Controlling Your Diabetes

Diabetes was noticed by primordial civilizations and even treated in the Middle Ages; however the specific cause of this disease remains a mystery to modern day science. Also for unknown reasons, rates of diagnosis steadily increased over the last 20 years and the American Diabetes Association now declares diabetes an epidemic.

Adequate care and funding for years was substandard despite the spike in diagnosis - and only recently has the bar been raised to where it is today. Through grassroots efforts, both international and national, the standard of care has been raised.

This has been vital in the life expectancy, quality of life and equal opportunity employment for those affected by the disease. The disease is not to be taken lightly as resulting complications can include but are not limited to heart disease, blindness, nerve damage, kidney damage, and blood vessel damage. A dedication to rigid management and control is the fundamental armor needed for the daily battle against the disease.

Diabetes is a physiological syndrome in which the body does not produce or adequately use insulin; the vital hormone needed to convert sugar, starches and other food into energy. Climbing rates and jumping statistics now lead researchers to believe that genetics is not the only role in a diabetes diagnosis. Obesity, specifically a "Western-diet," may be key players in this potentially debilitating disease.

Whether newly diagnosed or a life long diabetic, it is never too late to begin a diabetic care regimen. As an active participant in their own health care, the patient should work out a detailed health plan stating diet and exercise requirements, as well as consistent intake of pills and insulin. Specifically, managing the body's blood glucose level and keeping it as close to normal as possible helps patients feel better in their day to day life and reduces the risk these long term complications.

Every patient should have a blood glucose meter, using their doctor's guidance in choosing such a tool. This meter gives a blood glucose level at any one time and the number on the monitor should be documented. Keeping a log of these levels is an essential addition to the process; the pattern can potentially shed light on the body's response (or lack of) to treatments. Changes can then be made accordingly and systematically.

Medical management of diabetes, for many, is not as frustrating as the emotional management. Meters and tools spit out numbers, levels and percentages - tangible, comprehensible data that can be adjusted. These numbers however, if not up to par, can trigger feelings of anger, depression, and frustration within the patient. Patients should always keep in mind that numbers and levels should not be used as the mode for judgment. They are simply a way to track patient care plans and do not reflect the person behind the disease.

However, this is always easier said than done. The American Diabetes Association maintains a thorough website loaded with information and should be used as an available tool for gaining knowledge and support. For many diabetics, as well as their loved ones, volunteering in the fight against diabetes is a rewarding way to gain control and find community support. Gaining power over diabetes is not only physically beneficial, but mentally and emotionally stabilizing.

By: Maryann Loprete Edited By: Bruce A. Tucker
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Mary_Ann_Loprete

Care for your health

MELBOURNE scientists claim they are just days from conducting a pioneering therapy that will effectively cure Type-1 diabetes.
They are set to transplant insulin-producing cells from healthy donor tissue into a diabetic - removing the need for daily insulin injections.
Researchers at St Vincent's Institute say the procedure will help the patient produce insulin naturally.
All they are waiting for is the right match between a donor and patient.
Institute director Prof Tom Kay said his team was on standby for the transplant, which could be "tomorrow or in a few weeks, but no longer than that".
The news came as Australia's first dedicated Diabetes Centre for Clinical Research Excellence was launched in Melbourne this week.

The centre will unite some of the state's best medical minds from St Vincent's and the University of Melbourne to tackle the nation's diabetes epidemic.

Prof Kay said Type-1 diabetes was a result of clusters of insulin-producing beta cells in the pancreas (called islets) being destroyed by immune mechanisms.

But the team, with doctors from Sydney's Westmead, devised a way to stop T cells killing beta cells.

The team's approach involves over-expressing the right cells that stop cell death in the body to protect the transplanted beta cells and reduce the need for immunosuppression therapy.

Prof Kay said the transplant would initially work for only hyperglycaemic diabetics (those who have trouble administering insulin), but would soon be available to all Type-1 patients.

"The problem is there is not enough organ or tissue donation to offer this to everyone," he said.
"Patients need anti-rejection drugs for the transplant, so it is a trade-off between taking insulin and powerful anti-rejection drugs."

Prof Kay said that eventually there would be a plentiful supply of tissue through developments in stem cell medicine.

"And there are advances being made in using pig islets instead of human islets," he said.
"And one day there may not be a need for anti-rejection drugs."

Diabetes is a national health priority. More than a million Australians suffer the disease, which is a major cause of kidney disease, blindness, amputations, heart disease and strokes.

By: Suellen Hide (Source: http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,22698312-2862,00.html)

Childeen - Don't let Diabetes become your companion!

"Less than a third of people with diabetes receive all the recommended regular tests, a national audit shows. "

The latest figures from the NHS Information Centre show children and the elderly in England are least likely to get the care they need.

And four in five children with the condition have higher blood glucose levels than recommended, putting them at risk of complications in later life.

But diabetes care is still improving year on year, the report found.

An estimated 2.35 million people in England have diabetes and almost 10% of NHS budget
spent on the condition and its complications.

According to the 2005-06 audit of 656,000 people with diabetes, only 30% are having all of the recommended tests and measurements carried out, although this has increased over the past three years.

However, four in five are now routinely having their blood glucose level checked, up 7% from the previous year.

And there has been a 10% increase in the number of people having foot examinations - which detect signs of nerve damage and problems caused by poor circulation.

However, just over a third of people still have blood glucose levels above what is recommended.

Over a long period of time, this puts them at increased risk of developing diabetic complications, such as blindness and heart and kidney failure.

Children

Diabetes UK said children and young people were faring particularly badly.

The audit shows that 83% of children and young people are not achieving recommended blood glucose levels of 7.5%.

And almost a third have blood glucose levels above 9.5% - a level which, according to NICE, poses a real risk to health and should attract extra resources for care

Dr Jonathan Boyce from the Healthcare Commission said: "It is good to see the number of people with diabetes receiving key measurement tests such as cholesterol levels and blood pressure is increasing and that in certain groups, the positive outcomes of those tests is also increasing.

"However, health services must not become complacent - the number of people receiving key tests still needs to rise."

Douglas Smallwood, chief executive of Diabetes UK, said it was "absolutely disgraceful" that four out of five children and young people are struggling to reach target blood glucose levels.

"Good blood glucose control is the cornerstone of diabetes management, which can help reduce the risk of diabetic complications.

"An overburdened NHS already spends £5 billion of its annual budget on treating long-term diabetic complications."

Dr Sue Roberts, national clinical director for diabetes said: "We will continue to encourage the whole of the diabetes community to engage with the audit, and to use the information it provides to commission services effectively to achieve the best outcomes for people with diabetes."

Insulin pen helps diabetes sufferers

People with diabetes who need to switch from oral medications to insulin could reduce their annual health-care costs by up to $17,000 by using an insulin pen instead of a syringe to deliver their daily doses of medication.

A study conducted by an Ohio State University researcher found that using an insulin pen may result in fewer trips to emergency departments and doctors' offices, resulting in substantial savings to those with diabetes and their insurers.

Rajesh Balkrishnan, a pharmacy professor at Ohio State, and his colleagues studied 1,300 diabetic patients enrolled in a Medicaid program in North Carolina who had failed treatment with oral medications and were placed on insulin injections.

Of the 1,300 patients in the study, 1,162 patients started insulin with a syringe and 168 used either the NovoPen or FlexPen, a pen-like electronic device containing a premeasured dose of medication that the patient injects.

Types of Diabetes

The American Diabetes Association adopted the following classification in 1979.

Type–1, insulin-dependent diabetes

Type-2, non insulin-dependent diabetes

There are two other kinds of diabetes, known as gestational diabetes and secondary diabetes. There is also a special kind of diabetes in India called malnutrition related diabetes.

Type-1 Insulin-Dependant Diabetes

This is the most severe form of diabetes. It develops when pancreas makes little or no insulin. Without insulin in the blood stream, sugar does not get into the cells, and remains in the blood. People with type-1 diabetes depend on injections of insulin to regulate their smaller metabolism.

Type-2 Non Insulin Dependent Diabetes

This type of diabetes is also known as adult onset diabetes. It seldom develops before the age of 40 years, although it may occur at any stage. Infect the incidence of type-2 diabetes in adolescents in on the rise. But because the symptoms are milk, these may not notice and the condition remains undetected for a long period and till later years.

One common factor in both type-1 and type-2 diabetes is elevated blood sugar levels. However, unlike type-1 diabetes, type-2 is not a disease of the immune system. While people with type-1 diabetes must use insulin to live, most of those with type-2 diabetes are able to control the disease and even reverse it. This is possible by a combination of appropriate diet, proper weight control and adequate exercise.

Sign of Diabetes Symptom

In a health conscious world it is easier to spot symptoms of diabetes in the early stages, which is known as pre-diabetes. Discovering and taking notice of early diabetic signs gives you a fighting chance of preventing diabetes altogether. Look out for these 8 pre-diabetes symptoms...

If you have two or more of these pre-diabetes symptoms you should seriously consider getting yourself checked out:

1) If you find you are excessively thirsty, not just after extreme exercise or hot weather.

2) You seem to constantly have a dry mouth - even if you've just had a drink.

3) You find you are having to urinate frequently.

4) You have unexpected weight loss (even though you may be constantly hungry and eating well. Of course you may be eating the wrong things which would probably make your pre-diabetes symptom worse).

5) You feel lethargic; as if you've got no energy; weak and tired all the time.

6) Sometimes your vision is blurry - be careful, untreated eye problems caused through diabetes can lead to blindness.

7) You have cuts or sores (especially on your feet) that are slow to heal.

8) Excessive itching or soreness in the genital area or yeast infections (which can be misdiagnosed as thrush).

If you are aged over 45 and are overweight it would be advisable to have a diabetes check.