INFORMATION
THE INFORMATION PROVIDED HERE IS FOR
GENERAL EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY AND SHOULD NOT BE CONSIDERED OR USED AS MEDICAL ADVICE.
Things you need to know that you might not think about
Not every diabetic needs insulin
therapy, but every diabetic can benefit from proper nutrition and excercise. Many products
advertised as being designed for diabetics can actuallly harm you. Know what you are
eating. Just because it is sugar-free or says it is for diabetics does not necessarily
mean you should eat it. Educate yourself about your food. Read our section on sweetners to find out
which ones have been proven to be harmful. Get The Diabetes Improvement Program and incorporate the super
foods you learn about into your lifestyle. Your tastebuds (and your blood sugar levels)
will thank you for it!
Insulin--What is it
and what does it do?
In short, insulin is a hormone produced
by the body in the pancreas by special cells called beta cells. Insulin gives the signal
to the body to absorb and use glucose, which is sugar in the bloodstream. It works with
another hormone from the pancreas called glucagon. These together regulate the amount of
glucose (sugar) in the blood. The process is as follows:
A healthy person:
Food is eaten and digested. After the
carbohydrates in the food have been converted by the body into glucose, the amount of
glucose in the bloodstream increases. This is commonly referred to as the blood sugar
level.
Beta cells in the pancreas respond to
this rise in blood sugar level by producing insulin, which enters the bloodstream and
moves throughout the body.
There are special molecules on the
cells in the body called insulin receptors. The insulin binds to these, and this allows
the cells to absorb glucose.
The cells now break down the glucose.
At this point, two things occur: the energy released by this process is used as fuel, and
the remainder of the glucose is converted and stored as fat in the cells.
Devises for
taking insulin--NIDDK, US Gov't.
"Today, most people who take insulin to manage diabetes inject the insulin with a
needle and syringe that delivers insulin just under the skin. Several other devices for
taking insulin are available, and new approaches are under development."
Types of Diabetes
Type
I Diabetes
A form of diabetes mellitus. This type
of diabetes is also called juvenile onset or insulin dependent diabetes. In Type I
Diabetes, the body does not produce enough insulin because insulin producing beta cells in
the pancreas are destroyed. With little or no insulin, the body is unable to regulate
blood sugar levels. Those who have Type I Diabetes must take daily injections of insulin
to survive. It can occur at any age, but begins most often in children or young adults.
The risk of developing Type I Diabetes is higher than almost all other severe chronic
childhood diseases. The peak years of incidence occur during puberty (girls 10-12, boys
12-14). The symptoms can mimic the flu in children. For more information, see the symptoms or risk factors.
Type II Diabetes
A form of diabetes mellitus. This type
of diabetes is also called adult onset or non-insulin dependent diabetes. In Type II
Diabetes, the body produces insulin, but it is either not enough or the body's cells have
become insulin resistant. In other words, the body does not use the insulin that is being
produced. It can come on so gradually that it may not even be noticed. Many people with
Type II Diabetes do not have any symptoms of the disease. Some, but not all Type II
Diabetics have to take insulin to regulate their blood glucose levels, while others are
able to use exercise and diet, or a combination of these and oral medications. This type
has historically been most often seen after the age of 40, but it can occur at any age. In
fact, the occurrence of Type II diabetes is now being seen at younger and younger
ages, and according to the CDC is even being diagnosed in children and teens.
Gestational
Diabetes
Gestational diabetes is a temporary
form of Type II diabetes that some women experience during pregnancy. It is essentially
high blood sugar. (Diabetes Mellitus) Hormone changes that occur during pregnancy adversly
affect insulin's ability to convert glucose properly, which results in high levels of
glucose in the blood. It occurs in 2 to 5 percent of all pregnancies. The condition
usually ends after childbirth, and the blood glucose levels return to normal. Both the
women who suffer from this and the children they carry have a greater risk of developing
diabetes later in life. Approximately 40 percent of those women who develop gestational
diabetes who were also obese before they were pregnant develop Type 2 diabetes in less
than 4 years
Other
Types of Diabetes
Less common forms of diabetes result
from "genetic syndromes, surgery, drugs, malnutrition, infections, and other
illnesses," according to the CDC.
One form is diabetes insipidus. This
form of diabetes does not involve insulin at all. For information and support groups on
this type of diabetes, see this newsgroup
archive or the Diabetes Insipidus Foundation, Inc.
website.
Syndrome
X
Syndrome X is a set of conditions which
may be a risk factor for developing diabetes. This
website has more information.
Managing Diabetes
Currently, diabetes cannot be cures,
but it definitely can be controlled, and the symptoms treated, and some even reversed.
These are the goals for management of diabetes:
- Keep blood glucose levels as near normal as possible
(through nutrition, exercise, and if necessary, medication.)
- Control blood pressure (ideal is at or under 130/85)
- Slow down, and where possible prevent completely the
development of health problems and complications related to diabetes (neuropathy, vision
changes, inability for cuts, etc. to heal normally)
- Maintain blood cholesterol and triglyceride levels at
or as near normal as possible through nutrition
You are the one who can manage and control your
diabetes. You have more control on an every day basis than your health care practicioner
does during a checkup. No one else knows what you do when you are by yourself, and no one
else can make you do what you should. Use this list as a guideline, and use a program like
The Diabetes
Improvement Program to help you.
- Exercise regularly
- Follow a balanced meal plan (one is provided if you
are using The
Diabetes Improvement Program)
- Monitor your blood glucose levels
- Monitor your blood pressure levels
- Take your diabetes medication as prescribed, and
follow any additional guidelines
- Keep all appointments with your health care provider
(including any tests)
Complications of Diabetes
Heart disease
- Heart disease is the leading cause of
diabetes-related deaths. Adults with diabetes have heart disease death rates about 2 to 4
times as high as that of adults without diabetes.
Stroke
- The risk of stroke is 2 to 4 times higher in people
with diabetes.
High blood pressure
- An estimated 60% to 65% of people with diabetes have
high blood pressure.
Blindness
- Diabetes is the leading cause of new cases of
blindness in adults 20 to 74 years old.
- Diabetic retinopathy causes from 12,000 to 24,000 new
cases of blindness each year.
Kidney disease
- Diabetes is the leading cause of end-stage renal
disease, accounting for about 40% of new cases.
- 27,851 people with diabetes developed end-stage renal
disease in 1995.
- In 1995, a total of 98,872 people with diabetes
underwent dialysis or kidney transplantation.
Nervous system disease
- About 60% to 70% of people with diabetes have mild to
severe forms of nervous system damage (which often includes impaired sensation or pain in
the feet or hands, slowed digestion of food in the stomach, carpal tunnel syndrome, and
other nerve problems).
- Severe forms of diabetic nerve disease are a major
contributing cause of lower extremity amputations.
Amputations
- More than half of lower limb amputations in the
United States occur among people with diabetes.
- From 1993 to 1995, about 67,000 amputations were
performed each year among people with diabetes.
Dental disease
- Periodontal disease (a type of gum disease that can
lead to tooth loss) occurs with greater frequency and severity among people with diabetes.
Periodontal disease has been reported to occur among 30% of people aged 19 years or older
with type 1 diabetes.
Complications of pregnancy
- The rate of major congenital malformations in babies
born to women with preexisting diabetes varies from 0% to 5% among women who receive
preconception care to 10% among women who do not receive preconception care.
- Between 3% to 5% of pregnancies among women with
diabetes result in death of the newborn; the rate for women who do not have diabetes is
1.5%.
Other complications
- Diabetes can directly cause acute life-threatening
events, such as diabetic ketoacidosis* and hyperosmolar nonketotic coma.*
- People with diabetes are more susceptible to many
other illnesses. For example, they are more likely to die of pneumonia or influenza than
people who do not have diabetes.
* Diabetic ketoacidosis and hyperosmolar
nonketotic coma are medical conditions that can result from biochemical imbalance in
uncontrolled diabetes.
What
you can do if you have Diabetes
Although diabetes is a serious
condition, it can be controlled, and sometimes reversed. Learn all you can and talk things
over with your health care professional.
1. Read all the
information on this website including our Diabetes Symptoms Page and Main Diabetes Page
2. Get The Diabetes Improvement Program
and follow it!
3. Change your
diet--check out these Diabetes
Cookbooks
4. Continue researching
your condition on our Diabetes
Links page
The information on this site is
intended to help you talk to your doctor in an informed manner. It is not intended to
replace any medical advice you receive. |
