Diabetes – Diabetes treatment

It is true no-one wants to receive a diagnosis of type 2 diabetes but if there was ever a time to be told you have this problem, this is it. Fortunately, enough is known about diabetes nowadays to make a reasonably normal life possible… but sometimes things can go out of control. This can be frustrating, but it doesn’t mean its time to throw in the towel. Type 2 diabetes is defined and diagnosed according to abnormally high blood sugar levels but for diabetics low blood sugars can be equally problematic.

Your diabetes can go out of control for a number of reasons. Hypoglycemia, or low blood sugar, is defined as a blood glucose level of below 70 mg/dL (4 mmol/L).

Reasons for hypoglycemia include:

• problems with diet, exercise, or medications
• skipping meals or snacks
• eating later than usual
• eating too much sugar or carbohydrate can trigger hypoglycemia. This may sound paradoxical but your blood glucose level may actually go down below normal because your pancreas, sensing a high level, can over-react and produce too much insulin, which can bring your blood glucose down to below the normal level. This is particularly true for type 2 diabetics who are being treated with insulin injections and who still have some pancreatic function.

Despite the obvious benefits to your blood sugar control through exercise, too much of a good thing can cause trouble. Check with your health care provider first so he can review your exercise program. Most providers will recommend:

• measuring blood sugar levels before sport or other strenuous exercise
• having a snack before beginning exercise if your blood glucose level is below 100 mg/dL (5.5 mmol/L)
• it is a good idea to check blood glucose levels after your exercise as well.

Sometimes medications may be adjusted if unusual activity is planned.

Anti-diabetic medications can also be responsible for hypoglycemia:

• a higher dose of insulin than is needed can lower your blood sugars far too much
• oral hypoglycemic agents, which stimulate your pancreas to produce insulin, can be one of the culprits… Diabinese, Tolinase, and Orinase can cause your blood sugars to drop too far
• it is important to take the right dose at the same time every day

Various drugs that can cause hypoglycemia include:

• coumadin, or warfarin, given to prevent blood clots
• arthritis drugs Zyloprim (allopurinol), Benemid and Probalan (probenecid).
• aspirin
• alcohol

These can all lead to hypoglycemia when combined with anti-diabetic medications.

Did you know that when reversing hypoglycemia, it is more difficult to reverse low blood sugars caused by taking a large dose of insulin than it is to reverse hypoglycemia caused from missing a meal?

A group of diseases that affect how your body uses blood glucose is known as diabetes mellitus. Chronic conditions are type 1 and type 2 diabetes. The reversible conditions are gestational diabetes and pre-diabetes. Gestational diabetes occur during pregnancy and pre-diabetes is when your blood sugar levels are higher than normal but still not high enough to be classified as diabetes.

There is no known exact cause of type 1 diabetes known to scientists. It is proven that the immune system that protects and fights off harmful bacteria and viruses, mistakenly destroys the cells that produce insulin in the pancreas. This insulin is also known as islet. No matter what the cause of your diabetes, rather it be genetic or triggered by a virus, once the islet cells are destroyed, your body will produce little or no insulin. Type 1 diabetes was also known as juvenile diabetes although it usually appears during adolescence but can develop at any age.

If you have any type of diabetes, your blood has too much glucose. Glucose is vital because it is the body’s main source of energy that fuels your tissue and muscles.

Normally, cells get energy to the body’s muscles and tissues by getting glucose in them from the help of the hormone insulin. The pancreas produces insulin and is located just behind the stomach. When your body is working properly, after eating, insulin will secrete from the pancreas into your bloodstream. Then it circulates and acts like a key unlocking tiny doors that allow sugar to enter into cells. Insulin lowers the amount of sugar in the bloodstream dropping the sugar levels and the secretion from the pancreas.

Our livers act as a manufacturing center that stores glucose. If you haven’t eaten in a while, your insulin levels can get low triggering the liver to convert stored glycogen back to glucose to keep your levels within a normal range. This doesn’t occur with type 1 diabetes, there is no insulin to put glucose into your body’s cells. This causes sugar to build up in your bloodstream, when it should be transported to the cells. When this occurs, it can be life threatening.

The more familiar type 2 diabetes has a different cause. It was once known as adult-onset or non-insulin dependent diabetes, a chronic condition that affects the way your body metabolizes sugar. Islet cells still function, but the pancreas doesn’t produce enough insulin or it becomes resistant to it. There is no cure for type 1 or type 2 diabetes, but it is preventable and manageable. You can start with a healthy diet, exercising and maintaining your weight. You still may need insulin therapy or diabetes medications. Your weight and diet should always be managed, even if you are on medications or insulin.

It sounds outrageous, on the other hand recent scientific studies have shown that drinking alcohol in moderation lowers the danger of getting Type two diabetes, vary for adult women. The risk of getting diabetes is actually lower for women drinking in moderation than it is for women who don’t drink at all or who drink too many.

Previous studies on alcohol and diabetes examined the effect of alcohol mainly on men or men and women younger than 55 years of age. The over 50 female group was usually not researched till latterly to determine whether the chances of developing diabetes mellitus would be affected by the consumption of alcohol.

In the starting stages of the research, women were mailed a questionnaire asking for information such as where they resided, how many exercise they got, how much food they consumed, and if they had ever been diagnosed with diabetes, high cholesterol, or high blood pressure. Their weight, height, waist, and hip measurements were taken, in addition to their blood pressure.

As to the problem of alcohol, the study participants were asked if they drank alcohol, how much, the kinds of alcohol they drank, for example, wine, beer or tricky liquor and how frequently they drank. Past and current alcohol consumption habits were discussed also.

Researchers then followed up with participants during a three-5 year period in which 2 additional questionnaires were sent out asking whether or not the individual had been diagnosed with Type two diabetes, and if so, in which year and by which physician. Questions about the type of diabetes treatment were as well asked.

The final results of the research proved strange. It was revealed that among the adult women over 50 years of age, drinking alcohol in moderate amounts reduced the downside of developing Type 2 diabetes. The same study showed that the same moderately drinking group had significantly lower blood pressure than women over 50 who drank more than moderately.

There is currently no explanation why the consumption of alcohol and diabetes are interrelated. While there are some benefits to be had in drinking in moderation, it is critical to keep in mind that every diabetic individual is different and should follow their own gp’s advise with respect to the consumption of alcohol. While it is nice to enjoy an occasional glass of wine, the key is moderation. Check with your gp 1st to ensures that there are no adverse affects relating to your own course of treatment.