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Tuesday, February 24, 2015

Type 2 Diabetes - Blood Sugar and Diabetes Mellitus

Type 2 Diabetes - Blood Sugar and Diabetes Mellitus

There are two types of diabetes mellitus (or diabetes), Type 1 and Type 2. The latter is characterized by insulin resistance and is much more common. Type 2 diabetes accounts for approximately 90% of all cases. Both forms of this disease include a dysfunction in the carbohydrate management systems in the body, which can be diagnosed by chronically high levels of blood sugar.

What is blood sugar? You are likely familiar with the fact our bodies rely on sugar for energy. A form of carbohydrate that is ingested through food, our body cells and tissues use glucose as a preferential energy source. Specialized enzymes initiate the breakdown of carbohydrates in our mouth and continues the process throughout our digestive tract. Different forms of sugars, such as glucose and fructose, are taken up by our body and transported to different tissues and organs for further use.

Glucose can either be used immediately as energy for cells, or stored as glycogen for use in the future. It is stored in large amounts in skeletal muscle and in the liver in smaller volumes. As food is digested and the nutrients absorbed, the levels of glucose in your body increase. As a result, the hormone insulin is secreted by the pancreas in an attempt to control the glucose level and return it to basal levels. Insulin acts as a glucose transport activator on your cell membranes to take the circulating glucose into your cells for use or storage.

In the case of Type 2 diabetes, insulin resistance causes increased difficulty in activating the glucose transport. Consequently, blood sugar levels will remain elevated for a long period of time, and insulin production and secretion will remain constant. This is the main reason why Type 2 diabetes is associated with obesity. Insulin promotes fat storage, and high levels of secretion and elevated levels in the body overtime will lead to increased adiposity. There are several ways to control blood sugar in your body...

eating a more balanced diet prioritizing complex carbohydrates over simple forms will ensure lower blood sugar levels after meals - and smaller insulin spikes in your blood. Additionally,
exercise is perhaps the most efficient manner of improving blood sugar control. Exercise is an independent activator of glucose transport in your body and will also function to lower insulin resistance.
An important take away point from the concept of blood sugar is that high levels are not always harmful. It's actually normal to have high blood sugar levels during exercise - and ideal after a post-workout meal to promote muscular recovery. Rather, chronically high levels of blood sugar that occurs with having Type 2 diabetes, has the potential to be harmful and lead to further complications, when left untreated.

Although managing your disease can be very challenging, Type 2 diabetes is not a condition you must just live with. You can make simple changes to your daily routine and lower both your weight and your blood sugar levels. Hang in there, the longer you do it, the easier it gets.



Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/8811997

Sunday, February 1, 2015

What is Diabetes?

Overview

Diabetes is a long-term condition where blood glucose levels (sugar levels) become too high because the body either produces little or no insulin, or cannot use insulin properly.
The main symptoms are:
  • feeling very thirsty
  • urinating frequently, particularly at night
  • feeling very tired
  • weight loss and loss of muscle bulk.
The amount of sugar in the blood is usually controlled by a hormone called ‘insulin’ which is produced by the pancreas (a gland behind the stomach).
In type 1 diabetes, the body’s immune system attacks and destroys the cells that produce insulin, and usually develops before the age of 40. It is less common than type 2 diabetes.
Type 2 diabetes is where the body does not produce enough insulin, or the body’s cells do not react to insulin. It is often associated with obesity and is more common in older people.
During pregnancy, some women ha
ve such high levels of blood glucose their body is unable to produce enough insulin to absorb it all. This is known as ‘gestational diabetes’.
Diabetes Australia provides more information on diabetes on their website www.diabetesaustralia.com.au, or by calling their information line on 1300 136 588.
Sources: Diabetes Australia (homepage), NHS Choices, UK (Diabetes)

Just diagnosed

Diabetes doesn’t have to stop you from leading the life you want, nor does it mean you’ll have other serious health problems in the future.
With careful management you can ensure you control the condition and it doesn’t control you. You can stay healthy, active and live a full life.
If you are diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, you will need insulin injections for the rest of your life. You will also need to pay special attention to certain aspects of your lifestyle and health to ensure your blood glucose levels stay balanced - for example, by eating a healthy diet and carrying out regular blood tests.
If you are diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, you may be able to control your symptoms simply by eating a healthy diet and monitoring your blood glucose level. However, as type 2 diabetes is a progressive condition, you may eventually need medication, usually in the form of tablets.
Source: NHS Choices, UK (Diabetes)

Living with

Learning to manage your diabetes takes time, patience and effort. You may also be coping with difficult emotions after diagnosis, such as anger, confusion or depression.
In order to stay well, it’s important to monitor your blood glucose (sugar) level regularly, and to understand how it is affected by food and exercise. You may also need diabetes medication or insulin to inject to help you keep your blood glucose level stable.
It’s also important to take other steps to help manage the condition and lower your risk of further health problems. This is because both type 1 and type 2 diabetes put you at increased risk of physical problems or conditions such as heart disease and stroke, blindness, nerve damage, foot ulcers, kidney damage, muscle-wasting and damage to ligaments and joints.
On the bright side, there’s a lot you can do to minimise your risk of these problems:
  • Maintain a healthy weight.
  • Eat a healthy, balanced diet that’s low in fat, salt and sugar.
  • Don’t smoke.
  • Get active for 30 minutes a day, five times a week.
  • Check your feet every day. The nerve damage that can occur in diabetes most commonly affects feet.
  • Keep your appointments and regular check-ups with your diabetes care team.
Source: NHS Choices, UK (Diabetes, Healthy living with diabetes)

Facts & figures

  • Around 898,000 Australians (4% of the population) had diabetes in 2007-08. This rate had risen from 1.5% in 1989.
  • About 10% of all people with diabetes have type 1 diabetes, and close to 90% have type 2 diabetes.
  • The prevalence of diabetes increases with age.
  • 222,544 people began using insulin to treat their diabetes (2000-09).
  • One in 20 pregnancies are affected by diabetes (44,000 women between 2005 and 2007).
  • Three to one is the proportion of people with diabetes in the Indigenous population compared to the proportion of people with diabetes in the non-Indigenous population.
  • Over half of adults are overweight or obese, which puts them at greater risk for diabetes.
  • Three in five people with diabetes also have cardiovascular disease.
  • $990 million was spent on treating diabetes in 2004–05, which was 1.9% of all health expenditure.
Source: Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (Diabetes, How common is diabetes?)

Sunday, November 30, 2014

10 Diabetes Myths



We correct common misunderstandings about the disease


Is it really true that eating sugar causes diabetes? And who says you can't eat sugar if you already have the disease? Read on to see those and other myths debunked.
1. Myth: You have to be overweight to develop diabetes; thin people don't get the disease.


Fact: There's no doubt that obesity is a major contributor to type 2 diabetes. Genetics also plays a role. But blood sugar can creep up with age, even in skinny people. Our experts recommend that people ages 45 and older have their blood sugar checked every three years. Start earlier if you are overweight and experience symptoms. It's also a good idea if you have one or more additional risk factors, including being sedentary; being of non-Caucasian ancestry; having a family history of diabetes or a personal history of gestational diabetes, heart disease, or polycystic ovary syndrome; or having high blood pressure, cholesterol, or triglyceride levels.


2. Myth: You can get diabetes from eating too much sugar.

Fact: While continually overdosing on sweets can help trigger diabetes in someone with prediabetes or another predisposition, it is not a direct cause of it (although the sweet stuff can make you pack on pounds, a major risk factor). People with type 2 diabetes gradually develop resistance to insulin, the hormone responsible for helping to convert blood sugar into energy, and diabetes develops when the pancreas can no longer keep up with the increased demand. In the less common type 1 form, the body's immune system attacks insulin-producing cells in the pancreas.


3. Myth: You'll know if your blood sugar is too high because you'll develop telltale symptoms.

Fact: Not necessarily. Slightly elevated blood sugar usually doesn't trigger symptoms. And even in people with moderately elevated blood sugar, the symptoms may be so mild at first that they are easily overlooked. With high blood sugar levels, some of the more common symptoms include fatigue, increased hunger or thirst, weight loss, sores that don't heal, and more frequent urination, especially at night.


4. Myth: People with diabetes have to follow a special diet.

Fact: A healthy diet for a person with diabetes is typically identical to a healthy diet for anyone else. It should include a variety of fruits and vegetables, whole grains, lean protein, low-fat dairy products, and moderate amounts of healthier fats such as those found in olive and canola oil. And yes, people with diabetes can still enjoy sweets as long as they work them into their meal plan carefully.


5. Myth: People with diabetes should limit their physical activity.

Fact: Quite the opposite. Exercise not only helps control blood sugar but also weight and blood pressure, and will improve cholesterol levels. Physical activity also reduces the risk of common diabetes complications, such as heart disease and nerve damage.

But workouts can sometimes lower blood sugar too much, causing hypoglycemia, especially in people who take insulin or certain long-acting oral medications. To help prevent it, don't work out on an empty stomach, stay hydrated, and talk with your doctor about checking your blood sugar before and after exercise. It's also a good idea to have a snack on hand to bring your blood sugar back up if you start to feel shaky, weak, or light-headed.


6. Myth: Everyone with diabetes needs insulin injections to control the disease.
Fact: People with type 1 disease typically need daily insulin injections because their body produces little or none of the hormone. But many people with type 2 disease can take pills to help keep their blood sugar in check.


7. Myth: Everyone with diabetes should routinely monitor blood sugar at home.

Fact: Not necessarily. People who don't use insulin and who have good control of their blood sugar may need to check it at home only occasionally, if at all. (Of course, they should still have it checked at regular doctor visits.) But those who use insulin need to keep close tabs on blood sugar so they can adjust their doses if necessary and guard against dangerous drops in blood sugar levels. In addition, those who are newly diagnosed may want to monitor blood sugar patterns more closely at first to see how they fluctuate with meals, exercise, stress, and medications.


8. Myth: Type 1 diabetes is a more serious disease than the type 2 form.

Fact: Left uncontrolled, both types of diabetes can lead to serious complications, including heart disease, stroke, blindness, kidney disease, nerve damage, gum infections, and amputation.


9. Myth: Most people with diabetes will eventually need kidney dialysis or have other disabling complications.

Fact: With regular checkups and good blood sugar control, serious complications occur less frequently.


10. Myth: Once you have type 2 diabetes you have it for the rest of your life.

Fact: Most of the people who took our nationally representative survey of 1,000 adults echoed this gloomy view. In truth, while type 1 diabetes is currently not curable, the type 2 form of the disease, which is far more common and often rooted in lifestyle factors such as inactivity and obesity, can usually be improved by adopting healthier habits.

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