Diabetes is a growing problem in this country. With our population at an all time high in weight gain and a low in health care, the problem is only growing. Diabetes is a disease of the metabolism. Our metabolism is what the way our bodies use digested food for energy and growth. Most food that is processed through our bodies is broken down by digestive juices into a sugar called glucose. Glucose is the fuel our bodies run on. When we eat, and our food is processed, the pancreas is supposed to produce the right amount of glucose from our blood automatically and release the right amount of insulin into our blood. In people with diabetes, little to no insulin is produced or the body’s cells don’t respond correctly to the insulin that is produced. Therefore the glucose builds up and overflows into the urine and passes out of the body. This is how the body loses its main source of fuel even though the bloodstream contains good amounts of the … [Read more...]

All too often we get sick but ignore the symptoms we may be feeling, shrugging them off to a cold, stress from work, or just not feeling well. There are certain symptoms that shouldn’t be ignored if they develop. These symptoms could lead to blindness, amputation of limbs, coma or even death. Symptoms of type 1 diabetes often come on suddenly and are severely dramatic. The extra stress of diabetes can lead to something called diabetic ketoacidosis. Symptoms of ketoacidosis may include nausea and vomiting, which may also lead to dehydration and serious problems with the blood levels of potassium. This could lead to a diabetic coma and ultimately death. Other symptoms of diabetes may include extreme fatigue. We all get tired at times, but diabetes triggers a more severe fatigue than normal. People with diabetes also experience unexplained weight loss. This is because they are unable to process many of the calories they consume. Losing sugar and water in … [Read more...]

As of 2007, there is no cure for either type 1 or type 2 diabetes. This may seem like a dim outlook for many people, but the fact is that even though there is no cure, there certainly are ways to manage your diabetes. Proper management can give you many years of healthy living. Diabetes management starts with a visit to your doctor. first, finding out you have diabetes, what type you have then arming yourself with as much information as possible about the diabetes you are diagnosed with. All management begins with controlling the glucose cycle. The glucose cycle is affected by two factors, entry of glucose into the bloodstream and blood levels of insulin to control the transport out. Your glucose levels are very sensitive to both diet and exercise, so change in either should first be discussed with your physician. Proper management of diabetes can be very intrusive to the patient. Proper management requires a complete lifestyle change and frequent, … [Read more...]

It is not only the human kind that can develop diabetes. Even our beloved pets, no matter how well we care for them, can develop diabetes. This is often a scary situation for the pet owner and the first question that is usually asked of the veterinarian is -will my pet need to be put to sleep- Of course this is a difficult issue and the answer may vary on the overall age and health of your pet. Many older pets that are diagnosed with diabetes go on to live many more happy years, but this takes commitment and close care of your pet. Diabetic cats and dogs can live just as long as perfectly healthy pet if the diabetes is diagnosed and treated properly by both the veterinarian and the owner. This takes great commitment from the owner. Pets must be cared for and watched daily with a high level of care and patience. There can be no feeding the cat and forgetting until the next day. There is no leaving the pet along to go on a trip. Every day your pet will … [Read more...]

Diabetes Mellitus is also simply known as diabetes. It is the disease characterized by a malfunctioning metabolism and a high blood sugar level. The result can be low levels of insulin or abnormal insulin resistance. This mixed with inadequate levels of insulin secretion results in diabetes. Symptoms of diabetes mellitus include increased urine production, excessive thirst, extreme fatigue, and excessive thirst and weight loss. These symptoms though may not be present in those people with only mildly elevated sugar levels. Diabetes mellitus includes type 1, type 2 and gestational diabetes, which occur only during pregnancy. Each type has a different cause and different severity of symptoms. But all forms of diabetes are dangerous if not treated. With proper management though, people with diabetes can live a long, healthy, normal life. The main cause of type 1 diabetes mellitus is the loss of insulin producing cells in the pancreas. This ultimately leads … [Read more...]

Diabetes in children is also known as juvenile diabetes, but more commonly known as type 1 diabetes. It is the most common form of diabetes in children with ninety to ninety-five percent of carriers being under 16. Juvenile diabetes is caused by the inability of the pancreas to produce insulin. It is an autoimmune disease, which means the bodies own defense system attacks the body’s tissues or organs. In the last 30 years the number of juvenile diabetes had increased three times over and in Europe and the US we are now seeing type 2 diabetes in children for the first time. Obesity easily explains type 2, but not why there is such a rise in type 1 diabetes in children. It is believed that a mixture of genetics and environmental factors are what triggers juvenile diabetes. But the majority of children don’t have a family history of diabetes. The symptoms for juvenile diabetes are the same as in adults. Thirst, weight loss, fatigue, frequent urination … [Read more...]

With obesity levels being at an all time high, the epidemic of type 2 diabetes is growing at an alarming rate, and will only get worse. Between 2001 and 2002, the diagnosis of diabetes went from 5.5 percent of Americans to an alarming 6.5 percent. In just one year! Overall, twelve million Americans have been diagnosed and another 5 million Americans have diabetes and don’t know it. And yet another 12 millions are on their way to type 2 diabetes because of impaired glucose levels. Not knowing is the worst because risks of untreated diabetes puts us at a terrible risk of complications including but not limited to blindness, amputations and ultimately death. The stickler is, that type 2 diabetes is almost completely preventable. Doctor’s say eat less, eat better and exercise. The numbers show just how many Americans are currently overweight. Statistically, people are now living longer, and it has been on the rise for years. But this will not continue … [Read more...]