Archive for the ‘It’s Complicated’ Category

Things you did not know about Diabetes

November 14, 2012 by · Leave a Comment
Filed under: Diabetes - Did You Know?, It's Complicated, Living with Diabetes 

For most people diabetes takes a stronghold in their minds as the condition that forbids them from ever having sweets. While that is partly true in most cases, there’s a lot more to diabetes than the inability to munch on your favorite foods. In fact, there’s a lot about this disease that people don’t really know about.

Diabetes is a chronic disease that is typified by having higher than normal amounts of blood sugar levels. This happens for one of two reasons – either the pancreas is unable to produce enough insulin to metabolize the sugar or the body fails to use the insulin that is being produced.

Diabetes can be broadly classified into two main categories:

Type 1, which usually develops early on in life (childhood or adolescence) and requires patients to survive on insulin injections as part of their treatment. The symptoms of this condition are frequent urination, continual thirst, extreme fatigue, weight loss, and severe hunger pangs. Owing to the ambiguous nature of these symptoms, type 1 diabetes usually goes unnoticed for a very long time.

Type 2 is more common among adults and is usually caused by an unhealthy lifestyle, obesity, lack of exercise, and poor diet. 90% of all diabetes cases fall under this category and treatment for this condition combines insulin injections, lifestyle changes, weight loss, and oral medication such as generic Actos 45mg.

Whether it is type 1 or type 2, people with diabetes are more susceptible towards long-term complications, such as heart disease, eye problems, strokes, foot problems, and kidney disease. For this reason, it is imperative that those suffering from diabetes keep a vigilant eye on their blood glucose, blood pressure, and cholesterol levels.

According to a report published by the World Health Organization, diabetes is becoming one of the most common afflictions of modern times. In fact, it would not be stretching the truth to say that the world is standing on the brink of a widespread epidemic of diabetes, especially the kind that is caused by physical inactivity and obesity.

In 2005, more than 1 million people died of death. However, this figure is misleading for the simple reason that while people live with diabetes their whole life, their deaths are often recorded as kidney failure or heart attack. As you can imagine, if those fatalities are also taken into account, the actual picture is a lot grimmer. Even more disturbing is the prediction that deaths caused by diabetes are only projected to go up by more than 50% over the next decade or so. In upper-middle income countries, this percentage is as high as 80%.

A yet another new (and worrying) trend has been noticed recently. Type 2 diabetes – a condition that was more prevalent among adults – is being reported among children and adolescents as well. A rare phenomenon by all accounts, it accounts for more than 50% of the newly diagnosed cases in some countries. This indirectly indicates towards an increasingly unhealthy lifestyle and obesity among our younger members of the population.

Even as health bodies and governments across the world are looking for a solution to this problem, there is no denying that the key lies in educating and spreading awareness about this condition. That, and a healthier lifestyle, could free us from the complications associated with type 2 diabetes at least.

10 Tips for Diabetic Foot Care in the Summer

June 8, 2012 by · Leave a Comment
Filed under: Diabetes Foot Care 

Pool feet

Taking good care of your feet is very important for people with diabetes. The summer time is particular pleasant time for sun and fun, but also it poses a serious danger for people with diabetes.

It is estimated that approximately one of five people with diabetes has diabetic neuropathy by the American Diabetes Association. Signs and symptoms include loss of sensation, burning, pain, numbness, and tingling of the feet.

Foot care should be taken seriously when you have diabetes. Poor foot care can lead to further complications, including nerve damage, infections, ulcers, impaired circulation, and hospitalization. By taking care of your feet, more severe diabetes problems can be prevented.

Here are the 10 TOP TIPS for foot care:

1. Keep your feet dry and clean
2. Check the condition of your feet ever day
3. Visit a podiatrist regularly
4. Keep your toenails trimmed
5. Apply lotion (or sunscreen) on your feet (not toes) to avoid sunburn
6. Control your blood sugar to prevent foot neuropathy
7. Protect your feet with proper shoes and socks, no flip-flops
8. Never walk barefoot
9. Consider smoking cessation
10. Consider aerobic exercises or walking at least 15 minutes in daily life

Several mediations from Canadian online pharmacy could be used as pain –relieving treatment of neuropathy nerve pain, such as brand name Neurontin, and generic Cymbalta.

We hope these tips are helpful, be sure to talk to your doctor if you have any questions. LAI wish your feet have a pretty and healthy summer!

5 Vision Loss Prevention Tips for Diabetics

April 6, 2012 by · Leave a Comment
Filed under: Diabetes - Did You Know?, Diabetes Resources and Tools, Diabetic Retinopathy, It's Complicated 
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Diabetic Retinopathy - What an Ophthamologist Sees

Diabetic retinopathy is one of the leading causes of blindness in the United States. For diabetics, it is the leading cause. Diabetic retinopathy is the result of microvascular retinal changes in the eye. New veins and capillaries begin to grow. However, these new growths aren’t healthy, and often bleed, which causes the customary vision-blurring and eye reddening. Here are the top 5 tips for preventing diabetic retinopathy.

1. Know the symptoms – Double vision, flashing lights, redness or blood in the eye, difficulty reading…all of these are symptoms of diabetic retinopathy. Be sure to schedule an optometrist appointment if you experience any of these. Early diagnosis is key to keeping your vision.
2. Regular eye exams – as soon as you are diagnosed with diabetes, be sure to make an appointment with your ophthalmologist. You may have been living with the disease for some time, raising your risk of diabetic retinopathy. After this, be sure to get regular eye exams. Your ophthalmologist will be able to catch any retinopathy before it becomes serious. We recommend annual exams for diabetics.
3. Maintain your blood sugar – if your blood glucose levels rapidly rise, it can actually change the shape of your eye’s lens. This can cause blurred vision.
4. Exercise – overall wellness is important not just for your eyes, but to keep your diabetes in check. It also helps to maintain your blood pressure. High blood pressure can cause a cloudy lens and blurred vision. Be sure to talk to your doctor about the right exercise regimen for your body.
5. Protect your eyes – eye protection is important for everyone, not just diabetics. Remember to wear protective sunglasses when at the beach, on the water, and especially on the ski slopes. White snow’s reflective quality can cause eye damage.

Steps to Healthy Diabetic Feet

March 12, 2012 by · Leave a Comment
Filed under: Diabetes Control, Diabetes Foot Care, Diabetic Neuropathy 
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As most diabetics know, the onset set of diabetic neuropathy usually starts in the extremities, particularly the feet. Neuropathy occurs when a diabetic’s high blood sugar breaks down nerves and blood vessels in the body. The feet are most often affected, as they have many tiny bloody vessels, a large nerve network, and are the farthest from the heart, therefore receiving less blood than other areas. Neuropathy often results in ulcers or a loss of feeling in the feet. This can cause permanent damage, and sometimes even requires amputation to maintain overall health. Therefore, it is incredibly important to maintain your diabetes, and keep a close eye on your feet.

Step 1: Listen to your doctor – This means maintaining communication with them, and actually doing what they ask you to do. Diabetes is a difficult condition, but it can be easier with new treatments such as Bydureon and Trajenta. Maintaining a good level of blood glucose is important for your overall health, and helps prevent the breakdown of important nerves and blood vessels.

Step 2: Daily checks – Just like looking for a breast lump, daily checks are necessary to catch a problem early. Check for sores, infected toenails, and red spots. Use a mirror if you have a hard time bending down. Another important fact is how fast cuts heal. Talk to your doctor if a cut hasn’t starting healing after a day.

Step 3: Proper Shoes – Shoes with a supportive sole and a breathable shell are extremely important for a diabetic. Both of these factors help to maintain good circulation in your feet, and make exercising much easier. Remember that good shoes will also wear out after a time, so periodically check the height of the insoles, and the overall condition of the shoe. If you notice that these things are lacking, invest in new shoes. You will notice a positive difference.

Step 4: Temperature Control – Step 3 and step 4 go hand in hand, it is important, when exercising, or when sedentary, to control the temperature of your feet. Since you may not be able to feel in, touch your feet with your hands every couple of hours yto make sure they are not overheated or exceptionally warm. Both of these extreme can lead to more nerve breakdown.

Step 5: Keep Them in Motion – Remember to wiggle your toes throughout the day; particularly ladies who wear tight shoes to work. You want to maintain good circulation, so try not to cross your legs for too long, and when you’re relaxing on the couch, put your feet up.

Step one is truly the most important of these, as only your doctor will be able to help you accurately maintain your blood glucose levels in order to keep you’re the healthiest, and stave off neuropathy. If your doctor tells you to buy Trajenta or any other diabetes medications, consider Big Mountain Drugs, a Canadian online pharmacy which offers significantly discounted medications, in order to keep you on the best medications without impacting you financially.

SmartPill Helps with Diagnosing Diabetes and Gastroparesis

December 23, 2011 by · Leave a Comment
Filed under: Diabetes and Gastroparesis 

Diagnosing easier

New technology is allowing doctors to diagnose gastrointestinal disorders easier than ever before. The SmartPill GI Monitoring System is a capsule monitoring device that is ingested by the patient at the doctor’s office. The patient is then fitted with the wireless data receiver. The receiver can be attached to the patient’s belt for easy mobility. The SmartPill capsule, which is about the size of a large multivitamin, can be easily worked through the gastrointestinal tract. While on its “travels” the SmartPill collects data such as pressure, pH and temperature levels, which are sent to the wireless receiver. This data is then used by the doctor to determine the disorder that the patient is suffering.

The SmartPill procedure is intended to replace costly and invasive procedures to determine the cause of gastrointestinal symptoms. Patients who have experienced unexplained vomiting, stomach spasms or bloating can relax now that they do not have to undergo surgery.

Diabetics in particular are more likely to need this diagnosing system. Due to their different digestive systems, diabetics are more prone to gastrointestinal tract disorders. The SmartPill system will be able to help doctors better evaluate and diagnose their diabetic patients.

The SmartPill GI Monitoring System will be particularly helpful in diagnosing disorders such as gastroparesis, which is delayed stomach emptying. Gastroparesis affects millions of Americans every year, especially those with existing disorders such as diabetes or irritable bowel syndrome.

For diabetics, gastroparesis makes controlling blood sugar levels more difficult, as a delay in digestion causes blood glucose levels to rapidly rise when food enters the small intestine. This causes glucose levels to be erratic and difficult to control.

 Once the patient’s SmartPill results have been examined, doctors can more effectively diagnose the symptoms, and more precisely prescribe what is needed. For gastroparesis, doctors often prescribe Motilium, or its generic equivalent, domperidone. Domperidone, a dopamine antagonist, works on the gastrointestinal tract by both promoting gastric movement and easing gastroparesis symptoms. These effects are created by works by blocking the action of a chemical messenger in the brain which causes the feeling of nausea and vomiting, as well as by increasing the movement or contractions of the stomach and intestines, allowing food to move more easily through the stomach.

Diabetes and Gastroparesis Linked

November 15, 2011 by · Leave a Comment
Filed under: Diabetes and Diet, Diabetes and Gastroparesis 
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Many people with diabetes suffer from gastroparesis, or slow stomach emptying. As a matter or fact, diabetes is the most common cause of gastroparesis. That’s because chronic high blood glucose levels can damage the vagus nerve – which controls the movement of food down through the digestive tract.

In a double whammy, gastroparesis can make diabetes worse by making blood glucose control more difficult. When food that has been delayed in the stomach finally enters the small intestine and is absorbed, blood glucose levels rise. Since gastroparesis makes stomach emptying unpredictable, a person’s blood glucose levels can be erratic and difficult to control – a diabetic’s nightmare.

How do you self-treat gastroparesis? The simplest and healthiest option is to change your eating habits. Eat six small meals a day instead of three large ones to prevent the stomach from becoming overly full. Avoid high-fat and high-fiber foods, as fat naturally slows digestion and fiber is difficult to digest. If you have gastroparesis, carbonated beverages are also not your friend. In more severe cases, a liquid or pureed diet may be required for awhile.

If a dietary adjustment isn’t providing the relief from gastroparesis you need, there is a medicinal option in the form of prescription domperidone. Doctors prescribe domperidone for gastroparesis and other digestive ailments across the world. Both generic domperidone, and its equivalent name brand Motilium, have been available in Canada for many years.

To learn more about which basic dietary guidelines for gastroparesis, and to watch a video explaining the disease and the connection between diabetes and gastroparesis on hubpages.com, >Click Here<.

FDA Approves First Combo Drug for Diabetes And High Cholesterol

October 7, 2011 by · Leave a Comment
Filed under: Diabetes Control, Diabetes Medication, It's Complicated, Oral Diabetes Medication 
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The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved Juvisync (sitagliptin and simvastatin), a fixed-dose combination (FDC) prescription medication that contains two previously approved medicines in one tablet for use in adults who need both sitagliptin and simvastatin.

About 20 million people in the United States have type 2 diabetes, and they often have high cholesterol levels as well. These conditions can lead to increased risk of heart disease, stroke, kidney disease and blindness, among other chronic conditions, particularly if left untreated or poorly treated.

Sitagliptin is a dipeptidyl peptidase 4 (DPP-4) inhibitor that enhances the body’s own ability to lower elevated blood sugar and is approved for use in combination with diet and exercise to improve glycemic control in adults with type 2 diabetes. Simvastatin is an HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor, or statin, approved for use with diet and exercise to reduce the amount of “bad cholesterol” (low-density lipoprotein cholesterol or LDL-C) in the blood. Read the full article

Maggot Therapy for Diabetic Ulcers

September 28, 2011 by · Leave a Comment
Filed under: Diabetes Foot Care, It's Complicated 
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diabetic ulcer

Photo: stevenfruitsmaak

One of the complications of diabetes can be ulcerated wounds that won’t heal, particularly on the feet. This is because diabetes causes nerve damage and impairs blood flow and circulation to the extremities. About 1 in 5 diabetics who seek hospital treatment do so because of foot problems, and diabetes is one of the leading causes of lower limb amputations worldwide.

The medical removal of dead or infected tissue from wounds such as diabetic ulcers is called debridement. Doctors typically use scalpels, high pressure fluid, or tissue-dissolving enzymes for the procedure. A less known procedure is maggot debridement therapy, or MDT. Read the full article

Crippling Condition Associated With Diabetes Often Misdiagnosed

September 2, 2011 by · Leave a Comment
Filed under: Diabetes Foot Care, It's Complicated 
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A new article explains symptoms and treatments for Charcot foot, a form of localized osteoporosis linked to diabetes that causes the bones to soften and break, often resulting in amputation.

“Even though it was first described in 1883, the diagnosis and successful treatment of Charcot foot continue to be a challenge because this syndrome is not widely known or understood by the broader medical profession,” said Lee C. Rogers, D.P.M., co-director of the Amputation Prevent Center at Valley Presbyterian Hospital in Van Nuys, CA.

“Charcot foot is now considered to be an inflammatory syndrome most often seen in patients with diabetes which can be successfully treated in its early stages.”  To read the full article on this little known diabetes complication on ScienceDaily and to view a picture of this crippling condition, CLICK HERE.

What is Stiff-Person Syndrome?

August 26, 2011 by · Leave a Comment
Filed under: It's Complicated, Uncategorized 
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One very rare and unusual condition associated with diabetes is Stiff-Person syndrome, also referred to as Myotonic Dystrophy. Stiff-Person syndrome (SPS) is a central nervous system disorder characterized by severe muscle stiffness that moves from place to place in the trunk, arms and legs. SPS affects about 1 in 1 million Americans, and about 1 in 10,000 diabetics.

Someone with SPS is exceedingly hypersensitive to normal stimuli such as sound, touch and emotional stress. A sudden noise, tap or worry can trigger muscle spasms that distort the body into hunched over stiff postures. People with SPS suffer from frequent falls when spasms are triggered by commonplace noises like a door slamming or a car horn. Because people with SPS lack normal protective reflexes, spasms and falls can result in serious injuries, including fractures, muscle tears and joint dislocations.

Read the full article

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