Diabetes Complications – Knowing How They Can Be Avoided

March 6, 2009 | Comments Off

Just like any other diseases, diabetes has complications. In fact, diabetes has a mortality rate of around 200,000 deaths in the United States alone, that is according to the Centers for Disease Control. Most deaths were attributable to diabetes complications mainly because the fatalities lacked awareness.

Diabetes is a disease in the blood sugar of the body. This is the result of the inability of the pancreas to produce a substantial amount of insulin. Insulin is responsible in the control of blood sugar. If there will be an imbalance of insulin, diabetes can occur resulting to high blood sugar level.

Tiny insulin factories called beta cells are in charge of maintaining the exact proportion of insulin in relation to the number of glucose (sugar) in the blood level. These tiny insulin factories direct the body to gather the sugar in order for the blood sugar to return to its normal level. Otherwise, diabetes will crop up if disparity arises.

As a form of illness, diabetes has many complications:

1. It can damage the artery which may lead to:

a. Cardiovascular disease- 65% of deaths among diabetics is heart attack or stroke. This can be reduced if proper maintenance will focus on the blood sugar and blood pressure.

b. Kidney disease- Failure to properly monitor the blood pressure and blood sugar may end up to kidney failure.

c. Amputations- Regular check-ups and patient education regarding foot care should be a habit of diabetics. Diabetes delays the healing process of wounds, making it vulnerable for bacterial infections to thrive.

d. Sexual Dysfunction- Stress and medications for diabetes affect the sexual functions of diabetics.

e. Blindness or eye disease- Eye disease brought by diabetes can lead to loss of vision or diabetic retinopathy. The blood vessels of the retina is damaged in the case of diabetic retinopathy.

2. Nerve damage that may cause:

a. Peripheral neuropathy- The feet will experience loss of feeling which can cause foot ulcers or infections which may even lead to amputations.

b. Dizziness- When you have diabetes, the circulation of blood movement is affected. There is the inability of the body to signal the flow of blood from the toes to the torso especially when changing positions from sitting to standing.

c. Stomach or bowel dilemma- The nerves responsible for the normal movement of the stomach become less active which may result to diarrhea, constipation or nausea.

d. Nerve failure- The function of a single muscle may be affected resulting to double vision or bell’s palsy as examples.

e. Sexual function- Since the nerve is affected, impotence can be a factor of complications.

3. Others like flu, pneumonia, complications in pregnancy or hypoglycemia.

The above diabetes complications can drastically affect the quality of life of the sufferer. Oftentimes, it could even shorten the life span of a sufferer. As a precautionary measure, always see a doctor if you experience anything unusual.

Alvin Hopkinson is a leading health researcher in the area of natural remedies and diabetes natural treatment. Discover how you can reverse your diabetes for good using proven and effective home remedies, all without using harmful medications or drugs. Visit his site now at http://www.minusdiabetes.com

Alvin Hopkinson is a leading health researcher in the area of natural remedies and weight loss.

He had published many health articles online, is a platinum expert author in EzineArticles and writes for Health Central, which is a leading health authority website.

Some of his sites includes:

High Blood Pressure Treatment & Medications Reviews

Gout Relief Made Easy – Gout Natural Cure

Fat Loss Diet – Effective Weight Loss Diet Tips

Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/diseases-and-conditions-articles/diabetes-complications-knowing-how-they-can-be-avoided–802997.html

Posted by Richard | Filed Under Diabetes 

Diabetes – My Ramblings About Having Diabetes: How Much Can I Eat?

March 5, 2009 | Comments Off

Wow, how much can I eat? Great question. A lot depends on the number of carb exchanges you are allowed. I do recommend attending an American Diabetes Association approved education class. You will receive much needed information and help. Go to diabetes.org and look for a location near you.

 

Check serving sizes. I found a cracker I like that has 15 crackers per serving with 22 grams of carbohydrate. It also has 5 grams of fiber which brings the grams down to 17 which will count as one carb exchange. Well, I only eat 5 or 6 crackers so I am really getting only 6 or 7 grams of a carbohydrate.

 

Have you ever read the labels? You need to learn to read the nutritional facts listed on a package before you make your purchase. It gives you such things as total fat; cholesterol; sodium and then carbohydrates. The carbs are listed in grams and 15 grams is considered one carb exchange. Check with your doctor or dietitian about the amount of carbs you can eat. You will also find dietary fiber listed there. If the total amount of fiber is 5 grams or above you may subtract those grams from the grams of the carbohydrates which will give you the total carbs in a serving. This is discussed in one of my ramblings about carbs. I must admit I am confused about the sugars and sugar alcohol but they are important and shouldn’t be too high. Hey, it is sugar that we need to keep low.

 

Portion sizes. You will need to reduce your portion sizes. If you have measuring cups available that is the best way but what do you do when you are away from home? Use your hand! Sounds simple? Well, my question is do I use my hand or my wife’s? The best answer is probably my wife’s. Sorry guys. You can use your fist to estimate one cup. The inside of your palm will show you the size that equals about 3 ounces which is the recommended size of meat you eat at one sitting. Is the serving size in tablespoons? You can use the size of your thumb to estimate a tablespoon. The tip of your thumb is about one teaspoon. Yes, you are making a guess but it will help you to determine the measurement without the measuring cups.

 

Now all the effort belongs to you. If you have diabetes you must realize it can cause other complications. Just the fact that you are reading this tells me you are interested in learning more. My ramblings are not scientific nor are they medical although I am in the process of learning how to control diabetes myself. My ramblings are just to help you know that there are others going through the same thing. There is hope. You do need to be in contact with a medical doctor and dietitian to help you make wise choices and if you need insulin your doctor can prescribe that. I am hoping to control mine by watching my diet.

 

If you have not read my other ramblings please check for them using the article directory link in the bio below.

Lloyd manages an Article Directory and a Directory for Christian Articles

Both sites support Article Submission

Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/diseases-and-conditions-articles/diabetes-my-ramblings-about-having-diabetes-how-much-can-i-eat-801511.html

Posted by Richard | Filed Under Diabetes 

Kinds & Treatment Of Diabetes Affected Through Diabetic Indian Food

March 3, 2009 | Comments Off

Diabetes is a lifestyle disease that has reached serious proportions and affects around 5% of the population or more than 50 million people of India. The incidence of diabetics in urban India has increased 20 times in the last 20 years! Indians are also genetically more prone to diabetes. India has the largest number of diabetes patients in the world followed by China and then by United States. There is high prevalence of Type II diabetes in Chennai, South India. Westernization of life style and eating habits are primarily responsible for increasing prevalence of diabetes in India. Traditional Indian food like dal, rice, roti and palak are better in place of meat.
Asrava, Mutratisara, and Madhumeha are the Indian names of diabetes.

Diet:
Diet plays an important role in the treatment of diabetes. The most important step in a diabetes diet is to control the intake of simple carbohydrate and consume fibre rich indian food. Instead of 3 heavy meals it is good to have 5-6 small meals.
At least 5 servings of fresh fruits and vegetables should be included in the diet. Certain juices like, tomato, pomegranate, amla and karela and fruits like apple, jamun and grapefruit and foods like oats, bran and black channa are especially beneficial for diabetics.
It is important that you have dinner a couple of hours before bedtime and do not skip meals. Junk foods should be avoided completely as they provide empty calories and may even lead to a sudden increase in blood sugar. Excessive oil, salt, alcohol and coffee should also be avoided.

There are two types of Diabetes, namely, Type I and Type II
• A study has found that breastfed children are less likely to get type I diabetes and the chances are 50 % than the never breastfed children.
• It has also been suggested that Vitamin D3 deficiency may be important in development of Type I diabetes. Environmental factors also contribute towards the development of Type I diabetes
• Type II diabetes is more complex but comparatively easy to treat if this is diagnosed at early stages when the body is still producing insulin.
• Physical exercise required is small but has to be regular and for prolonged period of time. Walking for 45 min

A Mahendiratta provides articles about Indian recipe for those of you who are wondering what a indian diet for diabetes.

Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/diseases-and-conditions-articles/kinds-treatment-of-diabetes-affected-through-diabetic-indian-food-796458.html

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Posted by Richard | Filed Under Diabetes 


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