Not having type 2 diabetes symptom doesn’t necessarily mean not having type 2 diabetes. This may not always be true though and understanding the true nature of a type 2 diabetes symptom may help save your life.

The Figures

If you do have the condition however, it means that the cells in your body are not reacting properly to the work of insulin which is supposed to open up the cells to glucose. Without glucose in your cells you will have no clear source of energy.

Type 2 diabetes is actually the most common type of diabetes. It is estimated that at least 90% of diabetics belong to the type 2 category. The sad fact though is that more than 6% of diabetics are not aware that they have the condition. The lack of awareness may be due to a dismissal of seemingly harmless type 2 diabetes symptoms or a total lack of warning signs.

Different Symptoms

Type 1 diabetes is less common than type 2 but it may be more difficult to handle because it involves the inability of the pancreas to perform its job of producing insulin. Despite the difference in cause however, both types of diabetes share the same symptoms. A diabetic might begin to feel frequently tired, thirsty and may have occasionally blurry vision and wounds that do not heal quickly.

Type 1 and type 2 diabetes symptom differs on the onset. A type 1 diabetes symptom can develop rapidly and worsen in the span of a few weeks. Even with the rapid symptom development however, cell damage may already have been occurring for some time before type 1 diabetes is finally discovered. A type 2 diabetes symptom on the other hand is not as obvious and as bad as a type 1 symptom.

Effects of No Symptoms

Non-detection of type 2 diabetes may be dangerous and risky. The key to effectively managing this chronic disease is early detection. Once you fail to detect a type 2 diabetes symptom however, you can suffer from complications that are even more difficult to reverse. Some diabetics only realize that they have type 2 diabetes because of complications like retinopathy, heart ailments, kidney problems and nerve deaths. A complication is therefore their only type 2 diabetes symptom.

Uncommon Risk Factors

Being overweight and a family history of diabetes are known signs that should alert even those individuals who do not experience a single type 2 diabetes symptom. You should however also consider yourself at high risk of developing diabetes if you are over 45 years old, had a baby over 9 pounds and had a history of gestational diabetes or pre diabetes. For undetermined reasons, individuals who are Asian, African, Hispanic and American are at greater risk of developing diabetes.

What Has to be Done

Seek the professional advise of your doctor immediately. There are however basic things you should remember on your own. You should monitor your glucose levels, take your medication as prescribed, follow your diet and exercise plans and watch and manage your weight.

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The cause of gestational diabetes is largely unknown, although there is some link to pregnancy hormones and the placenta. If your body is unable to make or use all the insulin it needs, glucose remaining in the blood eventually reaches abnormally high levels.

Unlike other health problems, gestational diabetes does not normally result in birth defects; however, it can have repercussions for the baby. Babies born to mothers with gestational diabetes tend to be large and this can lead to injuries to the child’s shoulders during the normal birthing process. The babies can have jaundice, low glucose levels and higher insulin levels than is the norm, as well as breathing problems. It is also believed that babies born with high insulin levels are at a higher risk for obesity.

Gestational diabetes can also cause problems for the mother, as delivering a larger-than-normal baby can be difficult and, in many instances, results in a caesarian section. In addition, gestational diabetes increases the risk of developing type II diabetes later on in life.

As with any other type of diabetes, controlling the gestational type is possible with diet, exercise, and medication. With this type of diabetes, treatment is normally started as soon as it is known that the mother-to-be has GD. Diet plans are normally given to the expectant mother so that she can help control her blood sugar level. Foods from all the food groups should be eaten for a well-balanced diet, with greater portions of vegetables and whole grains.

Moderate exercise is also recommended to help control gestational diabetes, although previous levels of physical activity have to be taken into account. Physical activity helps the body use up the excess glucose without the need for extra insulin. If you were not exercising before you got pregnant, it would be unwise to start any strenuous exercise at this stage of your pregnancy.

It is also important to monitor your sugar level closely. Set up a routine so that you know when to test your glucose level.

A diagnosis of GD or gestational diabetes in one pregnancy is normally an indication that the same diagnosis will happen again in later pregnancies. However, gestational diabetes normally goes away within a few weeks of giving birth, although many women do later on develop type I or II diabetes during their lives.

To learn more go to Diabetic Diet and at Type 1 Diabetes

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Introduction:

Diabetes is a disease that affects the way the body uses glucose (say: gloo-kose), a sugar that is the body’s primary source of fuel. It is a chronic condition that requires close attention, but with some practical knowledge, you can become your most important ally in learning to live with the problem.

“The prevalence of diabetes is rising because obesity is rising,” says Judith Fradkin, director of the National Institute of Diabetes, Digestive and Kidney Diseases at the National Institutes of Health. Tipically, the first step in treatment is to make patients know that this is a problem that can be effectively controlled. “The amount of money it will cost in 10 years to control diabetes is going to bust the economies of many countries” says institute president Paul Robertson.

Diabetes, caused by the body’s inability to create or use insulin effectively to stop a buildup of sugar in the blood, now afflicts close to 21 million in the North American and roughly 250 million worldwide. It is an affliction that can also cause long-term complications in some people, including heart disease, stroke, visual impairment, kidney damage and can also cause other problems in the blood vessels, nerves, and gums.

Blood:

During the past decade, medical studies have shown that by lowering high blood pressure and cholesterol and keeping blood sugar levels as close to normal as possible, diabetics can forestall many of the disabling complications that once appeared inevitable.

“This knowledge, along with simpler, more accurate blood tests and better drugs, has improved treatment”, says Buse, an endocrinologist at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. “New drug treatments, more accurate methods for monitoring blood sugar levels and assessing control of diabetes, and practical steps that patients can take are more common than ever”, she says. “Until 1993, it wasn’t clear that lowering blood sugar prevented or delayed complications, and it’s only within the past decade that doctors learned that managing blood pressure and cholesterol reduced complications”, she says.

Types:

There are two primary kinds of diabetes: type 1, an autoimmune disease that results in loss of the insulin-producing cells in the pancreas and occurs most often in children or young adults, who need daily insulin shots; and type 2, which accounts for 90% of diabetes cases and is associated with obesity and inactivity and decreases the body’s ability to use insulin effectively.

Type 1 diabetes (formerly known as insulin-dependent diabetes or juvenile diabetes) happens when the person’s own immune system attacks and destroys the cells of the pancreas that manufacture insulin. Type 1 diabetes occurs at about the same rate in men and women, but it is more commonly found in Whites than in minorities.

Type 2 diabetes (formerly known as non-insulin-dependent diabetes) is different. It is the most common form of diabetes and about 9 out of 10 persons with diabetes have type 2 diabetes. It is more common in older persons, mainly in people who are overweight.

Conclusion:

The best way to prevent diabetes is through lifestyle changes and maintaining a normal weight.

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Fitness

The best way to prevent type 2 diabetes is to stay fit and have a body weight that is right for your height. Weigh yourself first thing in the morning with no clothes on. Write this number down and compare it to standard height and weight tables that correspond with your gender. If you find that you are overweight, it is important to lose the extra weight to lower your risk of getting Type 2 Diabetes. Simple changes to your daily routine, such as taking walks with the family or replacing TV with an activity that gets you moving can help you drop those extra pounds.

Food

Another way to prevent type 2 diabetes is to eat better and eat less. This can seem simple, but many times it becomes quite tricky. Many foods that you may never think of can raise your blood sugar to high levels. For example, processed foods such as white bread make your blood sugar levels sky rocket. Why? Because they contain simple sugars that are processed by your digestive system very quickly. To combat this, eat foods that are high in fiber, which slows down the digestion process. Also try to cut back on your fat and calorie intake. Cutting back just a little can make major changes in your health. Here are five ideas:

• Cut back on the amount of sodas you drink or drink no calorie beverages.
• Trim the fat from meats and choose leaner cuts of meat.
• Find out the serving sizes of your foods and stick to the serving size amount.
• Switch from fried foods to baked foods.
• Skip sour cream, cheese sauces, butter and gravy on food.

Cholesterol

High “bad” cholesterol and low “good” cholesterol can also be a major factor to getting Type 2 Diabetes. If your HDL cholesterol is below 35 mg/dL and/or your triglyceride level is above 250 mg/dL you should take measures to get them to good levels to prevent the onset of type 2 diabetes. Get a cholesterol test and discuss the results with your doctor. Some ways to get your cholesterol on an even keel is to eat better, eat less and exercise, like mentioned above.

Combining these strategies will lower your risk of type 2 diabetes dramatically and will help you live a longer, happier life.

Lana Hawkins is the author of Fit, Healthy Self Blog. It’s a great place to find fitness and health information you need to prolong and improve your life. Want a great Get Ready for Fitness Course for free? Or a 30 minute exercise plan that gets you strength and cardio benefits at once? Fit, Healthy Self has all you need to get and stay healthy.

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Myth 1:

Diabetes cannot be prevented.

Fact 1:
Of course, it can be prevented if you do not have a family history of it. Its onset can also be delayed in people who have a family history of it.

Eating regular meals, exercising regularly, keeping away from alcohols, cigarettes and most of all by keeping stress away one can keep diabetes away.

Myth 2:

Diabetes is not curable.

Fact 2:

Earlier, it was thought that diabetes was not curable. If one got it then it would be there with him for life. But, now we know that this is not so. Actually, researchers are working on cures for diabetes. For example, the beta cell replacement therapy, islet cell transplant and pancreatic transplant are some of them that the researchers are working on.

Myth 3:

Excessive consumption of sweets can cause diabetes.

Fact 3:

Although excessive consumption of sweets doesn’t directly cause diabetes, it is somewhat related to it. Having excessive sweets causes weight gain. Such weight gain along with sedentary habits, stress and/or family history can increase the risk of occurence of Diabetes.

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Controlling your HBa1c isn’t all that hard after all. Believe me or not, all it takes is some will power and exercise for an hour a day.

Everybody tends to do what they are asked not to. It is natural human tendency to do that. If we are asked to cut down on our calorie intake, it will be hard at first because we were used to having sweet stuff.

The main problem is to keep our minds away from sweet food articles no matter how tempting they are.

For that, I have a great idea that has worked for me and is surely bound to work for you.

Stock your house with food, all kinds of food but which do not have many calories and which do not have much oil or butter or cheese content in it.

For example, try having lots of salad, fruits, lemon juice and many more things.

Whenever you feel bored or hungry just go grab a small snack. For a few days try and completely cut down on your intake of sugar.

For example, if you love chocolates and eat a piece or two everyday, stop that for sometime say about ten days. After that you yourself will stop having chocolates because now your mind is adjusted to you not having chocolates.

Stop all intake of sugar for about ten days and you will realise that you don’t really need to have sugar anymore. You will see that your sugars are better controlled, you have a better HBa1c and you also feel good about yourself for having the will power to cut off extra sugar from your diet.

You aren’t cutting off sugar completely because most of the things that you eat does have sugar in it in small amounts which is enough.

Exercise daily for atleast an hour to keep better control on your sugar.

All this helps in a better HBa1c which makes you proud and the people close to you very happy.

I’m trying my new formula for the first time and it is working perfectly.

To get a good HBa1c, you don’t have to starve yourself to death to have your sugars controlled. All it takes is a bit of will power for 10 days and exercise everyday for an hour.

So, try it out for yourself once and you wont believe what you have achieved in the end.

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Pregnant women are often afraid about the word Diabetes. Gestational Diabetes Mellitus is a condition that only affects pregnant women. As per statistics, there are approximately 250,000 cases of gestational diabetes every year in the US.

Safety And Monitoring

However, having this form of diabetes and a pregnancy that continues normally is entirely possible. If a woman appears to be at risk, her doctor will likely conduct a test from between 24-28 weeks. If the test is positive, exercising and monitoring both your diet and your blood sugar levels should be adequate in most cases.

Your health care provider will tell you exactly what to do. In some cases insulin injections may be necessary, but the baby should be fine. After birth, gestational diabetes mellitus generally disappears within about two months. However, this may be a warning sign of future diabetes and will need to be tracked by your health care provider.

If you plan to have another child and you had gestational diabetes during your earlier pregnancies, always be sure to consult with your physician. You should have your blood glucose levels tested a few months before making an attempt to get pregnant again.

Preeclampsia And Diabetes

For those with gestational diabetes or pre-existing diabetes, a healthy pregnancy and safe delivery are, again, generally the norm. Unfortunately, diabetes does increase the risk of the condition known as preeclampsia that can affect pregnant women.

What is preeclampsia?

Preeclampsia is a hypertensive condition (high blood pressure) experienced by between five to eight percent of pregnant women that can put stress on the kidneys and liver. It can also lead to edema of the lungs, increase the risk of blood clots and cause seizures during the birth as well.

Preeclampsia can even kill, and for those with gestational diabetes there is an approximately 15% increase in the risk factor for this condition. For those with pre-existing diabetes, that risk factor goes up to 30%, and the condition is most common in a first-time pregnancy. Your health care provider will no doubt be monitoring for such things.

Although diabetes and pregnancy can scare you, chances are that you can look forward to a happy and normal delivery. You need to exercise caution and be prudent and monitor your health closely together with your physician so that any such anomalies can be detected early and treated without any unwanted complications.

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Juvenile Diabetes is the most common type of diabetes found in children and young adults, hence its name Juvenile or Childhood Diabetes. It is also called Type 1 Diabetes. This is also the most common chronic disorders of childhood.

Symptoms of Juvenile Diabetes

1. Frequent passing of urine
2. Frequent drinking of liquids
3. Frequent eating of food
4. Weight loss
5. Changes in behaviour

Causes of Juvenile Diabetes

1. Inherited (or genetic) factor
2. Self-allergy (autoimmunity)
3. Environmental change

1. Inheritance

The first important reason seems to be an inherited or genetic factor, such as the way a person inherits the color of eyes from a mother, father or other relative.

2. Auto Immunity

The second cause that seems to be important in type 1 diabetes is self-allergy or autoimmunity. In the case of Autoimmune disorders, our immune system itself turns against a body part.

3. Environmental Change (virus or chemical)

A third factor may also be important. Environmental factors may either be a virus or something in the food we eat. This factor may act as a bridge between the genetic part and the allergic reaction.

Honeymoon Period

People with type 1 diabetes will need insulin injections for the rest of their lives. Often, there is a honeymoon period that may occur a short time after the onset of diabetes.

During the honeymoon period, the liver shuts off the production of sugar and a fair amount of insulin is still being produced in the pancreas.

This surely doesn’t mean you are cured of diabetes because people often tend to think like that.

You still need to take in your injections, may be once a day. But it is a necessity.

Facts Fantasy

1. People with type 1 diabetes have a certain cell type (called HLA). Those who don’t have diabetes have a lesser chance of having this cell type.
2. It is now known that there are different genes that help a person from developing diabetes.
3. Children from a family who have a child with diabetes have a greater chance of developing it than without a family history. A brother or a sister of a child with diabetes has a 1 in 20 (5%) chance of getting diabetes.
4. In case of juvenile diabetes and other autoimmune diseases, the immune system turns against a body part.

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The reason for this disability is that the kidney is no longer able to concentrate urine and it may be caused by:

1. Deficiencies of antidiuretic hormone (ADH), or
2. Through insensitivity of the kidneys to this particular harmone

Symptoms And Other Signs of Diabetes Insipidus

When the person excessively urinates and feels extremes of thirst, and more particularly for cold water, it is symptomatic of diabetes insipidus and symptoms of this disability are also very like those of diabetes mellitus, though the urine is not sweet and there won’t be elevated blood glucose and very rarely is there blurred vision. There is usually no let up in the excessive urination and it continues throughout the day as well as at night and in the case of children, it may cause interference in their appetite, eating as well as show weight gain and interferes with their growth, as well.

Children suffering from diabetes insipidus may:

1. Get fever
2. Tend to vomit
3. Also have diarrhea

Adults suffering from untreated diabetes insipidus can stay in very good health for several years so long as they drink adequate quantities of water to compensate for urinary losses. At the same time, the risk of dehydration will always be there and one has to be aware and be careful about this risk.

Diabetes insipidus can be distinguished from other causes of excessive urination and other symptoms. Through testing, one may be able to determine the causes of diabetes insipidus, which may take the form of excessive intake of fluids, be a defect in ADH production or be a defect in the response of the kidney to ADH. Tests can be conducted to measure changes in the person’s body weight, outputs of urine as well as the composition of urine when urine is suspended and in some cases, it may also be necessary to measure blood levels of ADH.

Central diabetes insipidus as well as gestational diabetes insipidus will respond to desmorpressin which will be ineffective in nephrogenic diabetes insipidus and the doctor should advise the patient to drink fluids, only in case of feeling thirsty and not at other times.

Even if left untreated, diabetes insipidus does not cause death or even reduce the expectancy of life. But, the exception are when the patient is unable to consume adequate quantities of water and that may commonly occur if he or she loses consciousness or has some other debilitating condition.

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The symptoms of this disease normally show in the form of unusual thirst, fatigue, weight loss, excessive urination and the like. If you think you have diabetes, you will need to run a diabetes test to confirm it.

Diabetes Treatment Depends On Correct Diagnosis

There are many types of diabetes. Your treatment will depend on what type of diabetes you are suffering from. In order to identify it, you will need to undertake a diabetes test. There are four types of diabetes tests,

1. Fasting plasma glucose test
2. Postprandial plasma glucose test
3. Random blood sugar test
4. Oral glucose tolerance test

Normally, the first two tests are sufficient for diagnosis. The third test can be done on a random basis to check the blood glucose level. The fourth test is ordinarily reserved for pregnant women.

1. Fasting plasma glucose test – This is the most common diabetes test used for diagnosis of this disease. You will need to give a little amount of blood (drawn from a vein). You would be required to abstain from taking any type of food prior to this test (minimum 10 hours). The blood thus taken will be checked for sugar content. Levels of 126 mg/dl (7 mmol/l) or higher indicate a need for a subsequent retest on a different day to confirm a diagnosis of diabetes. Results that measure only slightly above the normal range may require further testing, including the postprandial plasma glucose test, or the oral glucose tolerance test, to confirm diagnosis of diabetes.
2. Postprandial plasma glucose test – This is again another common diabetes test used for diagnosis of this disease. This is done along with Fasting plasma glucose test. You will need to give a little amount of blood (drawn from a vein). This is done two hours after meal. Hence, this test is also called Two Hour Postprandial Glucose Test. The blood thus taken will be checked for sugar content. The glucose values of 200 mg/dl or higher indicate diabetes. Generally, levels of less than 145 mg/dl (8.1 mmol/L) are considered normal (when using the glucose oxidase or hexokinase laboratory methods).

A laboratary result which measures much below the normal range can also indicate problems such as reactive renal or hepatic insufficiency, hypopituitarism, hypoglycemia, or malabsorption syndrome, and will usually require further diagnostic testing.

3. Random blood sugar test – This test is almost the same as the fasting plasma glucose test. The only difference is that you do not need to fast before the test here. You will be required to eat as usual before taking this test. The glucose content in this case would be a bit higher than the fasting plasma glucose test – however, if the reading is more than 200 mg/dl then you will be recommended for the fasting sugar test for confirmation.
4. Oral glucose tolerance test – this diabetes test is usually conducted to diagnose gestational diabetes in pregnant women. You will need to drink glucose mixed in water after which blood will be drawn at regular intervals of three hours each. Depending on the sugar level in the blood, the diagnosis will be made. This test is very seldom used for diagnosing diabetes for other patients (other than pregnant women).

Diabetes, once diagnosed, normally stays with you for the rest of your life. But, diabetes can, definitely, be controlled through proper diet, medication, physical exercise and close monitoring. If these steps are followed, a diabetic can lead a perfectly normal lifestyle.

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