|
Author: Renee E. Kennedy Article source: http://noidzoid.com/. Used with author's permission.
What is it?
Diabetes is a disease where the body cannot properly produce or use insulin. Insulin is a hormone
that turns the foods you eat into energy. If your body cannot turn food into energy, not only
will your cells be starved for energy, you will also build up glucose (sugar) in your blood.
This will lead you to have "high blood glucose levels." Over years, the high blood glucose
level can damage major organs like your heart, eyes, and kidneys.
Statistics:
According to the American Diabetes Association, there are 18.2 million people in
the United States with Diabetes. That's 6.3% of the population.
Diabetes is found in both men and women over the age of 20. About one-third of Diabetics do not know that they have it.
African Americans are 1.6 times more likely to have diabetes than Whites.
Latinos are 1.5 times more likely to have diabetes than Whites.
Type 1 is most often found in children, with the peak incidence at puberty.
Type 2 is generally found in adults, however an alarmingly growing number of children are now
diagnosed with type 2 Diabetes. One of the main causes is overweight.
Types:
- Type 1 Diabetes is caused by a total lack of insulin that, in turn, produces
high blood glucose levels. Type 1 is most often is seen in children, but can develop
in adults. If you have Type 1, your health care provider might recommend scheduled,
nutritious meals, exercise, medication, and frequent blood sugar level tests.
- Type 2 Diabetes occurs when the body does not produce enough insulin or cannot
properly use insulin. This is the most common type. The treatment may be similar to Type 1.
- Pre Diabetes or Borderline Diabetes may occur before a Type 2 diagnosis. Blood
glucose levels will be higher than normal. Good nutrition and exercise may be
recommended by your health care provider as treatment for pre diabetes. Even a
slightly high blood sugar level is insidious and could affect major organs over time.
- Gestational Diabetes occurs in pregnant women that have high blood glucose levels. This type of Diabetes can harm both Mother and baby. If you have Gestational Diabetes, your health care provider may prescribe meal plans, exercise, daily testing and medicine.
Symptoms:
The main symptom of diabetes is the lack of insulin activity or the inability
for the body to create insulin.
Other symptoms include:
- increase in urine production
- blurry vision
- irritability
- extreme hunger
- excessive weight loss
- increased fatigue
Causes and Risk Factors:
The exact causes of Diabetes are still unknown. However, heredity, obesity and
lack of exercise may play a role. Here are some general risk factors:
- Your siblings or parents have diabetes.
- You are more than 20% overweight.
- You do not exercise.
- You have had gestational diabetes or you have had a baby over 9 lbs.
- You have high blood pressure.
- Your cholesterol level is not normal.
Treatment Options:
According to the American Diabetes Association, people with Diabetes have the same nutritional
needs as everyone else. In addition to prescribed medications, well-balanced meals may help
you keep your blood glucose level as normal as possible.
Also, just like everyone else, exercise is an important part of staying healthy. Exercising
with diabetes does require a few extra safety steps that your health care professional can make you aware of.
Nutritious meals, an exercise routine, along with the help of your doctor may aid you in controlling your Diabetes. Diabetes will never truly go away, but with proper nutrition, exercise and prescribed medications, it can be controlled.
Outlook:
There is no cure for Diabetes, but the treatment options are becoming better than they've ever been. Self-monitoring devices for blood glucose levels and administering insulin are the areas that have seen the most improvement. The following are a list of new treatment options that are currently being researched:
- Insulin Pump Implants - a permanently implanted pump that will measure blood sugar levels and deliver the exact amount of insulin needed.
- Insulin Capsule Implant - an insulin capsule that can be implanted to continuously release insulin into the bloodstream.
- Insulin Inhaler - a rapid-acting insulin that is inhaled into the mouth. Currently in clinical trials.
- Insulin Pill - Currently, the pill form has only been tested in animals.
- Continuous Monitoring Device - The GlucoWatch Biographer, a wristwatch-like device, has been approved by the FDA. It is intended as a companion for the fingertip blood test to monitor glucose, in order to ensure accurate results.
- Islet Cell Transplant - For people with Type 1 Diabetes, helps patients become insulin free for up to 14 months after treatment. Currently in clinical trials.
- Gene Therapy
- A Diabetes Vaccine - To prevent or slow the progress of Type 1 Diabetes.
Visit Just-Diabetes.com for discussions, news, articles, and resources related to Diabetes.
Disgruntled
You are in a bad trade and you've missed out on a great trade. You become disgruntled. You think to yourself that your trading plan must not be so great. You...
Picking Keywords for SEO – A Different View
The first step to developing any search engine optimization effort is picking keywords. The general consensus is pick keywords with solid amounts of traffic and...
The Smart Way To Look At Home Improvements
What home improvements really pay off when the time comes to sell your house? That's an important question for any homeowner contemplating moving or remodeling....
High Deductible Health Insurance Plans For Individuals and Families
The majority of Americans would greatly benefit by paying more attention to their health and buying health insurance coverage strictly to cover unexpected and u...
The Dangers of Plastic Surgery
There is very little in this life that comes without risk, and the dangers of plastic surgery are a prime example of this.
Aromatherapy at Home: Beating the Cold Bug
It seems that nearly everyone I know has been either fighting or recovering from a cold or flu these last few weeks. And many of my clients have been asking how...
Investment Speed Bumps
Maybe you have done the same thing as I have. Been driving down an unfamiliar street at a good pace and suddenly...
The Evolution of Christmas Ornaments
As Christmas looms on the horizon, the stores fill with all sorts of Christmas decorations. Each year they seem to get big, better and more various. It has not ...
Is YOUR Home A Safe Home?
Do you or one of your family members suffer from allergies, asthma, add/adhd Heart disease, cancer, or respitory problems? It could be from the toxins in your h...
Online Auctions: How To Generate Fast Traffic From Online Auctions
Have you ever participated in any online auctions?
Are You Inventive Enough to be an Inventor? Some Guidelines to Invention Success!
Inventors make a ton of money when the invention is needed and when the process is done properly. There are different types of inventions. Some inventions are m...
Speaking in Tongues
A balanced and very practical article for understanding what
the speaking in tongues phenomenon is all about. It
focuses on some things that all the other co...
Secured Credit Cards
A secured credit card can be an excellent way to create your credit history, or to build it back if, for instance, you have filed for bankruptcy in the past sev...
How Can You Find Freelance Writing Jobs?
So, how do you find freelance writing jobs? Let us talk about this for a moment and see if we can't find an idea or two that will work for you.
Introduction to Google Page Rank (PR)
For anyone looking to enhance their Google Page Rank (PR) to get a better place in the search results, we now have software that makes finding good links so muc...
Getting Out of Debt - Teacher Takes Responsibility
The debt reduction process broken down into easy to understand steps. The difference between debt consolidation and debt settlement is explained. Other topics...
Spiritual Healing - The Hidden Truth and Misconception
Throughout history, what is portrayed in all religions as being the manifestation of prayer or miracles is in fact manifestation of our connection with the esse...
4 Essential Elements of Golf Fitness
What are the four main physical requirements a golfer needs to graduate to a greater, more consistent level of play? Which of these physical characteristics do ...
How Your Business Can Pick A Software Developer
Eventually, your business is going to need to have some software development. Your business is unique - you can't rely on a huge, faceless corporation to handle...
Decorate Your Outdoor Spaces on a Budget!
Learn how to decorate your outdoor spaces with warmth and charm, but with a tiny budget!
Property Investment: Spoiled for Choice in Europes Emerging Markets
The wealthy West has created thousands of property investors. With many of the emerging markets touting the kind of returns that investor's dream of, it can be...
Debt a Glossary of Terms
A brief listing of the most common terms relating to debt and debt consolidation.
Acceptance!
I`m back and yup I am here to get your wheels thinking yet again. Actually I was going to take a day off , then a thought about acceptance started to swirl in m...
If You’re Looking To Borrow Larger Sums of Cash a Home Equity Loan Could Prove Ideal
Find the cash you need now with a home equity loan.
|
Print this page