Diabetes Epidemic

While diabetes was once recognized as an unfortunate disease that only affected a small number of people, today statistics indicate that more than 18 million people in the United States alone suffer from this disease. Perhaps even more startling is the fact that almost one-third of those individuals may remain undiagnosed, largely to the failure to recognize the most common warning signs related to this disease. In order to increase the treatment of this health issue it is important to understand how diabetes affects the body and the resulting symptoms that may appear.

Individuals with diabetes are not able to produce or utilize insulin, which is a hormone the body requires in order to process starches and sugar into energy the body needs for most life activities. There are actually four different kinds of diabetes. Juvenile diabetes, also referred to as Type 1 diabetes is commonly first recognized in young adulthood or even earlier. This type of diabetes occurs as a direct result of the body being unable to produce insulin.

Type 2 diabetes occurs when the body becomes resistant to insulin. Unlike Type 1 diabetes, Type 2 diabetes can be diagnosed at any time. Studies do indicate; however, that some populations may be more at risk for this form of diabetes than others. The elderly appear to be highly at risk as well as Latinos, African Americans, Asian Americans, Native Americans and Pacific Islanders.

A third type of diabetes occurs during pregnancy; usually in a situation in which the patient has no prior history of diabetes. The number of women who suffer from this type of diabetes is relatively small; however it can be quite serious to both the mother and baby.

The final type of diabetes is actually pre-diabetes, which is a term that is used to describe a situation in which blood glucose levels are abnormally high, but not yet high enough to be diagnosed as full diabetes. When pre-diabetes is allowed to continue without treatment, major organs can be damaged over a long period of time.

One of the reasons that diabetes symptoms can be difficult to recognize is the fact that they can appear either gradually over a long period of time or dramatically and suddenly. Some of the symptoms that may be noticed include fatigue, frequent urination and excessive thirst. In some cases, sudden weight loss, urinary tract infections and blurred vision may also be noticed.

Due to the fact that diabetes can lead to a number of serious health issues such as blindness, heart disease and nerve and kidney damage, it is extremely important that you be tested for diabetes if you suffer from symptoms associated with the disease. While these symptoms are commonly associated with diabetes, keep in mind that in some cases diabetes presents absolutely no signs or symptoms. Therefore, if you are over the age of 45 or fall into a high risk category, you should make a point to be tested for diabetes at least once every couple of years.

The test for diabetes is relatively simple and quick; measuring the level of glucose levels in the blood. For an accurate measurement the test must be performed in the morning before food is consumed. Pre-diabetes levels typically fall between 100 and 125 while full diabetes levels are indicated by blood glucose levels above 125.

While some diabetes cases may require medication in order to correct the situations, others can be monitored with lifestyle changes, such as weight loss and diet changes.

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Most people you ask associate the Type 2 diabetes disease to older adults, but not anymore. Investigators from the University of Washington in Seattle now report that very young adults and even children are getting the disease in record numbers.

Their study shows that Type 2 diabetes may be affecting as many as 39,000 adolescents between ages 12 and 19. Even more alarming is that another 2.5 million kids are known to be suffering from impaired fasting blood sugar levels, considered a prelude to contracting the disease.

This study is based on blood sugar testing performed in about 1,500 teens without a diagnosis of diabetes. About 11 percent were found to have high fasting blood sugar levels. The researchers used that figure to estimate the incidence of diabetes and impaired fasting blood sugar levels in the general population of teens.

So the big question is why so many children are and young adults getting Type 2 diabetes what was once previously considered an adult disease? Arlan L. Rosenbloom, M.D., from the Children’s Medical Services Center in Gainesville, Fla., attributes the increased risk to the growing obesity epidemic among young people and calls for greater public health efforts to combat the situation.

He goes on to say that “It is to be hoped that the recognition of the public health time bomb reflected in the report will lead to a pervasive societal effort to prevent obesity, a daunting task of such magnitude that enormous community and governmental commitments will be required”.

What you need to realize is that as parents of children who are in the early stages of acquiring Type 2 diabetes can set examples for their children by cutting down on all the fast foods and eating foods with little of no nutrition for the body. You are eating yourself to death!

As a parent you need to lead the way and lose weight using low fat foods, exercise and practice a healthier lifestyle, then teach your children to do the same. In today’s hectic high pressure world everyone is going to slip and eat some fast food, but you shouldn’t eat fast foods all the time.

Remember that movie filmed awhile back called “Super Size Me”? This movie shows why are Americans so fat? Super Size Me is a tongue in-cheek look at the legal, financial and physical costs of America’s hunger for fast food.

Ominously, 37% of American children and adolescents are carrying too much fat and 2 out of every three adults are overweight or obese which leads to Type 2 diabetes. Is it our fault for lacking self-control, or are the fast-food corporations to blame? I think both are to blame. If we only knew what lies down the road after we eat all that fast food. It will slowly and surely lead to a lifetime of regret and treatment for the incurable disease called Type 2 diabetes.

About the Author
Glenn Freiboth is a Certified Health Advisor lives in Illinois and has helped many overweight and obese people lose weight and keep it off.Get weight loss products for diabetes at http://www.GetYouHealth.com

Article source: http://www.contentdragon.com/content/health/fitness/how-to-treat-the-childhood-type-2-diabetes-epidemic/

Diabetes mellitus is a group of diseases sharing the common characteristic of high blood sugar levels. Diabetes happens when the pancreas cannot produce enough insulin or when the insulin that is produced in the pancreas cannot work adequately. When diabetes is not well controlled, it can cause serious complications and premature death.

I ask health professional all the time about people coming in to have routine health checks just to learn to their surprise they have Type I or II diabetes. Thirty year old Tom was admitted for sores all over his body for simply walking all day at Disneyland with his family. He was then told he had acute diabetes and needed to be in a wheelchair.

And today with continued rise in the number of people with diabetes in the United States is alarming and many people like Tom did not even know they had it until it was too late. There are nearly 21 million people in the United States alone that have diabetes; most of them type 2. This represents about 7 percent of the population and more than 6 million of these people do not know they have the condition, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in addition reports that another 41 million people are estimated to have pre-diabetes, a condition that is developed before type 2 diabetes. Diabetes is the sixth leading cause of death in the United States. In 2005 alone 1.5 million people aged 20 years or older were newly diagnosed with diabetes

Most people who get diabetes are told by their doctor to start taking diabetes pills or medications and go on a diet. The doctor hands them a diet to follow, they try it out, then can’t get motivated and when hungry calls go out and have some pizza and beer.

What people are often not told is that diabetes is a leading cause of adult blindness, lower-limb amputation, kidney disease and nerve damage. This could lead to even more complications and death for sure.

Most people getting diabetes are in the 40s, 50s and upwards. But in today’s fast food society young children and adults even in their teens and early 20s and 30s have it or are going to end up with this deadly quite killer disease.

I tell people that there is no cure or magic diet pill that will save them from getting this disease for which there is no known cure for. There are only a few easy ways treat diabetes through education from doctors or other professionals in the know which will tell you to control high blood pressure, reduce cholesterol levels and quit smoking. These key factors alone will help reduce the risk for developing diabetes.

About the Author
Glenn Freiboth is a Certified Health Advisor lives in Illinois and has helped many overweight and obese people lose weight and keep it off.Get diabetic weight loss products at http://www.GetYouHealth.com

Article source: http://www.contentdragon.com/content/health/fitness/do-you-want-to-die-from-diabetes/

In simple terms DIABETES is the inability of the body to process sugars properly. When we eat or drink our PANCREAS produces a hormone called INSULIN. Insulin is released into the blood and helps to regulate the amount of glucose (sugar) in the bloodstream. Diabetes is a condition where this process does not function correctly. This is due to either:

- No insulin being produced, often called Type 1 diabetes, and requires the sufferer to use insulin injections, or…

- Insulin is produced but the body becomes RESISTANT to it. This renders the insulin ineffective. This is normally called Type 2 diabetes and is rapidly becoming more common.

Latest research shows that 2 in every 100 people have diabetes. Alarmingly half of these people do not even know they have it. Many people have diabetes without being aware of it because someone with diabetes looks no different from anyone else.

Someone can have diabetes for months or even years without realizing they have the condition. The danger is that while diabetes is not immediately life threatening the long term effects of high blood sugar can be damaging to one’s health. Uncontrolled diabetes and prolonged high blood sugar levels can, in later life, cause problems to many organs including the kidneys, eyes, nerves and the heart. This may sound grim, however controlling blood sugar by a combination of medicine, diet and exercise will vastly reduce the long term complications.

The simplest way to check if you have diabetes is to arrange a blood sugar check with your doctor. A tiny sample of blood, obtained by pricking a finger is checked using a small electronic tester. A normal blood sugar level is generally between 72 - 126 mg/dl or 4 - 7 mmol/l (1 mmol/l = 18mg/dl). Diabetes is diagnosed when the body is unable to keep the blood sugar level within these limits. The unit of measurement used (mmol/l or mg/dl) will depend on which country you live in.

Diagnosis of diabetes can occur out of the blue during a routine check-up but more often it follows from the sufferer experiencing the “symptoms” of diabetes. These symptoms can be many or few, mild or severe depending on the individual.

The symptoms are:

NOTHING AT ALL (???) No this is not a typo. It is true many people do indeed feel no different and are astonished to discover they have diabetes. However even if you feel fine you must take your diabetes seriously and act on the doctor’s advice.

THIRST (polydipsia) This is a very common symptom. Often it seems no matter how much you drink your mouth still feels as dry as Death Valley. The problem is compounded before diabetes is diagnosed by sufferers drinking copious amounts of…sugary drinks! Of course this only increases the blood sugar level and leads to increased thirst.

INCREASED URINATION (polyuria) Another very common symptom. Sufferers need to urinate often and pass large volumes each time. In addition this symptom takes no account of time so sleep is constantly disturbed by having to visit the bathroom during the night. It is a mistake to think this is caused by the increased thirst and drinking more. The opposite is true. High sugar levels in the blood spill over into the urine making it syrupy. To counter-act this water is drawn from the body causing dehydration and therefore thirst.

WEIGHT LOSS Glucose is the form of sugar which is the body’s main fuel. Diabetics cannot process this properly so it passes into the urine and out of the body. Less fuel means the body’s reserve tissues are broken down to produce energy with a resultant loss in weight.

Other symptoms include constipation, tiredness, lack of energy, tingling or pins and needles in the hands and feet, blurred vision and increased infections.

If you have experienced any of these symptoms it does not necessarily follow that you are diabetic however it might be advisable to visit your doctor to be sure.

If it does transpire that you have diabetes please do not panic. It can come as a shock and it will mean some changes in your life. While (currently) incurable it can be treated so the long term complications are reduced or even eliminated. As a result you may actually increase your health and life expectancy compared to previously when you were taking no care of your body whatsoever. It requires discipline and self-control however there is no reason why anyone with diabetes cannot live a full and perfectly normal life.

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Find out more about Mental Health at healthandfinesse.com

Article source: http://www.contentdragon.com/content/health/diabetes-the-basics/

Do you or someone you care about have diabetes? This common disease is usually progressive over several years’ time, and it can create many kinds of health problems for those who have it. If you suspect you have symptoms of a diabetic nature, make a list of their type and frequency and let your doctor know right away. Symptoms may include increased thirst and urination, fatigue, and weight loss, among others. The sooner you get a firm diagnosis, the better outcome you are likely to have.

Diabetes results from the body’s reduced ability to make insulin. When this happens, body organs can be affected as the circulation slows, leading to slow wound healing times and loss of feeling in the extremities. Eventually, without treatment, diabetes can progress to organ failure, especially the kidneys and heart, as well as possible blindness, strokes, and other problematic conditions.

If you have been diagnosed with diabetes, ask your doctor about a personal management plan. Read all the information you can find about your condition, and ask your doctor any questions about things you don’t understand. It may be helpful to borrow library books or visit online medical Websites to find out how others cope and what types of possible new cures or treatments are on the horizon.

Your doctor may advise you to change your diet to one that is low in sugar, fat, and salt. He or she may want you to begin a daily exercise program unless you already have one. You might have to do finger sticks for your blood sugar each day, perhaps after eating or at others times, to check blood readings. Depending on the status of your disease, you may have to take pills or give yourself daily injections. When your blood sugar levels get too high or too low, you could experience life-threatening complications.

It may be a good idea to wear a bracelet or necklace identification tag, so that if you should happen to pass out or become dizzy from blood sugar changes, someone will know how to help you. Carrying a small amount of sugar in the form of orange juice or a candy bar might be helpful if you begin to feel light-headed or your levels start to drop. Let coworkers and friends know about your condition so they can take appropriate steps if you experience difficulties from your diabetic condition.

Joining a support group could help to relieve anxieties and put you in touch with others who have been where you are. Their experience and insight can help you to adjust with a new diabetic diagnosis or a significant change in your condition. This could be particularly welcome if you are pregnant or thinking of becoming pregnant, since this may impact the status of your diabetes.

Although diabetes is a complex condition and more needs to be known about its development and progress, there is hope and success for many who struggle with the side effects of this disease. Help is available, so don’t hesitate to ask for and make use of it.

About the Author
For lots more information on diabetes detection and control, visit The Diabetes Directory at http://www.diabetesdir.com

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