Diabetes

More Valuable information about Diabetes...

Unlike other diseases, diabetes cannot be cured as such. This can be controlled and the person affected with diabetes can afford to have a normal life if he or she manages to keep the blood sugar levels within permissible levels. Many factors - diet, alcohol, activity, stress, illness, medications and changes in hormone levels - can affect your blood sugar. But you can monitor your level with frequent blood glucose self-testing. These tests are available over-the-counter at pharmacies. You prick the tip of your finger and touch a drop of your blood to a strip of paper. You compare the color on the strip of paper to a chart to determine your blood sugar level. Knowing the level of sugar in your blood helps you learn what makes your blood sugar levels rise and fall, so you can adjust your treatment.

Changes in your routine can cause swings in your blood sugar level. Here are suggestions for how to handle factors that affect your level:

Balance your diet and medications If you take diabetes medications, be consistent on a day-to-day basis in the timing and amount of food you eat. By controlling when you eat and how much, you control the times your blood sugar is higher, such as after meals, and how high or low your blood sugar level goes. Whenever you go off schedule, you risk upsetting the balance between your diet and your medication. Too little food in comparison to your medication may result in very low blood sugar and a hypoglycemic reaction. Too much food, and your blood sugar will be too high.

Test yourself after exercising Exercise usually lowers your blood sugar level for several hours. But exercise can also increase your blood sugar if your insulin level is too low. Until you know how your body responds to exercise, test your blood glucose just after exercising and then again several hours later.

Monitor the effects of stress and illness Psychological stress or the physical stress of a cold, influenza (flu) or a bacterial illness can cause your body to produce hormones that prevent insulin from working properly. Major trauma or other medical problems, such as a heart attack, also can increase blood sugar levels dramatically. During times of stress and illness, it's important to monitor blood glucose frequently. You should also have a vaccination against pneumococcal pneumonia and a yearly flu shot.

Avoid alcohol Alcohol prevents the release of glucose from your liver and can increase the risk of your blood sugar falling too low. If you drink alcoholic beverages, do so only in moderation, and eat food before you have a drink.

Diabetic Diet

Frequently asked questions about Diabetes...

How to identify gestational diabetes?

Several symptoms are associated with the disease and they may vary from patient to patient. Increased thirst and urination, weight losheights despite of increased appetite, frequent infections including bladder, vaginal, and skin are among the symptoms.

How insulin helps diabetes?

Insulin lowers blood sugar by allowing it to leave the blood stream and enter the cells. People with type I diabetes cannot make their own insulin in the body and must take insulin injections to meet the regular requirement. They can survive without insulin injections, but many may take insulin injections to control blood glucose levels more effectively. Insulin is taken as an injection. Patients who need insulin is taught to give his/her injections themselves.

In type II diabetes, the patient's body makes insulin, but is not able to use it effectively. They use medicines to control blood sugar in the form of pills, usually once or twice a day. These medicines work by preventing the body from sending sugar into the bloodstream when the naturally produced insulin is not working properly, releasing more Insulin into the bloodstream, and helping the body's own insulin move glucose from the bloodstream into the cells. Some people need insulin in addition to oral medicines. Some people no longer need medicines if they lose weight because their own insulin output is sufficient after reducing weight, fat, and sugar.

Insulin is taken as an injection. It is not available in tablet form.

What to eat when your blood sugar level is not normal?

Diet planning for diabetes includes choosing healthy foods, eating the right amount of food at the right time. Meal plans differ depending on the type of diabetes.

In insulin-dependent diabetes (Type I), following a fixed time daily to eat and the amounts and kind of food eaten is very important to allow food and insulin to work together to regulate blood glucose levels. If meals and insulin are out of balance, extreme variations in blood glucose can occur.

In Non insulin-dependent diabetes (Type II), weight control is the most important principle in addition to a well-balanced diet. The doctor and dietician will help you to chalk out a diet plan to follow.

What happens if you miss a dose of insulin?

In insulin-dependent diabetics when a dose of insulin is missed or if infection is present, weakness, drowsiness, headache, double vision, lack of coordination and convulsions or unconsciousness can occur.

Why diabetics should give more care to their feet?

People with diabetes are prone to foot problems because of complications caused by damage to large and small blood vessels and nerves, and decreased ability to fight infection. To prevent injury to the feet, diabetics should regularly checkup their feet.

Do sugars cause diabetes?

So far the researchers do not know why diabetes occurs, but they know sugars do not cause it. During physical activity, they are the main energy source.

Diabetes is a disorder in the way the body handles sugars. People with diabetes do not make enough insulin. Or they cannot use the insulin their bodies do make.

Glossary

Hyperglycemia - High a level of glucose in the blood; a sign that diabetes is out of control. Many things can cause hyperglycemia. It occurs when the body does not have enough insulin or cannot use the insulin it does have to turn glucose into energy. Signs of hyperglycemia are great thirst, a dry mouth, and a need to urinate often. For people with insulin-dependent diabetes, hyperglycemia may lead to diabetic ketoacidosis.

Hyperosmolar Coma - A coma (loss of consciousness) related to high levels of glucose (sugar) in the blood and requiring emergency treatment. A person with this condition is usually older and weak from loss of body fluids and weight. The person may or may not have a previous history of diabetes. Ketones (acids) are not present in the urine.

Insulin - A hormone by the Pancreas. Insulin promotes glucose/sugar utilization and protein synthesis.

Pancreas - This is an elongated lobular shaped organ found in the abdomen starting from the first part of the small intestine.

Metabolism - A bio-chemical process through which energy consumption and energy production is carried out in cells.

Ketones - The end products of fat metabolism.

By-Dr.Sunil Shroff, Dr.Rashmi