Fight Diabetes

Diabetes is Serious but You Can Learn to Manage It.

• FIGHT DIABETES
• YOU or Your Loved Ones may have diabetes.
  

Learn how to identify person with diabetes.

What are the symptoms of diabetes?

People who think they might have diabetes must visit a physician for diagnosis. They might have SOME or NONE of the following symptoms:

• Frequent urination
• Excessive thirst
  
• Unexplained weight loss
  
• Extreme hunger
  
• Sudden vision changes
  
• Tingling or numbness in hands or feet
  
• Feeling very tired much of the time
  
• Very dry skin
  
• Sores that are slow to heal
  
• More infections than usual.
  

Nausea, vomiting, or stomach pains may accompany some of these symptoms in the abrupt onset of insulin-dependent diabetes, now called type 1 diabetes.

Avoid health problems caused by diabetes such as:

• Heart attack and Stroke
• Eye Problems that can leat to trouble seeing or going blind
• Nerve damage that can cause your hands and feet to hurt, tingle or feel numb. Some people even lose a foot or a leg.
• Kidney problems that can cause your kidneys to stop working
• Gum diseases and loss of teeth

How to Fight Diabetes

Learn about diabetes, Know your diabetes, Manage your diabetes and Get Routine Care is the Key

What is diabetes?

Diabetes is a disease in which blood glucose levels are above normal. Most of the food we eat is turned into glucose, or sugar, for our bodies to use for energy. The pancreas, an organ that lies near the stomach, makes a hormone called insulin to help glucose get into the cells of our bodies. When you have diabetes, your body either doesn't make enough insulin or can't use its own insulin. This causes sugar to build up in your blood. Diabetes can cause serious health complications including heart disease, blindness, kidney failure, and lower-extremity amputations. It is the sixth leading cause of death in the United States.

What are the types of diabetes?

Type 1 diabetes, which was previously called insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) or juvenile-onset diabetes, may account for 5% to 10% of all diagnosed cases of diabetes.

Type 2 diabetes, which was previously called non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) or adult-onset diabetes, may account for about 90% to 95% of all diagnosed cases of diabetes.

Gestational diabetes is a type of diabetes that only pregnant women get. If not treated, it can cause problems for mothers and babies. Gestational diabetes develops in 2% to 5% of all pregnancies but usually disappears when a pregnancy is over.

Other specific types of diabetes resulting from specific genetic syndromes, surgery, drugs, malnutrition, infections, and other illnesses may account for 1% to 2% of all diagnosed cases of diabetes.

What are the risk factors for diabetes?

Risk factors for type 2 diabetes include older age, obesity, family history of diabetes, prior history of gestational diabetes, impaired glucose tolerance, physical inactivity, and race/ethnicity. African Americans, Hispanic/Latino Americans, American Indians, and some Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders are at particularly high risk for type 2 diabetes.

Risk factors are less well defined for type 1 diabetes than for type 2 diabetes, but autoimmune, genetic, and environmental factors are involved in developing this type of diabetes.

Gestational diabetes occurs more frequently in African Americans, Hispanic/Latino Americans, American Indians, and people with a family history of diabetes than in other groups. Obesity is also associated with higher risk. Women who have had gestational diabetes are at increased risk for later developing type 2 diabetes. In some studies, nearly 40% of women with a history of gestational diabetes developed diabetes in the future.

Other specific types of diabetes, which may account for 1% to 2% of all diagnosed cases, result from specific genetic syndromes, surgery, drugs, malnutrition, infections, and other illnesses.

What causes type 1 diabetes?

The causes of type 1 diabetes appear to be much different than those for type 2 diabetes, though the exact mechanisms for developing both diseases are unknown. The appearance of type 1 diabetes is suspected to follow exposure to an "environmental trigger," such as an unidentified virus, stimulating an immune attack against the beta cells of the pancreas (that produce insulin) in some genetically predisposed people.

Can diabetes be prevented?

Type 1 Diabetes: Researchers are making progress in identifying the exact genetics and "triggers" that predispose some individuals to develop this type of diabetes, but prevention remains elusive.

Type 2 Diabetes: Regular physical activity can significantly reduce the risk of developing this type of diabetes. This type also appears to be associated with obesity.

Know your diabetes ABCs.

Talk to your doctor about how to manage your A1C, Blood pressure, and Cholesterol. This can help lower your chances of having a heart attack, stroke, or other diabetes problems. Here’s what the ABCs of diabetes stand for:

A for the A1C test (A-one-C).

It shows you what your blood glucose has been over the last three months. The A1C goal for most people is below 7. High blood glucose levels can harm your heart and blood vessels, kidneys, feet, and eyes.

B for Blood pressure.

The goal for most people with diabetes is below 130/80. High blood pressure makes your heart work too hard. It can cause heart attack, stroke, and kidney disease.

C for Cholesterol.

The LDL goal for most people is below 100. The HDL goal for most people is above 40. LDL or “bad” cholesterol can build up and clog your blood vessels. It can cause a heart attack or a stroke. HDL or “good” cholesterol helps remove cholesterol from your blood vessels.

Diabetes Prevention

Diabetes prevention is proven, possible, and powerful. Studies show that people at high risk for type 2 diabetes can prevent or delay the onset of the disease by losing 5 to 7 percent of their body weight. You can do it by eating healthier and getting 30 minutes of physical activity 5 days a week. In other words: you don't have to knock yourself out to prevent diabetes.

Is there a cure for diabetes?

The diabetes community has three choices: prevent diabetes; cure diabetes; and improve the quality of care of people with diabetes to prevent complications.

Several approaches to "cure" diabetes are being pursued:

• Pancreas transplantation
• Islet cell transplantation (islet cells produce insulin)
• Artificial pancreas development
• Genetic manipulation (fat or muscle cells that don’t normally make insulin have a human insulin gene inserted - then these "pseudo" islet cells are transplanted into people with type 1 diabetes).

Each of these approaches still has a lot of challenges, such as preventing immune rejection; finding an adequate number of insulin cells; keeping cells alive; and others. But progress is being made in all areas.

What is the treatment for diabetes?

Type 1 Diabetes: Healthy eating, physical activity, and insulin injections are the basic therapies. The amount of insulin taken must be balanced with food intake and daily activities. Blood glucose levels must be closely monitored through frequent blood glucose testing.

Type 2 Diabetes: Healthy eating, physical activity, and blood glucose testing are the basic therapies. May require oral medication, insulin, or both to control their blood glucose levels.

People with diabetes must take responsibility for their day-to-day care, and keep blood glucose levels from going too low or too high.

People with diabetes should see a health care provider who will monitor their diabetes control and help them learn to manage their diabetes. In addition, people with diabetes may see endocrinologists, who may specialize in diabetes care; ophthalmologists for eye examinations; podiatrists for routine foot care; and dietitians and diabetes educators who teach the skills needed for daily diabetes management.

Some Healthy Tips to Fight Diabetes

1. Keep meat, poultry and fish portions to about 3 ounces (about the size of a deck of cards).
2. Try not to snack while cooking or cleaning the kitchen.
3. Try to eat meals and snacks at regular times e
very day.
4. Make sure you eat breakfast everyday.
5. Use broth and cured meats (smoked or bacon) in small amounts. They are high in sodium. Low sodium broths are available in cans and in powdered form.
6. Share a single dessert.
7. When eating out, have a big vegetable salad, then split an entrée with a friend or have the other half wrapped to go.
8. Stir fry, broil, or bake with non-stick spray or low-sodium broth and cook with less oil and butter.
9. Drink a glass of water 10 minutes before your meal to take the edge off your hunger.
10. Make healthy choices at fast food restaurants. Try grilled chicken (remove skin) instead of a cheeseburger. Skip the french fries and choose a salad.
11. Listen to music while you eat instead of watching TV (people tend to eat more while watching TV).
12. Eat slowly. It takes 20 minutes for your stomach to send a signal to your brain that you're full.
13. Teaspoons, salad forks, or child-size utensils may help you take smaller bites and eat less.
14. You don't have to cut out the foods you love to eat. Just cut down on your portion size and eat it less often.
15. Make less food look like more by serving your meal on a salad or breakfast plate.

Manage your diabetes.

Many people avoid the long-term problems of diabetes by taking good care of themselves. Work with your health care team to reach your ABC goals. Use this self-care plan.

• Use your diabetes meal plan. If you do not have one, ask your doctor for one.

o Eat healthy foods such as fruits and vegetables, fish, lean meats, chicken or turkey without the skin, dry peas or beans, whole grains, and low-fat or skim milk and cheese.

o Keep fish and lean meat and poultry portions to about 3 ounces (or the size of a deck of cards). Bake, broil, or grill it.

o Eat foods that have less fat and salt.

o Eat foods with more fiber such as whole-grain cereals, breads, crackers, rice, or pasta.

• Get 30 to 60 minutes of physical activity on most days of the week. Brisk walking is a great way to move more.
• Stay at a healthy weight by using your meal plan and moving more.
• Ask for help if you feel down. A mental health counselor, support group, member of the clergy, friend, or family member who will listen to your concerns may help you feel better.
• Learn to cope with stress. Stress can raise your blood glucose. While it is hard to remove stress from your life, you can learn to handle it.
• Stop smoking. Ask for help to quit.
• Take medicines even when you feel good. Ask your doctor if you need aspirin to prevent a heart attack or stroke. Tell your doctor if you cannot afford your medicines or if you have any side effects.
• Check your feet every day for cuts, blisters, red spots, and swelling. Call your health care team right away about any sores that do not go away.
• Brush your teeth and floss every day to avoid problems with your mouth, teeth, or gums.
• Check your blood glucose. You may want to test it one or more times a day. Use the card at the back of this booklet to keep a record of your blood glucose numbers. Be sure to take this record to your doctor visits.
• Check your blood pressure if your doctor advises.
• Report any changes in your eyesight to your doctor.

Get routine care.

See your health doctor at least twice a year to find and treat any problems early. Ask what steps you can take to reach your goals.

At each visit be sure you have a:

• blood pressure check

• foot check

• weight check

Two times each year have an:

• A1C test – it may be checked more often if it is over 7

Once each year be sure you have a:

• cholesterol test

• triglyceride (try-GLISS-er-ide) test — a type of blood fat

• complete foot exam

• dental exam to check teeth and gums — tell your dentist you have diabetes

• dilated eye exam to check for eye problems

• flu shot

• urine and a blood test to check for kidney problems

At least once get a:

• pneumonia shot

Ampalaya for Diabetics - It really helps

In the Philippines, there are more than Five Million Diebetic patients and over 1.8 Million Filipinos may have diabetes but don't know it.

Modern medicines offered remedies to diabetes, but it can not be cured, it can only be controlled.

AMPALAYA (Mormodica Charantia) is a medicinal plant that has been recognized to possibly help increasing utilization of glucose by the liver. The plant insulin in ampalaya was identified as polypeptide-p, which apparently influences the regeneration of pancreatic beta cells, which secrete insulin.

Recent study was conducted between diabetic and non-diabetic group. The result in the diabetic group, the average rise in blood sugar levels in patients taking ampalaya supplements were lower than those patients having diet alone. The non-diabetic group taking supplements also showed a similar decrease in blood sugar levels, but it was still within the normal limits.

Ampalaya fruit, leaves and supplements may help lower blood sugar levels. In addition it is one of the 10 accepted herbal remedies of the Department of Health (Philippines). This filipino product is widely available and can be exported, thus can potentially help the economy.

Please take note that these supplements (ampalaya supplements) are as described, "supplements", and not replacements for the medications needed by diabetics. However, there are some patients that are completely averse to taking Western medicines, and will try anything natural. For these patients, you can try our very own Ampalaya as supplement.

Pre-Diabetes

Pre-diabetes is a condition in which blood glucose levels are higher than normal but are not high enough for a diagnosis of diabetes.

People with pre-diabetes are at increased risk for developing type 2 diabetes and for heart disease and stroke. Other names for pre-diabetes are impaired glucose tolerance and impaired fasting glucose.

Pre Diabetes or Borderline Diabetes may occur before a Type 2 diagnosis. Good nutrition and exercise may be recommended by your health care provider as treatment for pre diabetes. Even a slightly high blood sugar level is insidious and could affect major organs over time.

What are the symptoms of diabetes?

People who think they might have diabetes must visit a physician for diagnosis.
They might have SOME or NONE of the following symptoms:

• Frequent urination
  
• Excessive thirst
  
• Unexplained weight loss
  
• Extreme hunger
  
• Sudden vision changes
  
• Tingling or numbness in hands or feet
  
• Feeling very tired much of the time
  
• Very dry skin Sores that are slow to heal More infections than usual.

Some Healthy Tips to Fight Diabetes

• Keep meat, poultry and fish portions to about 3 ounces (about the size of a deck of cards).
• Try not to snack while cooking or cleaning the kitchen.
  
• Try to eat meals and snacks at regular times every day.
  
• Make sure you eat breakfast everyday.
• Use broth and cured meats (smoked or bacon) in small amounts. They are high in sodium. Low sodium broths are available in cans and in powdered form.
• Share a single dessert.
• When eating out, have a big vegetable salad, then split an entrée with a friend or have the other half wrapped to go.
• Stir fry, broil, or bake with non-stick spray or low-sodium broth and cook with less oil and butter.
• Drink a glass of water 10 minutes before your meal to take the edge off your hunger.
• Make healthy choices at fast food restaurants. Try grilled chicken (remove skin) instead of a cheeseburger. Skip the french fries and choose a salad.
• Listen to music while you eat instead of watching TV (people tend to eat more while watching TV).
• Eat slowly. It takes 20 minutes for your stomach to send a signal to your brain that you're full.
• Teaspoons, salad forks, or child-size utensils may help you take smaller bites and eat less.
• You don't have to cut out the foods you love to eat. Just cut down on your portion size and eat it less often.
• Make less food look like more by serving your meal on a salad or breakfast plate.

Gestational Diabetes

Gestational Diabetes

Pregnancy related diabetes or gestational diabetes can occur in pregnant women. Gestational diabetes is often associated with high glucose blood levels or hyperglycemia. Gestational diabetes affects about four percent of all pregnant women. The disease usually goes away after delivery, but women who suffer from gestational diabetes are at a higher risk for developing diabetes later in life.

How is it diagnosed?
Your blood sugar will be evaluated during glucose screening and tolerance tests.

This is a type of diabetes that some women develop during pregnancy. Between 2 and 7 percent of expectant mothers develop this condition, making it one of the most common health problems of pregnancy.

When you eat, your digestive system breaks most of your food down into a type of sugar called glucose. The glucose enters your bloodstream and then — with the help of insulin, a hormone made by your pancreas — provides fuel for the cells of your body. Like the type 1 and type 2 diabetes you can get when you're not pregnant, gestational diabetes causes the glucose to stay in your blood instead of moving into your cells and getting converted to energy. Why does this sometimes happen when you're pregnant?

During pregnancy, your hormones make it tougher for your body to use insulin, so your pancreas needs to produce more of it. For most moms-to be, this isn't a problem: As your need for insulin increases, your pancreas dutifully secretes more of it. But when a woman's pancreas can't keep up with the insulin demand and her blood glucose levels get too high, the result is gestational diabetes.

Most women with gestational diabetes don't remain diabetic once the baby is born. Once you've had it, though, you're at higher risk for getting it again during a future pregnancy and for becoming diabetic later in life.

How does having gestational diabetes affect my pregnancy?
These days, most women who develop diabetes during pregnancy go on to have healthy babies. Your doctor should monitor you closely and you'll most likely be able to keep your blood sugar levels under control with diet and exercise, and by getting insulin shots if you need them. But poorly controlled diabetes can have serious consequences for you and your baby.

For most women with gestational diabetes, the main worry is that too much glucose will end up in the baby's blood. When that happens, your baby's pancreas needs to produce more insulin to process the extra glucose. All this excess blood sugar and insulin can cause your baby to make more fat and put on extra weight, particularly in the upper body.

This can lead to what's called macrosomia. A macrosomic baby may be too large to enter the birth canal. Or the baby's head may enter the canal but then his shoulders get stuck. In this situation, called shoulder dystocia, your practitioner and her assistants will have to use special maneuvers to deliver your baby. Delivery can sometimes result in a fractured bone or nerve damage, both of which heal without permanent problems in nearly 99 percent of babies. (In very rare cases, the baby may suffer brain damage from lack of oxygen during this process.) What's more, the maneuvers needed to deliver a broad-shouldered baby can lead to injuries to the vaginal area or require a large episiotomy for you.

Because of these risks, if your practitioner suspects that your baby may be overly large, she may recommend delivering by cesarean section. Fortunately, only a minority of women with well-controlled gestational diabetes end up with overly large babies.

Shortly after delivery, your baby may also have low blood sugar (hypoglycemia) because his body will still be producing extra insulin in response to receiving extra glucose from you. Your delivery team will test his blood sugar at birth by taking a drop of blood from his heel. If it's low, you'll want to feed him as soon as possible, either by breastfeeding or giving him some formula or sugar water. (In severe cases of hypoglycemia, he might be given an IV glucose solution.)

He may also be at somewhat higher risk for jaundice, polycythemia (an increase in the number of red cells in the blood), and hypocalcemia (low calcium in the blood). If your blood sugar control is especially poor, your baby's heart function could be affected. Some studies have found a link between severe gestational diabetes and an increased risk for stillbirth in the last two months of pregnancy. And finally, having gestational diabetes makes you about twice as likely to develop preeclampsia as other pregnant women.

Gestational diabetes risk of having it again in the future
About two-thirds of women who have the condition will go on to have it in future pregnancies. And a few studies have found that about 50 percent of women who get gestational diabetes will develop type 2 diabetes within the first five years after delivery. Your risk is highest if any of the following apply to you:

• You're obese.

• You had very high blood sugar levels during pregnancy (especially if you needed insulin).

• Your diabetes was diagnosed early in your pregnancy.

• The results of your postpartum glucose test were borderline (that is, they were relatively high, but not high enough to classify you as a diabetic).

Type 1 Diabetes

Type 1 diabetes is usually diagnosed in children and young adults and is commonly known at juvenile diabetes. In this type of diabetes which is considered chronic (lifelong) disease, the body does not produce insulin which is needed to convert glucose, starches and other food into energy that we need.

Other name for type 1 diabetes is Insulin-dependent Diabetes and Juvenile Onset Diabetes.

Type 1 is an autoimmune disease of the insulin-producing beta cells of the pancreas. Scientists believe that it may be a virus that triggers the immune system to attack the cells and permanently destroy them. The pancreas can no longer make the insulin necessary to transport sugar from the blood into the other cells of the body for energy. Sugar builds up in the blood and over time can damage internal organs and blood vessels.

Conditions and Treatment for Type 1 Diabetes

Basic Therapies

• Healthy Eating
• Physical Activity or Exercise
• Insulin Injection

The Amount of insulin taken must be balanced with food intake and daily activities. Blood glucose levels must be closely monitored through frequent blood glucose testing.

Complications - having type 1 diabetes increases the risk for many serious complications like heart disease, blindness, nerve damage and kidney damage.

Recently diagnosed with type 1? What does this mean to the person who is diagnosed? Someone who has Type 1 diabetes must take insulin everyday to survive. It becomes a delicate balance fo finding the right amount of insulin necessary to keep the blood sugar level as close to normal as possible. You need to check your blood sugar levels often and then inject the correct amount of insulin to counteract the amount of sugar. This mimics the action of the pancreas.

Warning signs for Type 1

This can be an overwhelming process for the newly diagnosed person, type 1 diabetes typically strikes children and young adults, although adults age 40 and older can also get type 1. The onset of the disease happens quickly.

As the insulin stops being produced and the blood sugar rises, this causes hyperglycemia. Several warning signs appear:

• increased thirst
  
• increased urination
• fatigue
  
• weight loss despite increase in appetite
  
• blurred vision
  
• vomiting
• abdominal pain
• absense of menstruation
  

Get Routine Care - visit your doctor regularly.

Type 2 Diabetes

Type 2 diabetes usually occurs later in life, after the age of forty. Type 2 diabetes is the most common form of diabetes. In type 2 diabetes, the problems arise because

• Either the body does not produce enough insulin, or
  

• The insulin produced is ignored by the cells in the body (known as insulin resistance), or both.
  

Type 2 diabetes is sometimes referred to as mature onset diabetes, the pancreas either does not produce adequate levels of insulin or the body becomes resistant to its own insulin. This is usually diagnosed in older adults, however, it is becoming substantially more prevalent in the younger population.

Diabetes: Cause And Prevention
by: Robert Thatcher

An individual may get diabetes when the pancreas can no longer secrete the needed hormones that produce insulin. The insulin maintains the glucose in the blood to be normal. Low insulin means that the level of glucose, which is sugar in the blood, may get high and may lead to diabetes.

The autoimmune reaction is a type 1 diabetes where the cells in the pancreas organ that produces the needed insulin are destroyed. This results to the total loss of insulin in the hormones. This happens because the body has its own hormones that protects and destroys its own pancreas cells.

Although there is no scientific proof why this occurrence in the pancreas happens, some studies have some theories that may possibly be related in this kind of reaction. Some say that this happens when there is exposure of a newly born to a cow’s milk, the infection from viruses and bacteria, and the exposure from food-borne chemical toxins. There is not enough evidence yet to prove some theories that may trigger the cause of diabetes.

The type 2 diabetes is said to progress when there is lack of insulin that is needed to maintain the blood sugar in the body. Another reason is believed to be that the needed insulin not be effective effective to control the blood sugar because of abnormalities in composition. The last reason is said to be that the receptors in cells no longer respond and fail to stimulate the organ that produces the needed insulin.

An individual is likely developing the type 2 diabetes when a person is overweight or obese. The increase of age of an individual is also considered a factor in acquiring this type of diabetes. Some few cases that may lead in this type of diabetes may include when a woman is having her pregnancy, or when a person have some intakes of medicines and drugs. In addition, any sickness or infectious decease that can alter the pancreas production of insulin.

There are some basic treatments for diabetes. These ways can serve an individual its important role in treating diabetes. Here are some ways on how a person can treat diabetes problems.

1. An individual must work thoroughly in obtaining his ideal body weight. Every individual must have a regular exercise and physical endurance tests. People who suffer from diabetes are recommended to be physically fit if possible. Exercises for the lungs and heart may help the person lessen the sugar that causes diabetes.

2. An individual must follow a diabetic diet program. Not being on the proper diet can be a great factor in acquiring type 2 diabetes. It is recommended that a person must lose weight if he is an overweight person. It is advisable that a person must be conscious of the food that he takes. Eat foods that do not have sugar content.

3. The option of the individual to have medication and seek the help of a doctor. Every diabetes patients that have type1 and type 2 diabetes can take insulin daily to sustain the insulin production of the pancreas. There is also the new insulin pump that continuously provides the much-needed insulin. There are also new medications that treat diabetes like the synthetic human insulin, Sulfonylurea drugs, Biguanides, Thiazolidinediones, Meglitinides, Alpha-glucosidase, and other drug combinations.

Diabetes can be prevented with the proper awareness and information regarding this illness. What is important is that a person must have a healthy diet and regular exercise to have a healthy body. Responsibility and discipline is needed to help oneself in overcoming this disease.