Diabetes
Diabetes and Exercise
Posted by
admin 6 November, 2008
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Aerobic exercise can actually be beneficial for people with diabetes. This exercise increases the insulin sensitivity and when combined with good eating, can help restore a normal glucose metabolism. Before starting into a workout program, you need to see your doctor first to determine if there are any risks for coronary artery disease and that your blood glucose control is appropriate for exercise. Once cleared, you will feel better and see for you the benefits associated with exercise.
Categories : Diabetes, Dieting, Fitness, Health, Tips and Advices
Less Sugar For Good Health
Posted by
admin 30 October, 2008
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Often people think by drinking fruit juices or eating low-fat fruit roll-ups and such, they are cutting out or eliminating sugar. The fact is that some fruit juices have more sugar than a soda. Reduction of sugar is important to good health; therefore always check out the sugar content of anything you put in your mouth, even if it appears to be healthy.
Categories : Diabetes, Tips and Advices
A Closer Look at Weight and Diabetes
Posted by
admin 8 October, 2008
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Perhaps the strongest association between weight gain, metabolic abnormalities, and disease risk is found with type 2 diabetes. (Type 1 diabetes typically affects younger people and is caused by the pancreas not producing insulin.) A majority of people who have type 2 diabetes are also overweight, and the incidence of type 2 diabetes is increasing as the population becomes more overweight.
About 90% of people with diabetes have type 2 diabetes, which develops when the insulin-producing pancreas cannot keep up with the body’s need for insulin, a hormone that helps blood sugar enter cells. With weight gain, cells in the body do not respond properly to insulin, causing an unhealthy rise in blood sugar levels. This is known as insulin resistance.The pancreas produces insulin, but the insulin no longer works effectively.
Weight gain dramatically increases diabetes risk. The risk goes up with weight increases after age 18. The risk also increases about 25% for every unit increase in BMI over 22. One study estimated that more than one-quarter of new cases of type 2 diabetes could be attributed to a weight gain of 11 pounds or more.
If we eliminate adult weight gain and obesity, we could eliminate over 80% of all type 2 diabetes. It is not surprising that one of the first treatment recommendations for type 2 diabetes is to lose weight.
Categories : Diabetes, Overweight Problems
Diabetic Retinopathy
Posted by
admin 22 August, 2008
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Diabetic retinopathy is an eye disorder caused by diabetes, a chronic disease that can damage blood vessels, including those in the eye. A leading cause of blindness in adults in the United States, diabetic retinopathy is caused by changes in the blood vessels of the retina, the light-sensitive membrane that lines the back of the eye. In some people, the blood vessels leak fluid. In others, abnormal new blood vessels grow on the surface of the retina. These abnormal blood vessels can bleed and leak into the vitreous humor (the jellylike substance that fills the center of the eye), preventing light from passing through to the retina. The abnormal blood vessels and bleeding also can produce scar tissue that pulls the retina away from the back of the eye, causing a detached retina. Anyone with diabetes can develop diabetic retinopathy, and the longer a person has diabetes, the more likely he or she is to develop this disorder. Nearly half of all people with diabetes will develop diabetic retinopathy.
There may be no obvious symptoms in the early stages of the disease, but some people with diabetic retinopathy experience blurred vision when the macula (the part of the retina that provides sharp central vision) swells because of the leaking fluid. Abnormal blood vessels that have grown on the surface of the retina can cause symptoms such as blurred vision, seeing spots, vision that alternates between being normal and diminished, pain in the eyes, and sudden loss of vision. If you experience any of these symptoms, contact your ophthalmologist immediately. In some cases, vision may not become impaired until the disease is severe. That is why regular (at least yearly, or more often if recommended by your physician) eye examinations performed by an ophthalmologist are so important for people with diabetes.
During the eye examination, the ophthalmologist will dilate your pupils with eyedrops and then examine your retina using an ophthalmoscope (a handheld viewing instrument that projects a very bright light onto the back of the eye). He or she will look for leaking fluid, abnormal bleeding, or new blood vessel growth on the retina. Early detection and treatment of diabetic retinopathy go a long way toward preventing vision loss and blindness and minimizing potential vision problems.
The best way to prevent diabetic retinopathy and to slow its progression is to consistently control the level of glucose in your blood through diet, exercise, medication, and insulin, if necessary. It also is important to keep your blood pressure within the normal range. In some cases the ophthalmologist may recommend laser surgery in which a highly concentrated beam of light is directed onto the retina either to shrink abnormal blood vessels or to seal leaking blood vessels. This procedure can be performed in the doctor’s office or in an outpatient facility. Laser surgery can reduce the risk of severe vision loss from diabetic retinopathy, but it may not restore vision that has already been lost.
A type of microsurgery (delicate surgery performed under a microscope) called vitrectomy may be used for advanced cases of diabetic retinopathy, in which the vitreous humor has become filled with blood. In this procedure the vitreous humor is removed and replaced with a clear solution. Vitrectomy may take several hours to complete and is performed in an operating room using either local or general anesthesia. The procedure can cause discomfort. Recovery time varies, depending on the extent of the problem.
Surgery to reattach the retina may be needed if scar tissue causes the retina to become detached from the back of the eye. The procedure is performed using either local or general anesthesia and may be combined with laser surgery or vitrectomy. Surgery may take several hours to complete and is performed in an operating room. The procedure can cause discomfort.
People who have diabetes are also at risk for other eye diseases. They are twice as likely to develop a cataract (search cataract for more info) as people without diabetes, and the cataracts tend to develop at an earlier age. Glaucoma (search glaucoma for more info) also occurs in people with diabetes twice as often as in other adults. The longer you have diabetes, the higher your risk of developing glaucoma.
Foot Care Tips for People with Diabetes
Posted by
admin 22 August, 2008
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People with diabetes are prone to developing severe infections that are slow to heal. The feet are especially susceptible to infection, even from something as common as an ingrown toenail. Nerve damage produced by diabetes can cause numbness in the feet that reduces the person’s ability to feel pain from an injury or infection. An infection can become so serious that it results in the need for amputation.
Controlling your blood glucose level with diet, exercise, and your daily insulin intake can go a long way toward preventing foot problems. The following tips also can help you take better care of your feet:
• Check your feet every day. Look for cuts, blisters, red spots, and swelling, and use a mirror to check the bottoms of your feet.
• Wash your feet every day. Bathe your feet in warm (not hot) soapy water every day and dry them well, especially between the toes.
• Keep your feet soft and smooth. Apply a moisturizing lotion over the tops and bottoms of your feet but not between your toes.
• Smooth corns and calluses gently. Use a pumice stone to gently rub rough spots away.
• Trim your toenails each week. Cut them straight across and file the edges gently with an emery board or nail file.
• Always wear shoes and socks. Never walk barefoot, because you could injure your feet. Wear shoes that are comfortable and fit well.
• Protect your feet from hot and cold. Wear shoes at the beach or on hot pavement. Wear socks if your feet get cold at night.
• Keep the blood circulating to your feet. Put your feet up when sitting. Wiggle your toes and move your feet up and down for a few minutes two or three times a day. Do not cross your legs for long periods. Do not smoke.
• Be more active. Ask your doctor to help you plan a regular exercise program.
• See your doctor regularly. The doctor will check your feet for any potential problems. Call your doctor right away if a cut, sore, blister, or bruise on your foot does not begin to heal after a day. Follow your doctor’s advice about routine foot care.
Categories : Diabetes, Endocrine System, Tips and Advices
Diabetic Eye Disease
Posted by
admin 22 August, 2008
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People who have diabetes are at high risk for a number of eye problems that can cause severe vision loss or blindness. The most common diabetic eye disease is diabetic retinopathy, which is damage to the blood vessels in the retina, the lightsensitive membrane at the back of the eyeball. In some people with diabetic retinopathy, blood vessels in the retina may swell and leak fluid. In other people, abnormal new blood vessels grow on the surface of the retina. These changes can produce loss of vision or blindness.
In the early stages of the disease, no pain or other symptoms may be present. This is why, if you have diabetes, you should have your eyes examined at least once a year. During the examination, the doctor will use eyedrops to dilate (enlarge) your pupils so that he or she can see inside your eyes to check for signs of the disease. As diabetic retinopathy progresses, the person may experience blurred vision or vision loss.
Doctors treat diabetic retinopathy by using laser surgery to seal the leaking blood vessels or to shrink abnormal vessels. Diabetic retinopathy cannot be prevented, but you can reduce your risk of developing the disease and slow its onset and progression by keeping your blood glucose level within normal range.
A cataract is a cloudy covering that appears over the normally clear lens of the eye. People with diabetes are twice as likely to develop cataracts as are people without diabetes. Cataracts also develop at an earlier age in people with diabetes. Usually cataracts can be surgically removed.
If you have diabetes, you also have twice the normal risk of developing glaucoma. This disease is caused by abnormally high pressure from excess fluid in the eyeball. The increased pressure damages the optic nerve and blood vessels in the eye, resulting in vision loss. Doctors treat glaucoma with medications or laser surgery.
Early detection and treatment, before vision loss occurs, are the best ways to control diabetic eye disease. If you have diabetes, make sure you have a thorough eye examination at least once a year.
Categories : Diabetes, Endocrine System
Warning Signs of Type 2 Diabetes
Posted by
admin 22 August, 2008
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Type 2 diabetes is the more common form of the disease. The symptoms of type 2 diabetes develop gradually and are not as noticeable as those of type 1 diabetes. See your doctor right away if you experience any of the following symptoms:
• frequent urination, especially at night
• unusual thirst
• weight loss
• blurred vision
• fatigue
• frequent infections
• slow healing of sores
Categories : Diabetes, Endocrine System
Warning Signs of Type 1 Diabetes
Posted by
admin 22 August, 2008
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Symptoms of type 1 diabetes appear suddenly and develop most often in children and young adults. See your doctor right away if you have any of the following symptoms:
• increased thirst
• frequent urination
• constant hunger
• abdominal pain
• nausea
• weight loss
• blurred vision
• fatigue
Categories : Diabetes, Endocrine System
The ABCs of Stabilizing Blood Sugar
Posted by
admin 2 August, 2008
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The following three foods are especially effective in stabilizing blood sugar, and eating them is a good way to keep insulin levels under control:
- Apples: Despite their relatively high sugar levels, apples actually exert a stabilizing effect on blood sugar, due in part to their high fiber content and to phloretin, a flavonoid-type, blood-sugar-stabilizing phytonutrient found exclusively in apples. A study in Finland found that eating apples can lower the risk of type 2 diabetes. The researchers attributed apples’ antidiabetes effect to the antioxidant activity of quercetin, a major component of apple peels. This is another reason to buy organic, unsprayed fruit so that you can safely eat the skin.
- Beans and lentils: A meal with legumes raises blood sugar very slowly and moderately, and even moderates the blood sugar response to the next meal you eat, whether that next meal includes beans or not.When beans and legumes are eaten with relatively high glycemic foods (sugars, refined flour products) they still wield a potent stabilizing influence on blood sugar levels and subsequent insulin levels. Beans and legumes are excellent sources of fiber, which also helps to stabilize blood sugar. In addition, beans and lentils contain resistant starch (RS), fiberlike carbohydrates that increase the rate at which the body burns (oxidizes) body fat.They do not cause unhealthy spikes in blood sugar levels, and they prevent other, higher glycemic foods in a meal from doing so.
- Cinnamon: Scientists at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) have found that cinnamon keeps blood sugar levels on an even keel. The phytonutrient compounds responsible for cinnamon’s beneficial effect on blood sugar control are the flavon-3-ol polyphenol class of antioxidants, which enhance the stabilizing effect of insulin on blood sugar and decrease insulin resistance in two ways: First, they activate enzymes that stimulate insulin receptors. (Remember that when we are insulin resistant, our cells cannot sense the presence of insulin. By sensitizing these receptors, we are potentiating insulin’s power to reduce blood sugar levels.) Second, they enhance the effects of insulin-signaling pathways within skeletal muscle tissue.
By increasing insulin sensitivity, the flavon-3-ol antioxidants in cinnamon decrease the harmful effects of high-glycemic carbohydrates, such as fluctuating blood sugar levels that cause carbohydrate cravings and the chronic inflammation that promotes obesity. Because flavon-3-ol antioxidants enhance insulin sensitivity, more of your blood glucose enters the cells where it belongs, and blood sugar levels stabilize, effectively stopping the inflammation and ending carbohydrate craving. Just 1⁄4 teaspoon of cinnamon mixed in water or tea will do the trick. In fact, cinnamon will continue to help stabilize blood sugar for days—in one study, the group that took the cinnamon reported healthy blood sugar levels up to 3 weeks after consuming the cinnamon!
Categories : Diabetes, Tips and Advices
