Diabetes is basically a disease that interferes with the ability of our bodies to use food for energy and growth. One thing that happens when we digest food is that some of it is converted into glucose (sugar) that goes into our blood stream for energy and growth. Diabetes’ primary effect is that our blood sugar glucose levels can get high. You’ve heard of insulin, right?
Your pancreas produces insulin. Well, insulin is the hormone that gets the glucose (fuel) into our cells to help create energy. If your body isn’t making enough insulin or using it correctly to help this fueling process, sugar starts to get backed up in your blood. That is not good.
Some symptoms to watch out for if you suspect diabetes are: a loss in weight, and an increase in appetite. Feeling very thirsty and having to urinate frequently, blurred vision, numbness in hands, feet, arms and legs can also be early indicators of a problem. When diabetes is caught early there are usually much better outcomes than when it is ignored. If you suspect any possibility, please see a doctor right away.
Government statistics show diabetes as the 6th leading cause of death in the United States. There is a long list of complications associated with diabetes such as blindness, heart disease, kidney failure, and blood circulation problems.
Early symptoms of diabetes may not seem too severe, or so far out of the ordinary to cause worry. That’s a problem. Most people ignore warnings and just hope it goes away. The sad thing is that catching it early and taking action can prevent the more serious complications of diabetes down the road.
About 95% of all cases of diabetes fall into three different types: Type 1 diabetes, Type 2 diabetes and Gestational diabetes.
Type 1 diabetes is also called early onset, or juvenile diabetes. It is usually diagnosed in children and young adults. Government statistics state that Type 1 diabetes may account for 5% to 10% of all diagnosed cases of diabetes. This develops when the body’s immune system starts attacking and preventing cells in the pancreas from producing insulin.
Gestational diabetes is body intolerance for glucose that can develop in pregnant women. It is very important to be tested and treated for diabetes not only for mom. but for the baby’s sake also. Though gestational diabetes often passes with pregnancy, women who develop gestational diabetes are at a very significantly higher risk to develop type 2 diabetes later in life.
Lastly, there is Type 2 diabetes, which accounts for about 9 out of 10 cases. There is debate over whether type 2 diabetes is hereditary or not. Prevalent thinking is that Type 2 diabetes is most likely due to poor diet and being overweight. About 80% of those with Type 2 diabetes are overweight.
If you are overweight and not physically active, you can be at high risk for developing diabetes. If you have diabetes the best way to avoid the complications of diabetes is to alter your eating and exercise habits. A lot of the more common problems of diabetes can be avoided by staying away from sweets and sugars.
By becoming more fit through exercise and eating healthy, you can avoid aggravating or accelerating problems associated with diabetes. The worst thing you can do is ignore the changes that need to be made.
To a large extent the quality of your life living with diabetes is in your own hands.
Why wait to learn the truth about healthy lifestyles? There is a gallery of powerful information for the taking. Decide now to improve the quality of your life. Click here: Diabetes Information.
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Acid reflux disease, also known as Gastro-esophageal Reflux Disease, or GERD, is a common ailment, affecting between 5%-7% of the population. In order to understand what GERD is it is important to be familiar with how the esophagus works. A long muscular tube, the esophagus carries food and liquid from the mouth to the stomach. The average adult esophagus is around ten to thirteen inches long and approximately an half an inch in diameter. GERD is caused by the backflow of acid from the stomach into the esophagus, usually because the lower esophageal sphincter does not close properly. When this happens over a long period of time, the lining of this tract becomes eroded, causing discomfort and pain.
Symptoms of the disease are fairly straightforward and are very similar to the symptoms of heartburn. GERD often include a frequent burning sensation, right behind the breastbone, which sometimes worsens when lying down for extended periods of time. While most cases of heartburn turn out to be non-life threatening, it is important that you visit your doctor at the onset of symptoms. Unfortunately, the symptoms of both indigestion and GERD can also imitate those of heart disease, so it is very important that you seek medical attention to make sure that you get the correct diagnosis.
There are a number of medical tests which your doctor can perform which will confirm the diagnosis of GERD. After your doctor or healthcare professional has taken your medical history, he or she will most likely conduct an test using an Endoscope, a long flexible imaging instrument. This will allow the doctor to visibly exam your esophagus.
If you are diagnosed with Acid Reflux disease, there are a number of treatment options available to you, such as making changes to your diet, reducing stress, and taking over the counter antacids. Serious cases of GERD may require a prescription drug to reduce the acid being produced by your stomach, but lifestyle changes are often enough to control symptoms successfully.
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Carl Spanier is the founder of Occasional Heartburn a website that allows consumers Tip! Baking Soda and Water: Usually a teaspoon of baking soda mixed in a glass of water will help most people, since it neutralizes excess acidity. This is one of the most natural ways to cure heartburn/acid reflux.
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Senator Edward Kennedy Issues a Statement Regarding Asbestos Mesothelioma Litigation
0 Comments Published July 1st, 2008 in Mesothelioma.The real crisis regarding asbestos exposure in the workplace is not potential litigation but the number of victims who contract the deadly disease Mesothelioma.
Supporters of the bill propose to set up a $140 billion dollar asbestos compensation fund, but it is doubtful if even an all out effort this week will bring the bill to a vote on the floor of the US Senate.
As Kennedy states victims suing the companies who exposed their loved ones to this disease did not create the costs. The costs, which include lost productivity, medical, care, along with payments to provide basic living needs for family members who died years before their time.
A shifting of financial burden to the victims and their families is, according to Kennedy unacceptable.
Kennedy recognizes the efforts by Senators Specter and Leahy who are in favor of passage of the bill. That said it has several fundamental flaws, which make it an unreasonable solution to the pending crisis.
Kennedy states our first obligation is to do no harm. Argument that there are certain inadequacies regarding how current asbestos litigation is handled should not be the major thrust toward passage of this bill.
Government intervention is the concern voiced across the nation by potential victims of this deadly disease. If the fund were to liquidate over time all potential damages would be in question. What rights would victims have in a legal setting to seek compensation from the offending companies?
If you or a loved one has been exposed to mesothelioma contact a mesothelioma lawyer to help you pick up the pieces
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Diabetes is a nasty disease, so much so that we don’t even look at its bright side. And, diabetes is controllable. Tight control will prevent much of what hurts people most. It’s as simple and as complex as that. Control is the key. It’s too bad some physicians and some patients simply ascribe to the principle that “you only have a little ‘sugar’.” Treating diabetes in this manner is like telling your mom or dad that you are only a little pregnant. “A little sugar” just worsens its impact and bites its victim where it hurts the most. Control doesn’t mean severe dieting, or giving up sugar, or anything like that. A proper diet, healthy and satisfying, and a regular program of exercise will work miracles. We’re not talking exercising with grunts and groans, but light workouts as modest as a 20-minute walk every other day.
Now there are advanced treatment techniques, recently approved by state and federal agencies, sophisticated medications and supplies currently available, with even more in the pipeline. There is a great deal happening in: internal and external insulin pump design, recombinant DNA insulin, oral medication, surgical intervention including transplantation, sight (improvements in techniques to preserve vision), and, the growing use of Hepatic Activation as a truly helpful, remarkably effective, cost efficient treatment approach. (Footnote #1)
Getting personal about diabetes means taking responsibility for its treatment. With a chronic disease like diabetes, no one can abdicate responsibility to a doctor, or anyone else for that matter. You should strive to be in charge of the treatment program, even if it is designed by your medical professional. After all, you are the only person who can implement the treatment in the long term, right? And, long term is our goal. We want you to be with us for “the long term.”
The time is gone when we can think in the simplistic terms of diabetes being “a little sugar.” Left untreated, diabetes can get serious quickly. Neuropathy (numbness in the feet and legs), blindness, loss of weight, and other nasty consequences can come to visit quickly if diabetic patients aren’t religious about implementing their treatment programs.
Some scientific evidence suggests there may be some benefit from forcing the liver to play a more active role in diabetic management. Called Hepatic Activation, this form of treatment for Type 1 diabetes mellitus was reported by a collection of researchers led by Thomas T. Aoki, M.D., F.A.C.E. in Endocrine Practice. (Footnote #2)
However you are managing your diabetes, be sure you pledge to yourself to do it consistently. If you have questions, ask. If you are experiencing new sensations or different reactions to new medications, contact your health care professional immediately. Sometimes, if we wait too long, the damage done can’t be undone.
Subscribe to and read magazines and newsletters that can make you aware of current research and evolving medications. Ask your doctor to include you on a list of patients to be notified whenever a new drug is released that you might benefit from. Remain active in the educational process. There is always more to learn.
Most of all…stay involved. You are the best person for managing your diabetes treatment. No one else can possibly do it as well as you. To be successful, you must get personal about your diabetes.
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Footnotes:
Footnote #1: Your Diabetes Control Handbook, page 52, http://www.management-advantage.com/products/DiabetesControl.htm
Footnote #2: Endocrine Practice, Vol. 5, No. 4, July/August 1999, pg. 174
William H. Truesdell is President of The Management Advantage, Inc. His company publishes a book entitled Your Diabetes Control Handbook, by Marshall Chazen, Ed.D. The book is available at http://www.management-advantage.com/products/DiabetesControl.htm
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Diabetes is a condition in which the body either does not manufacture sufficient amounts of insulin or does not properly use insulin. Insulin is a hormone made by the pancreas that is necessary for the transport of sugar from the blood stream into the cells for use as energy. Type 2 diabetes results when our bodies become insensitive to insulin and cause our blood sugar go out of balance. For this reason, we want to do everything we can to remain insulin sensitive. When we are insulin sensitive, our bodies do a much better job of moving glucose from the blood and into cells.
Various herbs, foods, vitamins, and minerals have been shown to promote insulin sensitivity and help maintain proper blood sugar levels. Vanadyl sulfate increases the body’s insulin sensitivity. Gymnema sylvestre is a well known herb helpful in blood sugar control by controlling sugar cravings and nourishing the pancreas.
Exercise also increases insulin sensitivity. People involved in athletics are known to require less insulin. Besides improving insulin sensitivity, exercise helps us to control our weight and reduce body fat. Weight control is a very important aspect in maintaining insulin sensitivity.
Another important factor in maintaining proper blood sugar levels and insulin sensitivity is a healthful diet. Complex carbohydrates found in most vegetables, apples, grains, and nuts are slow to digest. Slowing the process of digestion promotes healthy blood sugar levels and avoids the highs and lows associated with the intake of refined sugars. We should also avoid saturated fats. The healthy fats contained in fish, olive oil, and flaxseed help us to maintain insulin sensitivity.
Type 2 Diabetes is the most common form of diabetes and results from insulin resistence. The above methods have been shown to be extremely helpful in maintaining insulin sensitivity, promoting lower blood sugar levels, and avoiding the complications associated with diabetes.
For further information on diabetes treatment visit http://www.diabetessites.com/diabetes-treatment.html
Dr. Mark S. Johnson, D.C., FAFICC, QME. Dr. Johnson is a practicing doctor of chiropractic medicine specializing in nutrition and exercise rehabilitation.
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