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Diabetes.
 

What is Diabetes.
Diabetes is a disorder that affects the way your body uses food for energy. Normally, the sugar you take in is digested and broken down to a simple sugar, known as glucose. The glucose then circulates in your blood where it waits to enter cells to be used as fuel. Insulin, a hormone produced by the pancreas, helps move the glucose into cells. A healthy pancreas adjusts the amount of insulin based on the level of glucose. But, if you have diabetes, this process breaks down, and blood sugar levels become too high.
Type 1 Diabetes:
A person with Type 1 diabetes can't make any insulin. Type 1 most often occurs before age 30, but may strike at any age. Type 1 can be caused by a genetic disorder. The origins of Type 1 are not fully understood, and there are several theories. But all of the possible causes still have the same end result: The pancreas produces very little or no insulin anymore. Frequent insulin injections are needed for Type 1.
Type 2 Diabetes:
A person with Type 2 diabetes has adequate insulin, but the cells have become resistant to it. Type 2 usually occurs in adults over 35 years old, but can affect anyone, including children. The National Institutes of Health state that 95 percent of all diabetes cases are Type 2. Why? It's a lifestyle disease, triggered by obesity, a lack of exercise, increased age and to some degree, genetic predisposition.
Risk Factors For Type 2 Diabetes:
1. Obesity:
The number one risk factor for type 2 diabetes is obesity. The National Center for Health Statistics states that 30% of adults are obese. That's 60 million people. Greater weight means a higher risk of insulin resistance, because fat interferes with the body's ability to use insulin. According to the same study, the number of overweight kids has tripled since 1980. The number of children being diagnosed with type 2 diabetes has also risen.
2. Sedentary Lifestyle:
The Surgeon General's Report on Physical Activity and Health (USA, 1996) states that "a sedentary lifestyle is damaging to health and bears responsibility for the growing obesity problems." Inactivity and being overweight go hand in hand towards a diagnosis of type 2. Muscle cells have more insulin receptors than fat cells, so a person can decrease insulin resistance by exercising. Being more active also lowers blood sugar levels by helping insulin to be more effective.

3. Unhealthy Eating Habits:
Ninety% of people who have been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes are overweight. Unhealthy eating contributes largely to obesity. Too much fat, not enough fiber, and too many simple carbohydrates all contribute to a diagnosis of diabetes. Eating right is can turn the diagnosis around and reverse or prevent Type 2.
4. Family History and Genetics:
It appears that people who have family members who have been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes are at a greater risk for developing it themselves. African Americans, Hispanic-Americans and Native Americans all have a higher than normal rate of type 2 diabetes. Having a genetic disposition towards type 2 is not a guarantee of a diagnosis however. Lifestyle plays an important part in determining who gets diabetes.

5. Increased Age:
It's a sad but true fact. The older we get, the greater our risk of type 2 diabetes. Even if an elderly person is thin, they still may be predisposed to getting diabetes. Scientists theorize that the pancreas ages right along with us, and doesn't pump insulin as efficiently as it did when we were younger. Also, as our cells age, they become more resistant to insulin as well.
6. High Blood Pressure and High Cholesterol:
These two bad boys are the hallmark risk factors for many diseases and conditions, including type 2 diabetes. Not only do they damage your heart vessels but they are two key components in metabolic syndrome, a cluster of symptoms including obesity, a high fat diet, and lack of exercise. Having metabolic syndrome increases your risk of heart disease, stroke, and diabetes.
                        Signs and Symptoms of Diabetes:
The common  sign and symptoms of diabetes are,
1. Frequent trips to the bathroom:
Are you visiting the bathroom much more lately? Does it seem like you urinate all day long? Urination becomes more frequent when there is too much glucose in the blood. If insulin is nonexistent or ineffective, the kidneys can't filter glucose back to the blood. They become overwhelmed and try to draw extra water out of the blood to dilute the glucose. This keeps your bladder full and it keeps you running to the bathroom.
Unquenchable Thirst:
If it feels like you can't get enough water and you're drinking much more than usual, it could be a sign of diabetes, especially if it seems to go hand in hand with frequent urination. If your body is pulling extra water out of your blood and you're running to the bathroom more, you will become dehydrated and feel the need to drink more to replace the water that you are losing.
Losing Weight Without Trying:
This symptom is more noticeable with Type 1 diabetes. In Type 1, the pancreas stops making insulin, possibly due to a viral attack on pancreas cells or because an autoimmune response makes the body attack the insulin producing cells. The body desperately looks for an energy source because the cells aren't getting glucose. It starts to break down muscle tissue and fat for energy. Type 2 happens gradually with increasing insulin resistance so weight loss is not as noticeable.
Weakness and Fatigue:
It's that bad boy glucose again. Glucose from the food we eat travels into the bloodstream where insulin is supposed to help it transition into the cells of our body. The cells use it to produce the energy we need to live. When the insulin isn't there or if the cells don't react to it anymore, then the glucose stays outside the cells in the bloodstream. The cells become energy starved and you feel tired and run down.
Tingling or Numbness in Your Hands, Legs or Feet:
This symptom is called neuropathy. It occurs gradually over time as consistently high glucose in the blood damages the nervous system, particularly in the extremities. Type 2 diabetes is a gradual onset, and people are often not aware that they have it. Therefore, blood sugar might have been high for more than a few years before a diagnosis is made. Nerve damage can creep up without our knowledge. Neuropathy can very often improve when tighter blood glucose control is achieved.
After a Diabetes Diagnosis:
Having diabetes is like being in charge of an octopus. There isn't just one cut and dried way of coping with the disease because of all of its different parts. At first, it might seem like an overwhelming amount of information is thrown at you. There are medications, food plans, and schedules.
It Doesn't Change Who You Are:
First of all, take a deep breath. Realize you are still you, and that over time, diabetes will become only one facet of your life, and everything will eventually fit into your lifestyle. It is possible to get a handle on diabetes and live a long and healthy life.
Know Your Blood Glucose Levels:
Check your blood sugar several times a day. First thing in the morning, before meals, after meals and before bed. Also anytime when you feel like your blood sugar may not be "right".
● Keep records of all your blood glucose numbers and what time you checked them.
● Keep a food diary of what you eat, how much you eat and when you eat.
Records are good to keep because they tell you and your doctor a lot about how you're doing, and whether the medications or insulin schedule are at the best dose for you.
Take Your Medicine:
It's important to take your medications as prescribed, even if you're feeling better. They keep your blood sugar levels in a good range, so you can reduce the risk of long-term complications like nerve damage, blindness or kidney failure.
Plan Your Meals:
● What to eat: a good balance of carbohydrates, proteins and fats. The ADA has an exchange list that might be helpful for determining what proportions of carbs, proteins and fats you need.
● When to eat: Try to eat at the same times everyday. This helps blood sugar levels remain constant.
● How much to eat: Use portion control to get a balance of the nutrients that you need.
Get Your Exercise:
Find an exercise that you like to do that fits into your life.
● Exercise helps with weight loss.
● Exercise can increase the effectiveness of insulin receptors in Type 2 diabetes.
● Exercise can lower immediate blood sugar in both Type 1 and Type 2.
● Exercise can improve your mood.
                              Treatments for Diabetes:
Treatments for Type 1 Diabetes:
Insulin Action Reference Chart:
There are many types of insulin, and they are not all created equal. Each kind has its own unique action, and they are not interchangeable. Which insulin is right for you? The chart below will help you understand how the various insulin medications work and why your doctor has prescribed them for you.
There are three characteristics that define types of insulin.
● Onset: How long it takes for the insulin to start lowering blood glucose.
● Peak Time: Time after injection when the insulin is the most effective at lowering blood glucose.
● Duration: How long the insulin keeps lowering blood glucose.
Insulin is prescribed by matching the characteristics of a particular insulin with the individual needs of the patient. Some people are on only one kind of insulin, while others take a combination of insulin medication to customize good glucose control.
There are four main types of insulin available.
● Rapid acting
● Regular
● Intermediate acting
● Long acting
There are also pre-mixed insulins. These combine intermediate acting insulins with regular insulin and are convenient for people who need to use both.
Insulin Types and Actions:

                       Oral Medication For type 2 Diabetes:
Main Categories of Oral Medications:
1. Sulfonylureas:
These medications are the oldest of the oral meds. Tolinase (tolazamide) has been around since the 1950's. It's still prescribed today.
2. Biguanides:
These drugs work by affecting the production of glucose that comes from digestion. They don't cause hypoglycemia and even help with weight loss and lower cholesterol numbers.
3. Alpha-Glucosidase Inhibitors:
Glyset (miglitol) and Precose (acarbose) are the two most prescribed alpha-glucosidase inhibitors (aka "starch blockers") They work differently than the other medications reviewed so far. These medications need to be taken at the beginning of each meal so that they can work to slow digestion, which in turn slows the rise of glucose in the blood.
4. Thiazolidinediones :
These drugs work by sensitizing muscle and fat cells to accept insulin more readily. Actos (pioglitazone) and Avandia (rosiglitazone) are the only two thiazolidinediones marketed today.
5. Meglitinides:
This class of drugs is similar to the alpha-glucosidase inhibitors in that they are taken before each meal. But these drugs stimulate the pancreas to produce more insulin in relationship to how much glucose is in the blood.