Friday, January 16, 2009
Insulin Education
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Saturday, January 3, 2009
Diabetes Symptoms, Causes & Types
Diabetes affects the manner in which the body handles carbohydrates, fats and proteins. If neglected, diabetes can have serious complications. The diabetic people have high blood sugar level. The blood sugar level is regulated by insulin - a hormone produced by the pancreas, which depends on your eating habits.
The symptoms of diabetes included excessive urination, excessive thirst and hunger, sudden weight loss, blurred vision, delay in healing of wounds, dry and itchy skin, repeated infections, fatigue and headache. These diabetes symptoms may be due to other reasons also.
There are two different types of diabetes.
Type I Diabetes (juvenile diabetes or insulin-dependent diabetes): The reason for type I diabetes is due to pancreas unability to produce insulin.
Type II Diabetes (non insulin dependent diabetes or adult onset diabetes): This diabetes is a result of body tissues becoming resistant to insulin. It is usually hereditary.
If neglected, diabetes can lead to various complications such as damage to the kidneys, heart disease, nerve damage, hypoglycemia (drastic reduction in glucose levels). Diabetes is a serious disease and there is no treatment of it. However, it can be brought under control by proper diabetes diet plan. Fortunately, with a healthy lifestyle and with diet management you can lead a healthy life.
Copyright 2005 P. Mehta http://www.fatfreekitchen.com
What is Diabetes? Treat it Now!
What is diabetes? Is there more than 1 type?
Diabetes mellitus (aka Diabetes) is characterized by high levels of blood sugar caused by the levels of insulin. When it becomes too low, diabetes forms. There are three types of diabetes: type 1, type 2 and gestational diabetes.
Type 1:
Insulin, which our body requires to control the levels of sugar in our blood, is created by the beta cells in the pancreas, or, more specifically, in the Islets of Langerhans, which is a part of the pancreas. In Type 1 diabetes, you will see it in children a lot more than adults.
Cautious watching of the blood sugar levels and replacement of insulin is the treatment for type 1 diabetes. There is no cure for type 1 diabetes, but there are ways to slow down the progression.
Type 2:
Type 2 diabetes is much worse than type 1. This combines resistance to insulin to lack of secretion of insulin. Proper diet and exercise is the best way to treat this disease.
Gestational diabetes
This disease is fairly common and is the sort of diabetes that affects women during pregnancy. This may go away when the baby is born. There are plenty of treatments for this type of diabetes. Finding the right treatment is easy if you spend a few minutes researching. I have been a diabetes suffer for a long time and I finally learned the secrets to treating it. Even though I have diabetes, I live an extremely comfortable life. Don't think diabetes will prevent you from living the type of life you want to live!
Gary Sanders is an expert and answers the question What is diabetes? He has dedicated the last decade of his life to mastering every aspect of diabetes including nutrition, symptoms of diabetes, diagnosis, and prevention. He has created an award winning guide that is available at http://www.diabetessymptomsguide.com/
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Thursday, December 25, 2008
Diabetes Education May Help You to Avoid This Disease
Diabetes Testing Kit
Over the past 15 years, the number of people affected by diabetes has more than doubled. There are over five million people living with diabetes and many aren't even aware of the problem and how it may affect their health. It's becoming vital that Americans educate themselves to know the warning signs and how to prevent the disease.
Diabetes Explained
When the body has difficulty converting sugar and starch into energy, diabetes occurs. There are several different types of diabetes including Type 1, Type 2 and Gestational. A person with diabetes has difficulty either producing or utilizing insulin.
Younger adults or children are usually diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes. Type 1 diabetes doesn't allow the body to produce insulin in the proper quantities needed so insulin must be taken daily. This can be accomplished either by a shot or an insulin pump.
Older adults are typically diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes. Recently, however, there has been a shift to Type 2 diabetes in younger people. This is because more and more younger people do not get the proper exercise and activity needed to promote a healthy body and functions. With this type of illness the body no longer recognizes how to use the insulin produced. Type 2 is the majority of cases diagnosed in the United States.
Gestational diabetes is the final form of diabetes. 4% of pregnant women will get this type of diabetes, however the good news is it usually disappears after the birth of the baby. Diabetes education is important in a situation such as this since gestational diabetes can usually be controlled with proper diet and exercise. Gestational diabetes most often occurs during the last trimester of pregnancy, therefore there isn't a higher risk of birth defects in infants. The main problem is the disease causes the baby to retain excess fat -- resulting in larger babies and an increased chance that a cesarean section will be needed.
Prevention Is The Key
Pregnancy complications are only the beginning. In addition to heart disease and strokes, diabetes is a major cause of adult blindness and kidney failure. If unchecked, diabetes may also result in the removal of lower extremities and foot ulcers. Diabetes education can help to prevent all of these issues.
Type 2 diabetes, the most common form in America, can often be reversed with the simple improvement of diet and exercise. You may even prevent the disease by reducing sugar, candy, soft drinks and fruit juices and replacing them whole grains, vegetables and whole fresh fruits. Of course limiting portion control is also important to be effective. Exercising combined with the reduced sugar diet can increase the chances of preventing or eliminating Type 2 diabetes. So in addition to the likelihood that you'll lose weight, you're increasing your chances of avoiding this disease. This is true for all ethnic groups and both genders. When caught early, and modifications are implemented, people with pre-diabetes can see a large reduction in the progress of the disease.
When You're Diagnosed With Diabetes
If your doctor confirms a diagnosis of diabetes, it's wise to take a class in diabetes education. These courses are usually available through your county health department, local hospital and other health centers. Although there may be a fee involved for taking such a class, your insurance company may pay for a portion of the costs. Your doctor is another source of information and may be able to direct you. Diabetes education can often be obtained simply by talking to friends and relatives that share the disease. Since Type 2 diabetes can be helped with a controlled diet it should become part of the entire household's routine. Everyone should be aware of how their diet can impact their health. Diabetes education is for everyone!
Regardless of the type of diabetes you may encounter, it can change your life and those of your family. Keep in mind, with proper diet and exercise most people can reduce the effects or reverse the symptoms of this disease.
Jon Buschlen is a health advocate who supports Citrus Memorial Health Foundation, a group of health care providers with a hospital and offices serving Citrus County, FL and surrounding areas. The foundation focuses on preventative care, such as diabetes education, as well as all facets of health care.
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Convenient, Affordable Diabetic Testing Supplies
If you have diabetes, you know that lifestyle changes such as eating healthier and getting regular exercise are vital components for treating diabetes. Daily monitoring of glucose levels is also important, requiring the need to order diabetic testing supplies on a regular basis. For diabetics, this reality often is a costly one. Expenditures can run up to hundreds of dollars a month.
But help is available for lowering or even eliminating the cost of purchasing diabetic supplies. Medical supply companies provide assistance with ordering quality diabetic testing supplies such as meters, test strips, and lancets. Depending on the diabetic's insurance coverage, the supplies can be purchased at discount rates or even at no cost. Simple supplies such as needles, batteries, and alcohol swabs are also usually included.
Some diabetic testing supply companies also provide assistance with medical and insurance paperwork, helpful for aging and busy diabetics who have neither the time nor understanding of how to arrange for free diabetic testing supplies. Free home delivery of the supplies is another convenience that may be offered by these companies, relieving the stress of waiting in long lines and paying higher prices at pharmacies.
People with diabetes can research online to find more information about diabetic testing supplies. You may find that a simple phone call to a quality diabetes supply provider can answer all your questions, take your order, and determine if your insurance covers diabetic testing supplies. There are plenty of resources to provide for diabetic testing supplies that you should never have to overpay for them again.
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Wednesday, December 24, 2008
What are the symptoms of diabetes?
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Some symptoms of diabetes include:
- Frequent urination
- Excessive thirst
- Unexplained weight loss
- Extreme hunger
- Sudden vision changes
- Tingling or numbness in hands or feet
- Feeling very tired much of the time
- Very dry skin
- Sores that are slow to heal
- More infections than usual
Nausea, vomiting or stomach pains may accompany some of these symptoms in the abrupt onset of type 1 diabetes.
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Diabetes
Diabetes Testing Kit
What is diabetes?
Diabetes is a complex medical condition that results from either a deficiency of insulin or a decreased ability of the body to use insulin (insulin resistance). Insulin is a hormone that allows glucose to enter cells and be converted to energy. Insulin is also needed to synthesize protein and store fats. In uncontrolled diabetes, glucose and lipids remain in the blood, resulting in hyperglycemia, or high blood sugar. Diabetics are at increased risk for severe health complications affecting vital organs such as the eyes, nerves, kidneys and cardiovascular system.
For example, diabetes is the leading cause of end-stage renal disease, blindness and amputation, and a major cause of cardiovascular disease and premature death in the general population.
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Tuesday, December 23, 2008
What is type 1 diabetes?
Diabetes Testing Kit
Type 1 diabetes is a disease that starts when the pancreas stops making insulin. Insulin lets blood sugar—also called glucose—enter the body's cells to be used for energy. Without insulin, the cells can't get the sugar they need, and too much sugar builds up in the blood.
Diabetes can cause sudden or long-term problems. If the body doesn't have enough insulin and the blood sugar gets very high, a sudden and very serious problem called diabetic ketoacidosis can happen. This can be deadly. Over time, high blood sugar can damage the eyes, heart, blood vessels, nerves, and kidneys.
Type 1 diabetes can occur at any age, but it usually starts in children or young adults. That’s why it used to be called juvenile diabetes.
Type 1 diabetes is different than type 2 diabetes, which is the most common form of the illness. In type 1, the body stops making insulin. In type 2, the body does not make enough insulin, or the body can't use insulin the right way. All people with type 1 diabetes need to take insulin. Some people with type 2 diabetes also need insulin, but most people can use diet, exercise, and medicine in pills to treat that illness.
There isn't a cure for type 1 diabetes. But with treatment, people can live long and healthy lives.
What causes type 1 diabetes?
The body makes insulin in beta cells, which are in a part of the pancreas called the islet (say “EYE-let”) tissue. Type 1 diabetes starts because the body destroys the beta cells. Experts don't know why this happens.
Some people have a greater chance of getting type 1 diabetes, because they have a parent, brother, or sister who has it. But most people with the illness don't have a family history of it.
Other things that increase the risk of getting type 1 diabetes are being white and having islet cell antibodies in the blood.
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Free Diabetic Supplies - How to Get Free Diabetes Testing Supplies Delivered to Your Home
Diabetes Testing Kit
If you have diabetes, you may be able to get free testing supplies delivered to your door. Many diabetes service companies work with health insurance carriers to provide free supplies to patients with diabetes. Contact your health insurance provider to find out if you qualify for free diabetes testing supplies. Medicare Part B covers diabetic testing supplies, but does not cover other diabetic supplies such as insulin. There are other programs available, such as Medigap, Medicaid and prescription assistance programs. If you are low-income and do not have health insurance, you can apply for financial assistance. Contact the American Diabetes Association for more information on insurance providers and programs that cover diabetic supplies.
There are a lot of online companies that will ship supplies to you free of charge. Some of the supplies included are insulin and insulin supplies, diabetic testing meters (aka glucose meter or glucometer) and testing strips, glucose control solutions, and alcohol swabs. While testing meters are not that expensive, the test strips can be. If you can get your test strips free in addition to the glucose meter, you can save a lot of money. These companies usually only offer the free meter and test strips to diabetics with health insurance. You will have to fill out an online form, giving personal information such as your mailing address, health insurance policy and physician information. Make sure the site is secure before sending your personal information over the internet.
Some diabetes supply companies handle all the insurance claims, so you can get your diabetic testing supplies quickly and without hassles. This way you do not have to wait for reimbursement from your insurance provider, and you don’t have to pay any up front costs or co-payments. Make sure that the company you are using offers free shipping. This is a very effective alternative to making trips to the pharmacy. Some companies offer additional services, such as tips for using glucose testing supplies and valuable information regarding exercise, nutrition and menu planning. Using an online diabetic supply service is a good way to get free diabetic testing supplies and information.
For More on free diabetic supplies and for information on other types of free medical supplies, visit the Free Diabetic Supply Center at http://free-diabetic-supplies.net/
