not react properly to the action of insulin which is supposed to open the cells to glucose. Without glucose into the cells you will have no obvious source of energy.

Type 2 diabetes is actually the most common type of diabetes. It is estimated that at least 90% of diabetics belong to the category of type 2. The sad truth is that more than 6% of diabetics are not aware that they have the condition. The lack of awareness May be due to a seemingly harmless dismissal of type 2 diabetes symptoms or a total lack of warning signs.

Different symptoms

Type 1 diabetes is less common than Type 2 May, but it is more difficult to manage because it is the inability of the pancreas to fulfil its task of producing insulin. Despite the difference case, however, both types of diabetes share the same symptoms. A diabetic may begin to feel tired often, thirst and May have sometimes blurred vision and sores that do not heal quickly.

The difference in all the symptoms of type 1 and type 2 is the onset of symptoms. A type 1 diabetes symptoms can develop quickly and worsen within a few weeks. Even with the rapid development of symptoms, however, damages the cells May have already taken place for some time before type 1 diabetes is finally discovered. A type 2 diabetes symptom on the other hand is not as obvious and as bad as a symptom of type 1.

Effects of no symptoms

The type 2 diabetes symptoms must be detected and taken into account immediately. The key to effective management of this chronic disease is early detection. Once you fail to detect type 2 diabetes symptom, however, you can suffer complications that are even more difficult to reverse. Some diabetics do realize that they have type 2 diabetes because of complications such as retinopathy, heart disease, kidney problems and nerve death. One complication is therefore the only type 2 diabetes symptom.

Uncommon risk factors

Even those who are not a unique type 2 diabetes symptom should be particularly cautious if you are overweight and have a family history of type 2 diabetes. However, you should also consider yourself at high risk of developing diabetes if you are over 45 years, had a baby over 9 pounds and has a history of gestational diabetes or pre-diabetes. For undetermined reasons, individuals who are Asian, African Americans and Hispanics are at greater risk of developing diabetes.

What must be done

Seek professional counselor your doctor immediately. There are, however much you have to remind yourself. You should monitor your blood sugar, take your medication as prescribed, follow your diet and exercise plans and view and manage your weight.



Thanks to Jack Stanley for contributing this article to our Diabetes blog:

Controlling Type 2 Diabetes

The Layman’s Guide To Diabetes

Facts about diabetes that everybody should know

What is Diabetes

Diabetes is one of the commonest but very serious health disorders found all over the world. Approximately one in every 25 person suffers from it and a big population is predisposed to suffer from it. With all the advancements and developments in modern medicine, we have failed to find a cure for it. We do not even know the exact causes of Diabetes. Diabetes today has affected whole world irrespective of peoples’ life styles. Elder or younger, rich or poor, rural or urban; all have equally suffered.

Diabetes is a metabolic disorder. It is associated with a hormone called ‘insulin’ which is secreted by a gland known as ‘pancreas’ situated near the lower border of stomach. Diabetes arises either from ‘deficiency of insulin’ or from ‘inability of cells to utilize the available insulin’. It is basically the ‘lack of action’ of insulin that brings about Diabetes. This disorder affects the whole metabolism of the body. Modern sciences have failed to explain with certainty why pancreas stops the production of insulin or why body cells develop resistance to insulin.

The causes of diabetes are still not known but there are certain predisposing factors that considerably increase the chances of developing diabetes. Some predisposing factors are

Obesity

Sedentary life style with very less physical activity

Family history of diabetes

Old age

Eating habits especially when food contains excessive carbohydrates

What actually happens!

When we eat food, it is digested in digestive tract beginning from mouth. Complex food is broken down to simpler foods such as glucose, amino acids, fatty acids, vitamins etc. which can be absorbed in the blood. In a normal human being, the glucose produced in this way is acted upon by a hormone called insulin which helps in taking this glucose to all body cells for their energy needs and converts the ‘left over’ glucose into glycogen. Thus, the chief role of insulin is to regulate the glucose level in the blood. Sometimes, for unknown reasons, either the Pancreas gland stops producing insulin or the body cells develop inability to utilize the available insulin thereby causing glucose level in the blood to rise which eventually results in diabetes. More than 90% of all diabetics suffer from the diabetes that is caused by inability of body cells to utilize the available insulin to regulate the glucose level.

When body cells do not receive glucose for their energy needs, they begin to starve. To supplement the energy needs, body starts disintegrating the stored fats and proteins leading to loss of weight, fatigue, weakness and several other complications.

Symptoms and their reasons explained

Common symptoms of diabetes include

Frequent and excessive urination

As I explained earlier, glucose level in the blood is very high in diabetes. This glucose circulates in blood and reaches

kidneys which filter the blood to form urine. Kidneys ordinarily never let glucose pass into the urine but when glucose level is excessive, this glucose enters the urine and during this, kidneys filter a lot of water also which results in excessive and frequent urination in diabetes.

Excessive thirst and dry mouth

Excessive urination in diabetes leads to shortage of water in the body. This, in turn leads to thirst and dry mouth.

Hunger

Since, the body cells do not get glucose, they begin to starve. Although the glucose is all around yet cells cannot utilize it. This is a case of ‘scarcity amidst plenty’. This starvation of body cells leads to more and more hunger.

Weight loss

When body cells cannot utilize glucose, the stored fat in the body is slowly disintegrated to compensate it. This leads to loss of weight.

Fatigue

Along with stored fat, the protein in the muscles is also disintegrated to nourish the starving cells. This results in fatigue and weakness of the body.

Blurred vision

Our eyes have a fluid inside them that helps in focusing. Due to high concentration of glucose in blood, this fluid also changes its concentration thus leading to blurring of vision and frequent changes in power of eye lenses.

Slow healing of cuts and wounds

Since the blood contains abnormal amount of glucose, it provides an ideal medium for the growth of pus forming micro-organisms. This in turn affects the healing of even small cuts and abrasions and delays the recovery.

Itchy skin and fungal infection

The blood of a diabetic is quite rich in glucose which provides favorable conditions for faster growth of micro-organisms that cause diseases. This is more visible on skin which becomes vulnerable to infections. This excessive glucose also causes itching on the skin.

Complications

There are various complications that may take place due to prolonged presence of glucose in bloodstream.

Some commonly occurring complications include

A. Diabetic Coma

B. Coronary Heart Disease

C. Cerebral Hemorrhage

D. Gangrene

These complications are a result of very complex changes that take place in the body due to excess glucose. Almost all parts of the body are affected by Diabetes and in long run, it ruins all body parts.

Hyperglycemic Coma

This is a commonly occurring complication of diabetes. But how does it happen?

In diabetics, glucose does not nourish the body cells either due to deficiency of insulin or due to inability of body cells to utilize available insulin. As a result, stored fats in the body start disintegrating and chemical compounds called ‘ketones’ are formed which make the blood ‘acidic’. Now the body tries to reduce the acidity and forms more and more urine. But this in turn reduces the fluid content of the body and further increases the acidity of the blood which eventually affects the brain and Coma sets in.

What to do!

There are some predisposing factors that may cause diabetes as explained earlier. Sedentary life style invites the disease therefore one should cultivate a life style full of physical activities and exercises. People working in the offices usually do not get any opportunity to remain physically active. Such people should try to spend some time out of their chairs and do as much physical activity as possible at their work place. Today’s little workout can ward off tomorrow’s great suffering.

Obesity is another big predisposing condition. More than 70% elder people who develop diabetes are obese. Physical exercises and a check on food intake are best things one can do to avoid adding unwanted weight.

Family history plays a role in causing diabetes. When one is aware of occurrence of diabetes in the family, one should prepare against the disease by avoiding other predisposing factors like obesity, sedentary life style, faulty eating habits etc. Remember, a prepared man has half fought the battle!

Foods may also be related to diabetes but it is not known with certainty which foods may cause diabetes or may hamper the activity of pancreas. One should be careful in selecting food. The intake of fast foods and those foods that are quite rich in carbohydrates should be minimized.

Diabetes badly affects all physiological systems of the human body. Majority of the diabetics develops severe complications that shorten the lifespan. Whether there is any history of diabetes in one’s family or not, it is always advisable to take precautions and lead a physically active life. Remember, prevention is always better than cure!

***



Thanks to anil kapur for contributing this article to our Diabetes blog:

New Treatment For Diabetes

Glucose, a type of sugar, is the body’s main fuel. Hypoglycemia, or low blood sugars, occurs when blood levels of glucose drop too low to fuel the body’s activity.

Carbohydrates ( sugars and starches) are the body’s main dietary sources of glucose. During digestion, the glucose is absorbed into the blood stream ( thus the term “blood sugar”), which carries it to each cell in the body. Unused glucose is stored in the liver as glycogen.

The ordinary range for blood sugars is about sixty mg/dL ( mg of glucose per deciliter of blood ) to 120 mg/dL, depending on when somebody last ate. In the fasting state, blood sugar can often fall below sixty mg/dL and even to below 50 mg/dL and not indicate a major aberration or disease. This can be seen in healthy women, particularly after prolonged fasting. Blood sugar levels below forty five mg/dL are almost always associated with a major abnormality.

The quantity of glucose in the blood is controlled mainly by the hormones insulin and glucagon. Too much or too little of these hormones may cause blood sugar levels to fall too low ( hypoglycemia ) or rise too high (hyperglycemia). Other hormones that influence blood sugar levels are cortisol, growth hormone, and catecholamines (epinephrine and norepinephrine).

The pancreas, a gland in the higher stomach, produces insulin and glucagon. The pancreas is dotted with hormone-producing tissue called the islets of Langerhans, which contain alpha and beta cells. When blood sugars rises after a meal, the beta cells release insulin. The insulin helps glucose enter body cells, lowering blood levels of glucose to the ordinary range. When blood sugar drops too low, the alpha cells secrete glucagon. This signals the liver to release stored glycogen and change it back to glucose, raising blood sugar levels to the ordinary range. Muscles also store glycogen that may be converted to glucose.

A person with hypoglycemia may feel puny, sleepy, confused, hungry, and dizzy. Paleness, headache, bad temper, shaking, sweating, quick heart beat, and a cold, damp feeling are also appearances of low sugar levels. In severe cases, an individual can lose consciousness and even lapse into a coma.

The symptoms associated with hypoglycemia are often mistaken for symptoms due to conditions not related to blood sugar. As an instance, peculiar anxiety and anxiety and anxiety can cause excess production of catecholamines, leading to symptoms similar to those caused by hypoglycemia but having no relation to blood sugar levels.

The most typical reason for hypoglycemia is as a complication of diabetes. Diabetes occurs when the body can’t use glucose for fuel because either the pancreas is not able to make enough insulin or the insulin that is available isn’t effective. As a consequence, glucose builds up in the blood instead of getting into body cells.

The aim of treatment in diabetes is to lower high blood sugar levels. To do that, folks with diabetes may use insulin or oral drugs, relying on the kind of diabetes they have or the scale of their status. Hypoglycemia occurs most often in folk who use insulin to lower their blood sugar. All folk with type one diabetes and some folk with type two diabetes use insulin. Folks with type two diabetes who take oral drugs called sulfonylureas are also exposed to low blood sugar episodes.

People with diabetes should consult their health care suppliers for individual rules on target blood ranges that are best for them. The lowest safe blood sugar level for an individual varies, depending on the person’s age, medical problem, and ability to sense hypoglycemic symptoms. A target range that is safe for a young adult with no diabetes complications, for example, might be too low for a young kid or an older person who could have other medical problems.

Because they are attuned to the symptoms, folk with diabetes can generally recognize when their blood sugar levels are dropping too low. They can treat the condition quickly by eating or drinking something with sugar in it such as candy, juice, or nondiet soda. Taking glucose tablets or gels (available in drug stores ) is another convenient and quick way to treat hypoglycemia.

People with type one diabetes are most exposed to dreadful insulin reactions, which can cause loss of consciousness. A few patients with entrenched insulin-dependent diabetes may develop a condition known as hypoglycemia unawareness, in which they have problems spotting the indicators of low sugar. For emergency use in patients with type one diabetes, physicians regularly prescribe an injectable form of the hormone glucagon. A glucagon injection ( given by another person) quickly eases the symptoms of low sugar, releasing a burst of glucose into the blood.



Thanks to Lawrence Cole for contributing this article to our Diabetes blog:

Juvenile Diabetes Information

Have you been feeling hungrier than usual, and eating more than usual, too? Do you feel fatigued or anxious constantly? Those are some of the symptoms of hypoglycemia. Other symptoms associated with hypoglycemia include insomnia, loss of appetite, shakiness and blurred vision. Sometimes sufferers cannot sure if what they are experiencing is a result of hypoglycemia. It is recommended that you get a test of your blood sugar levels if you are experiencing these symptoms. If your blood sugar is between about 80 mg/dl to 120 mg/dl, it is normal. If your blood sugar levels are significantly higher or lower than this range, they are considered to be abnormal, perhaps indicating hyper- or hypo-glycemia.

Although there are many symptoms of hypoglycemia, will you will not necessarily experience all of them if you have the condition. The most common symptoms are hunger, fatigue and dizziness. One person experiencing hypoglycemia may have symptoms different from the next person. Symptoms can depend on the level of severity of the disease, and can get progressively worse. Some mild symptoms include shaking or sweating, in this condition, you must add glucose-rich food, such as fruits and juices, to your diet. When hypoglycemia(http://www.mitamins.com/disease/Hypoglycemia.html) is moderate, one may experience weakness and dizziness, and consultation with a physician is imperative. When facing severe hypoglycemia, one may loss conscious. No matter which stage the patients are in, diet must be adjusted. Hypoglycemia symptoms typically worsen several hours after a meal and this can easily be understood as related to the theory of pathogeny.

Treating hypoglycemia with diet

With hypoglycemia, there is too much insulin in your body, but not enough glucose, which is important for your body to function normally. Hypoglycemia is closely connected to diabetes. People suffering from diabetes take extra insulin to manage it, and excess insulin results in hypoglycemia. This is especially for those with type-one diabetes. Intensive treatment of diabetes with insulin can prevent or delay life-threatening complications, but in the long run, it also makes episodes of low blood glucose more likely to occur. Tests show that diet-induced hypoglycemia treatment can improve symptoms significantly. Food high in fiber and protein and low in carbohydrates as well as a reasonable hypoglycemia treatment(http://www.mitamins.com/disease/Hypoglycemia.html) program is considered an ideal natural treatment for hypoglycemia. Whole grains, fruits, vegetables and nuts are all good choices. Eat at least three meals per day, and between-meal snacks should be worked in. In addition, consulting a doctor and explaining your condition is necessary for recovery.

Avoid caffeine!

Doctors also recommend stress reduction which has been found to be very helpful in the treatment of hypoglycemia. Taking natural hormones would be a good choice in treatment. In addition, any kind of caffeine should be avoided. Any dose of it may increase the symptoms of hypoglycemia. For this reason, natural hypoglycemia treatment(http://www.mitamins.com/disease/Hypoglycemia.html) requires complete avoidance of caffeinated beverages, as well as food containing caffeine. If natural treatment still does little to improve your condition, you may require hospitalization and intravenous glucose injection.



Thanks to Mitamins Team for contributing this article to our Diabetes blog:

Adult Onset Diabetes