Diabetes is a truly devastating and rapidly growing disease. About 1 in 10 Americans currently has diabetes while many more have a preceding condition known as “pre-diabetes”. And according to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), if current trends continue, these figures will skyrocket to encompass 1 in 3 Americans by the year 2050!
Diabetes is a disorder wherein your body becomes less efficient at turning the food that you eat into usable energy. It stems from not being able to produce insulin and/or inability of the body to properly use insulin (a crucial hormone made in the pancreas). Insulin normally helps glucose (sugar) from food get into your cells where that sugar is made into energy to fuel the beating of your heart, fill your lungs with air, and do other important functions necessary for live. But this process breaks down when insulin isn't being produced or isn't working properly (due to diabetes) and that sugar instead builds up outside of the cells (in the blood), resulting in high blood sugar.
High blood sugar, or hyperglycemia, over time can lead to:
* Blindness
* Loss of Feeling due to Nerve Damage
* Amputation of Limb(s)
* Kidney Failure
* Heart Disease
... and other complications
Some medications, that compensate by artificially increasing sugar uptake by the cells, can also cause blood sugar levels to fall too low when used improperly. This state of hypoglycemia is also harmful to your health. Therefore, diabetics (those who have diabetes) must closely monitor their blood sugar throughout the day - more on this below - and adjust their diet and activity accordingly.
Although there is no known cure for diabetes, a large body of research shows that eating right and getting enough exercise (atleast 30 minutes per day) can help slow or prevent onset of the most common occurrence of the disease (Type II diabetes). The less common form (Type I diabetes) is thought to be genetic and results from the body's natural defense (immune) system mistakenly destroying areas of the pancreas that produce insulin. Both types, however, are now largely manageable through a combination of lifestyle changes and medication.
Common symptoms for early detection of Type I diabetes, according to the American Diabetes Association (ADA), are:
* Frequent Urination
* Extreme Thirst or Hunger
* Unusual Weight Loss
* Fatigue and Irritability
Some common symptoms of Type II diabetes are:
* Any of the Symptoms of Type I
* Blurred Vision
* Tingling/Numbness in Hands or Feet
* Frequent Infections
* Slow-Healing Cuts & Bruises
These signs should alert you to speak to your physician about diabetes if you have not already done so.
It is important that you test your blood sugar periodically to assess whether or not it is in control within a healthy range. The most common method is to prick your finger with a needle (lancet) and place a few drops of blood on a test strip, which is then analyzed by a glucose meter. The meter will return a numerical value between zero and several hundred mg/dl - a measure of milligrams of glucose/sugar per deciliter of blood in the body. The range of values that you should expect to see will depend on which of the two types of tests you do. For example, Fasting Blood Sugar (FBS) is measured when you have not had any food or drink besides water for atleast eight hours. Normal values are 99 mg/dl or less. According to ADA guidelines, a value of FBS greater than 126 mg/dl is the diagnostic set-point for diabetes. And blood sugar spikes for a period of time after you eat, so for Post-Meal tests (done apx. 2 hours after a meal), the diagnostic set-point is any value greater than 200 mg/dl. Also, a FBS value between 100 and 126 mg/dl is indicative of pre-diabetes, a state of higher-than-normal blood sugar levels that may have already caused vascular damage and greatly increases one's risk for heart disease. Pre-diabetics are very likely to develop Type II diabetes within a few years if proper lifestyle adjustments are not made.
This is information is provided for educational purposes only and should not be taken as medical advice. To learn more, please speak to a healthcare professional.
Diabetes is a disorder wherein your body becomes less efficient at turning the food that you eat into usable energy. It stems from not being able to produce insulin and/or inability of the body to properly use insulin (a crucial hormone made in the pancreas). Insulin normally helps glucose (sugar) from food get into your cells where that sugar is made into energy to fuel the beating of your heart, fill your lungs with air, and do other important functions necessary for live. But this process breaks down when insulin isn't being produced or isn't working properly (due to diabetes) and that sugar instead builds up outside of the cells (in the blood), resulting in high blood sugar.
High blood sugar, or hyperglycemia, over time can lead to:
* Blindness
* Loss of Feeling due to Nerve Damage
* Amputation of Limb(s)
* Kidney Failure
* Heart Disease
... and other complications
Some medications, that compensate by artificially increasing sugar uptake by the cells, can also cause blood sugar levels to fall too low when used improperly. This state of hypoglycemia is also harmful to your health. Therefore, diabetics (those who have diabetes) must closely monitor their blood sugar throughout the day - more on this below - and adjust their diet and activity accordingly.
Although there is no known cure for diabetes, a large body of research shows that eating right and getting enough exercise (atleast 30 minutes per day) can help slow or prevent onset of the most common occurrence of the disease (Type II diabetes). The less common form (Type I diabetes) is thought to be genetic and results from the body's natural defense (immune) system mistakenly destroying areas of the pancreas that produce insulin. Both types, however, are now largely manageable through a combination of lifestyle changes and medication.
Common symptoms for early detection of Type I diabetes, according to the American Diabetes Association (ADA), are:
* Frequent Urination
* Extreme Thirst or Hunger
* Unusual Weight Loss
* Fatigue and Irritability
Some common symptoms of Type II diabetes are:
* Any of the Symptoms of Type I
* Blurred Vision
* Tingling/Numbness in Hands or Feet
* Frequent Infections
* Slow-Healing Cuts & Bruises
These signs should alert you to speak to your physician about diabetes if you have not already done so.
It is important that you test your blood sugar periodically to assess whether or not it is in control within a healthy range. The most common method is to prick your finger with a needle (lancet) and place a few drops of blood on a test strip, which is then analyzed by a glucose meter. The meter will return a numerical value between zero and several hundred mg/dl - a measure of milligrams of glucose/sugar per deciliter of blood in the body. The range of values that you should expect to see will depend on which of the two types of tests you do. For example, Fasting Blood Sugar (FBS) is measured when you have not had any food or drink besides water for atleast eight hours. Normal values are 99 mg/dl or less. According to ADA guidelines, a value of FBS greater than 126 mg/dl is the diagnostic set-point for diabetes. And blood sugar spikes for a period of time after you eat, so for Post-Meal tests (done apx. 2 hours after a meal), the diagnostic set-point is any value greater than 200 mg/dl. Also, a FBS value between 100 and 126 mg/dl is indicative of pre-diabetes, a state of higher-than-normal blood sugar levels that may have already caused vascular damage and greatly increases one's risk for heart disease. Pre-diabetics are very likely to develop Type II diabetes within a few years if proper lifestyle adjustments are not made.
This is information is provided for educational purposes only and should not be taken as medical advice. To learn more, please speak to a healthcare professional.