DIABETES >> Diabetes Tips | Diabetes Guide!
Real Guide Bring You Diabetes Information !
Search
Hypoglycemia
24 May2009
Learn About Hypoglycemia
By Brad Chase
hypoglycemia symptoms
Hypoglycemia is a medical issue that derives from the fact that your body uses glucose as fuel. When you eat carbohydrates, your body breaks them down into sugars, like glucose, which are then used to fuel the muscles and organs in your body, especially the brain. Hypoglycemia is a condition where your body secretes too much insulin and as a result sends your blood sugar too low for your body to perform normal functions. When this happens and your body becomes starved for energy, you will see the physical and mental side effects of hypoglycemia. This condition is very treatable and can even be treated naturally if you understand how it works.
When hypoglycemia is not treated properly there are many possible symptoms that you may see. A person with hypoglycemia may experience any of the following symptoms; fatigue, insomnia, nervousness, mental confusion, faintness, mood swings, depression, headaches, heart palpitations, cold hands and feet, forgetfulness, dizziness, blurred vision, along with a long list of other potential symptoms of hypoglycemia.
Many people who feel they have hypoglycemia don’t know why they have it or who is likely to get it. Hypoglycemia is common in teens that are taking blood sugar lowering medicine for diabetes. It is also possible for overdoses of alcohol, insulin, or other diabetes drugs to cause hypoglycemia in people that are otherwise healthy.
Hypoglycemia is otherwise fairly rare in teens and adults and yet many people are under the mistaken impression that they may have hypoglycemia. Since hypoglycemia has so many different symptoms that overlap with so many other health issues it is very possible for someone to recognize symptoms they have and relate them to hypoglycemia, when in fact it may be something else. If you are worried that you might have hypoglycemia or something with the same symptoms, it is recommended that you go see a doctor to get a definitive opinion on what might be wrong.
If you do have hypoglycemia, don’t panic. There are lots of manageable ways to treat it, including naturally via your diet. When trying to treat hypoglycemia naturally, you need to be careful not to introduce too much sugar into your system as this could send your blood sugar too high and cause another set of issues. If you feel you are suffering from hypoglycemia, the general treatment is to consume 15g of carbohydrates. Carbohydrates are broken down into sugar that your body can then use for energy. There are glucose pills available that are 15 g of glucose, or you can try 15ml (3tsp) of sugar mixed into water, 175ml of juice or soft drink, or 15ml of honey. If your symptoms persist you should be sure to see your doctor as these methods of naturally treating hypoglycemia are not fool proof.
Related article : type 1 diabetes
Diabetes Insipidus
24 May2009
What Are The Causes Of Diabetic Insipidus And Effective Treatment For The Disease
Diabetes insipidus (DI) is a rare condition that occurs when the kidneys are unable to conserve water as they perform their function of filtering blood. It is often confused with diabetes mellitus type 1 because a symptom that both diseases have in common is frequent and excessive urination.
diabetes insipidus mellitus
The word diabetes comes from the Greek word for siphon. A physician in ancient Greece coined the disease diabetes because sufferers passed water like a siphon.
The addition of insipidus and mellitus is to differentiate the concentration of the water passed by the person. Insipidus comes from the latin for no flavor. Urine passed by someone suffering from DI is highly diluted. Mellitus is also derived from the latin for honey and consequently diabetes mellitus (DM) is noted for passing urine that is sweet and concentrated.
There are four types of DI. These are :
Neurogenic diabetes insipidus - also called central diabetes insipidus.
This is caused when the anti-diuretic hormone or vasopressin produced by the hypothalamus and stored in the pituitary gland is not produced in sufficient quantity. Vasopressin causes the kidneys to preserve water but excrete the same amount of waste products.
Nephrogenic diabetes insipidus (NDI) also known as vasopressin resistance because the kidneys are unaffected by the secretion of vasopressin.
NDI is believed to by genetically passed on or caused by kidney diseases or as a side-effect of using drugs like lithium for other illnesses.
The third type is called gestagenic and occurs during pregnancy.
The fourth type is known as dipsogenic DI and is characterized by excessive fluid consumption.
The excess fluids cause vasopressin to be supressed.
The primary symptoms of diabetes insipidus are excessive urination (polyuria) and excessive thirst (polydipsia). Symptoms for diabetes insipidus will be markedly abrupt. The sufferer will want to drink vast quantities of water. They will have difficulty sleeping as they will want to go to the toilet all the time. In the case of children there will be frequent bed wetting.
Diabetes insipidus testing involves a fluid deprivation test. As the name suggests the patient avoids drinking any fluids for a prescribed time period. The urine is then analyzed to determine it’s concentration and composition
Diabetes insipidus treatment involves having a good and plentiful source of fluid. In the case of neurogenic DI the drug desmopressin is taken to control the frequent thirst and urination.
There is no natural cure for diabetes insipidus but it doesn’t pose any serious complications to the health if the person can take on fluids whenever they feel thirsty. It is confused with diabetes mellitus because the symptoms are similar but testing will determine which disease the person may be afflicted with.
By Adrian Whittle
Insulin
23 May2009
Low-Carb: The Role of Insulin
By Beverley Brooke
insulin resistance
There are three basic units the body uses for energy:
1. Fats
2. Proteins
3. Carbohydrates
All three can be converted to blood glucose. However, while fats and proteins are converted slowly, carbohydrates are converted quickly causing quick spikes in the body’s blood sugar levels. These spikes in blood sugar levels cause the pancreas to create and release insulin until the blood sugar level returns to normal.
Meanwhile, insulin, a hormone produced in the pancreas that lowers our blood’s glucose levels is released into the blood as soon as the body detects that blood sugar levels have risen above its optimal level.
Insulin is a very efficient hormone that runs the body’s fuel storage systems. If there is excess sugar or fat in the blood insulin will signal the body to store it in the body’s fat cells. Insulin also tells these cells not to release their stored fat, making that fat unavailable for use by the body as energy.
Since this stored fat cannot be released for use as energy, insulin very effectively prevents weight loss. The higher the body’s insulin levels, the more effectively it prevents fat cells from releasing their stores, and the harder it becomes to lose weight. According to many authorities, over the long term, high insulin levels can lead to insulin resistance and cause serious health problems like the ones listed below:
1. Raised insulin levels and insulin resistance
2. Lower metabolism leading to weight gain
3. An increase in fatty tissue and reduction in muscle tissue
4. Accelerated aging
5. Increased food allergies and intolerances
6. Overworked immune system
7. Increased risk of heart disease, obesity, diabetes and cancer
Carbohydrates, especially simple carbs like sugar and starch, are quickly turned into sucrose by the body entering the blood stream quicker thereby causing the release of large amounts of insulin. The fewer carbs are eaten, the less insulin is produced by the body, and the fewer calories are stored as fat. Less fat storage equals less weight gain and fewer carbs eaten equals less insulin in the blood and the body using its fat stores for fuel.
The premise behind every low-carb diet plan is that a body that produces less insulin burns more fat than a body that produces lots of insulin. Some plans encourage a period of extremely low carbohydrate intake so that the body will enter a state of ketosis and more quickly burn fat stores - These are usually called induction periods.
See related article : type 1 diabetes
Recent Comments