Saturday, April 30, 2011

Diabetes Continuing Education - Vital in Management of the Disease

Dealing with diabetes is a lifelong commitment that involves major changes in one's lifestyle. The knowledge about this disease is pretty much incomplete, new things come up rather so quickly in the prevention and treatment of diabetes. It is therefore highly important for a diabetic or people who live with diabetics to undergo diabetes continuing education to be informed and be aware of the dynamics of this serious illness.

Thanks to the worldwide campaign regarding diabetes, awareness of the disease has increased immensely over the past few years. Unfortunately, there is still no established cure for diabetes. What people who are afflicted with the condition can do, however, is to manage the disease especially with the great advancements that have been witnessed with the care and treatment of diabetics.

Management of diabetes primarily involves learning how to cope with this disease in daily life not only for the sufferer but for people close to him or her as well. It is a continuing task that greatly affects a lifetime. Therefore diabetics and their families are in great need of being up to date with the latest information.

Where to Get Diabetes Continuing Education
People now are gaining better and better access to information from many sources. However, the most important source of diabetes continuing education is the diabetic's doctor. Normally a diabetes specialist is someone who is certified by the board in endocrinology, diabetes and metabolism. Such specialists are the foremost sources of information about diabetes as they have been trained to zero in on the disease. The diabetes specialist would provide the essential general instructions on how to manage the disease.
Apart from managing the disease itself, a diabetic should also know how to manage specific conditions that may develop because of and together with diabetes.

Diabetes Curable

Diabetes affects over 18 million people, another 15 million may not yet be diagnosed, and that is in the United States alone! Currently diabetes is the 3rd leading cause of death in America. The truth about diabetes is that the body does not produce, or properly use, the insulin necessary for the body to absorb glucose (sugar). The glucose then accumulates in the bloodstream until levels get dangerously high. This condition then leads to diabetes symptoms like: lack of energy, unusual weight gain, restless sleep, blurred vision, and tingling sensations in the affected individual.

Millions have gone to their family doctor with symptoms of diabetes, only to find they are prescribed diabetes medication, told to begin a diabetes diet, and change their lifestyle for the rest of their lives. Suddenly, controlling diabetes becomes their entire life. The great news is; diabetes management can be attained with less diabetes medicine for people diagnosed with type one diabetes and especially, type 2 diabetes. There are certain herbs for diabetes treatment that alleviate many of diabetes symptoms. These herbs are:
Banaba; well known for its ability to lower blood sugar levels and transport glucose in the bloodstream (referred to by some as "botanical insulin").

Bitter Melon; known to improve glucose tolerance and for its regulative abilities (considered the best for diabetes management by the Philippines Dept. of Health).

Friday, April 29, 2011

Diabetes is Not a Disease - It is Only A Disorder

Introduction :

This article is mainly intended to make the reader understand what diabetes is, what causes diabetes, the diagnosis, the signs and symptoms, the types and the treatment to help the reader remove his worst fears about this disorder.

So What is Diabetes?

Diabetes mellitus is a chronic metabolic disorder characterized by the elevated blood sugar level. It occurs when the pancreas does not produce enough insulin, or put in other words, when the body cannot effectively use the insulin it produces.

What Causes Diabetes?

Diabetes is basically a genetic disorder influenced by environmental factors such as obesity, lack of exercises and stress which may trigger the disease in predisposed individuals. Heredity is also one of the main reasons.

Signs and Symptoms :
Diabetes can appear with or without symptoms. The most common symptoms are increase in frequency in urine(poly urea), increase in thirst(polydypsia), giddiness, weakness, delayed wound healing and unexplained weight Loss.

Thursday, April 28, 2011

Diabetes Prevention and Management

Diabetes is a hormone disorder that can cause problems with the kidneys, legs and feet, eyes, heart, nerves, and blood flow.Diabetes can cause many complications. Acute complications (hypoglycemia, ketoacidosis or nonketotic hyperosmolar coma) may occur if the disease is not adequately controlled. Diabetes is on the increase, probably because people are living longer, getting fatter and leading increasingly inactive lifestyles. Diabetes, without qualification, usually refers to diabetes mellitus, but there are several rarer conditions also named diabetes. The most common of these is diabetes insipidus in which the urine is not sweet; it can be caused by either kidney or pituitary gland damage. The term "type 1 diabetes" has universally replaced several former terms, including childhood-onset diabetes, juvenile diabetes, and insulin-dependent diabetes. "Type 2 diabetes" has also replaced several older terms, including adult-onset diabetes, obesity-related diabetes, and non-insulin-dependent diabetes. About 3 to 8 percent of pregnant women in the United States develop gestational diabetes.

Diabetes can also cause heart disease, stroke and even the need to remove a limb. Pregnant women can also get diabetes, called gestational diabetes. Type 1 diabetes mellitus--formerly known as insulin-dependent diabetes (IDDM), childhood diabetes. Type 2 diabetes mellitus--previously known as adult-onset diabetes, maturity-onset diabetes, or non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM). Symptoms of Type 2 diabetes may include fatigue, thirst, weight loss, blurred vision and frequent urination. Some people have no symptoms. A blood test can show if you have diabetes. Exercise, weight control and sticking to your meal plan can help control your diabetes. Most people affected by type 1 diabetes are otherwise healthy and of a healthy weight when onset occurs. Diet and exercise cannot reverse or prevent type 1 diabetes. Gestational diabetes is caused by the hormones of pregnancy or a shortage of insulin. Women with gestational diabetes may not experience any symptoms.