Diabetes Symptoms
All too often we get sick but ignore the symptoms we may be feeling, shrugging them off to a cold, stress from work, or
just not feeling well.
There are certain symptoms that shouldn’t be ignored if they develop. These symptoms could lead to blindness,
amputation of limbs, coma or even death.
Symptoms of type 1 diabetes often come on suddenly and are severely dramatic. The extra stress of diabetes can lead to something called diabetic ketoacidosis.
Symptoms of ketoacidosis may include nausea and vomiting, which may also lead to dehydration and serious problems with the blood levels of potassium. This could lead to a diabetic coma and ultimately death.
Other symptoms of diabetes may include extreme fatigue. We all get tired at times, but diabetes triggers a more severe
fatigue than normal.
People with diabetes also experience unexplained weight loss. This is because they are unable to process many of
the calories they consume. Losing sugar and water in the urine also contributes to the weight loss.
Extreme thirst is another symptom of diabetes. Diabetes develops high blood sugar levels and the body tries to
compensate by diluting the blood, which translates to our brain that we are thirsty.
With this is also excessive urination. It is another way our bodies have of getting rid of the extra sugar in our
system. But this can also lead to dehydration.
One of the hardest symptoms to deal with is poor wound healing. Wounds heal slowly, if at all when the carrier has
diabetes. This along with infections that are not easily remedied can attribute to ulcers and loss of limbs.
Diabetes Management
As of 2007, there is no cure for either type 1 or type 2 diabetes. This may seem like a dim outlook for many people,
but the fact is that even though there is no cure, there certainly are ways to manage your diabetes.
Proper management can give you many years of healthy living.
Diabetes management starts with a visit to your doctor. First, finding out you have diabetes, what type you have
then arming yourself with as much information as possible about the diabetes you are diagnosed with.
All management begins with controlling the glucose cycle.
The glucose cycle is affected by two factors, entry of glucose into the bloodstream and blood levels of insulin to
control the transport out.
Your glucose levels are very sensitive to both diet and exercise, so change in either should first be discussed
with your physician. Proper management of diabetes can be very intrusive to the patient.
Proper management requires a complete lifestyle change and frequent, sometimes multi-daily checks of glucose in the
blood.
It can change as people grow and develop and no two cases are ever really the same. Today it is easier to measure the
blood sugar level.
Glucose meters are readily available and are quite easy to use with a little practice and patience.
With a small drop of blood to the testing strip attached to the glucose meter, the user is given the number, which
represents their blood sugar level. This in turn will let the user know if and when insulin is needed.
Diabetes in Pets
It is not only the human kind that can develop diabetes.
Even our beloved pets, no matter how well we care for them, can develop diabetes.
This is often a scary situation for the pet owner and the first question that is usually asked of the veterinarian is
-will my pet need to be put to sleep-
Of course this is a difficult issue and the answer may vary on the overall age and health of your pet.
Many older pets that are diagnosed with diabetes go on to live many more happy years, but this takes commitment and
close care of your pet.
Diabetic cats and dogs can live just as long as perfectly healthy pet if the diabetes is diagnosed and treated properly by both the veterinarian and the owner.
This takes great commitment from the owner. Pets must be cared for and watched daily with a high level of care and
patience.
There can be no feeding the cat and forgetting until the next day. There is no leaving the pet along to go on a
trip. Every day your pet will need medication, fed a proper diet and his behavior will need to be monitored closely.
This doesn’t mean you will have to give up your job and stay home full time with your pet, but it does mean you
will have to pay more attention to what his behavior is and know what to do if the situation should change.
It is also more of a financial obligation to have a sick pet. So it is something that should be discussed in length
with your vet.
Diabetes In Children
Diabetes in children is also known as juvenile diabetes, but more commonly known as type 1 diabetes. It is the most
common form of diabetes in children with ninety to ninety-five percent of carriers being under 16.
Juvenile diabetes is caused by the inability of the pancreas to produce insulin. It is an autoimmune disease, which means the bodies own defense system attacks the body’s tissues or organs.
In the last 30 years the number of juvenile diabetes had increased three times over and in Europe and the US we are now seeing type 2 diabetes in children for the first time.
Obesity easily explains type 2, but not why there is such a rise in type 1 diabetes in children. It is believed that a mixture of genetics and environmental factors are what triggers juvenile diabetes. But the majority of children don’t have a family history of diabetes.
The symptoms for juvenile diabetes are the same as in adults. Thirst, weight loss, fatigue, frequent urination is typical, but diabetes in children can also increase stomach pains, headaches and behavior problems.
Doctors should consider the possibility of diabetes in children who have unexplained stomach pains for a few weeks, along with the typical symptoms.
If you believe your child may be experiencing these symptoms you should schedule them for a thorough examination and tell your doctor what you suspect your child may have. Be sure to tell them about any and all symptoms your child may be experiencing.
With obesity levels being at an all time high, the epidemic of type 2 diabetes is growing at an alarming rate, and will
only get worse.
Between 2001 and 2002, the diagnosis of diabetes went from
5.5 percent of Americans to an alarming 6.5 percent. In
just one year!
Overall, twelve million Americans have been diagnosed and
another 5 million Americans have diabetes and don’t know
it. And yet another 12 millions are on their way to type 2
diabetes because of impaired glucose levels.
Not knowing is the worst because risks of untreated
diabetes puts us at a terrible risk of complications
including but not limited to blindness, amputations and
ultimately death.
The stickler is, that type 2 diabetes is almost completely preventable. Doctor’s say eat less, eat better and exercise. The numbers show just how many Americans are currently overweight.
Statistically, people are now living longer, and it has been on the rise for years. But this will not continue if type 2 diabetes is not put under control.
We are a gluttonous society and ultimately it is affecting how we live and how long we live.
And unfortunately, the diabetes epidemic is not just a US problem. It is spreading worldwide with epidemic reports in
Asia, the Middle East and the Caribbean.
It is estimated that by 2025, the number of diabetics worldwide will rise to 380 million. And diabetes is now
affecting more of the young and middle-aged population in developing countries between the ages of 40 and 59.
