Category: Diabetes 101

Dogs Helping Diabetics: Dogs can be trained for almost anything. There are dogs that are trained to be police dogs, watch dogs, rescue dogs. companion dogs and seeing eye dogs. Did you know that dogs can also be trained as a medical alert dog for diabetics? These dogs can detect when a diabetics blood glucose goes to low and will alert them. There are organizations all over the country that are training dogs to help people just like you who suffer from diabetes.

One of the organizations, Heaven Sent Paws was founded based on a mother’s personal experience with her son and his diabetic seizures. She did some research and worked with a dog that she bought and sure enough, the dog was able to tell when her son’s blood sugar level was getting to low and she alerted the family to the child’s falling blood sugar level and they were able to get it back up before he went back into seizures. Others have started organizations based on similar experiences.

So exactly how does it work? With most of the organizations they train the dogs from the time they are puppies. Some organizations will take in pregnant strays, saving both the mother and the puppies. The puppies will then begin to be trained. They are trained on many behavior commands and actions. They are taught acceptable public behaviors and are started on scent discrimination training. The key to having the dog work well is to also go through extensive training with the new owner.

Heaven Sent Paws requires you to go through a three week training course with your dog. If the dog is for your diabetic child, then your child has to be there also. Through out this three week training course, you and your dog will participate out in public as a class. You and your dog will be brought to many of the same places that you will go to in your everyday life. Places like the supermarket, department stores, malls, movies, restaurants, bowling alley, on a train, in elevators and even on a school bus if you have a diabetic child. It is essential for you to feel comfortable with your dog in these situations and other situations once you get back home. Plus, it will get you use to having your dog with you everywhere you go.

When you get your dog, it is best that you go into it not expecting a perfect dog. The dog is still a dog and you will still have to make sure you praise it and sometimes correct it. You also have to make sure your dog gets plenty of love and attention. Most of these organizations will match you up with a dog. As of right now, there are no known trainers out there who can train a dog you might already own to become a medical alert dog for diabetes. There have been some reports though that there are dogs who have not had any formal training who can sniff out if their diabetic owner has had a drop in blood sugar level, but there is no hard evidence to support this.

Having a dog who can alert you when your blood sugar is dropping is a excellent pet to have. They can help you better manage your diabetes and lessen your risk of complications.

Insulin Resistant: In order to understand what insulin resistant is, we must first understand what insulin is. Insulin is secreted by the pancreas. There are a cluster of cells called the Islets of Langerhans. Some of these cells are the cells that produce insulin. Once your pancreas notices a rise in the blood glucose level it starts to release the insulin into your blood stream so the insulin can take the blood glucose an put it into cells to be used as energy.

In some people however, the insulin can not deliver the glucose into the cells. For whatever reason, their cells simply refuse delivery so to speak. So in order for your pancreas to keep the blood glucose level under control, it has to secret additional insulin. However, their body’s cells will not respond or refuse to accept the higher level of insulin. This is known as insulin resistance. Usually once their body’s cells start to resist the insulin, the glucose is going to build up in their blood and could result in type 2 diabetes. Type 2 diabetes occurs when their cells refuse the insulin no matter how high the level and their body doesn’t respond at all to it. There is also the risk of developing Syndrome X with insulin resistance. Syndrome X is a cluster of risk factors for heart disease such as low HDL cholesterol (the good kind), hyperglycemia and hypertension. There are some people however who have insulin resistance but are still able to produce enough insulin to keep their blood glucose levels near normal. However though just about everyone who does have type 2 diabetes is insulin resistant.

No one really knows for sure what causes insulin resistance. One of the most common believed causes of insulin resistance is obesity and not exercising. However no one has been able to prove that this is what causes insulin resistance. Obesity and no physical activity has been show to aggravate insulin resistance, some feel that a diet high in carbohydrates may cause insulin resistance, as well as a diet high in sugar. Many scientists believe that it is caused by a defect in a certain gene. Some possible symptoms that could indicate there might be a problem are of fatigue, brain fogginess, low blood sugar level, intestinal bloating, high blood pressure, and depression. However the only way that insulin resistance can be diagnosed is through a glucose tolerance test. If you have to have a glucose tolerance test, be prepared to take a dose of glucose usually in the form of a drink. Then you will have blood drawn once at 1 hour after you finish and then again about 2 hours after you finish.

You can help prevent insulin resistance by watching your diet and eating healthy. Having a good exercise program is a additional benefit and will not only help you prevent insulin resistant and diabetes, but also a vast majority of other problems to. Make sure your diet is a healthy and well balanced diet that does not consist of just carbohydrates and sugars.

Pooling: When all patients with insulin-dependent diabetes use a syringe for the administration of insulin, those patients need to learn to watch for evidence of pooling. When insulin does not enter the blood stream fast enough, it then forms a “pool” in the area in which it has been injected. In a short period of time, the pool of insulin is released all at once and a person’s blood sugar lowers rapidly. This primarily happens when diabetics use the stomach as an injection location.

Muscle activity helps to move insulin into the bloodstream. Muscle activity speeds the redistribution of blood. The blood swiftly carries the insulin away from the area of the injection. The amount of blood flowing to the site of an injection plays a role in modulating the rate of absorption for any drug injected at that same site.

A diabetes patient can learn to watch for signs of pooling. Pooling can cause dizziness, faintness or lightheadedness. Evidence of those symptoms should signal the patient to reach for a ready source of sugar, something that will cause the effect of the pooled insulin to subside. Sugar is a treatment for the symptoms caused by the insulin pooling

Patients have become familiar with the concentration of the injected insulin. In the United States, that concentration is U-100 (meaning 100 units per cubic centimeter). Diabetes patients have learned that syringes have been designed to hold 100, 50 or 30 units of insulin. That knowledge helps to insure administration of the proper insulin dosage.

While the design of the syringes can help with administration of the proper insulin dose, it can not prevent the possible pooling of the injected insulin. Factors that enhance the absorption of insulin can aid the avoidance of pooling. Elements in the method of insulin administration can also lower the chances for pooling. This article will look at those factors and those elements.

The site of an insulin injection helps to determine the rate at which the insulin will be absorbed. Injection of insulin into the abdomen guarantees rapid absorption of the injected drug. Injection into the arm, the buttock or thigh should be made with the anticipation of a slower rate for insulin absorption.

A rapid absorption promises a short period between the time of insulin administration and the appearance of the expected therapeutic effect. Pooling prevents effective delivery of the desired effect to all parts of the body. A rapid absorption process aids prevention of pooling. Chemical changes in the insulin can lead to a more rapid absorption.

Pharmacists now make insulin with absorption enhancement compounds. Hydroxylamine and a salt of hydroxylamine are often used as absorption enhancement compounds. Such compounds increase the rate at which proteins permeate into the body’s vascular space. They hasten the ability of the proteins to produce the wanted therapeutic effect.

When a drug contains the proper enhancement compound, then it can enter the blood stream within 2 minutes after injection of that drug. Pharmacists have learned how to make insulin with varying amounts of enhancement compound. Pharmacists now sell four types of insulin—very rapid acting, rapid acting, intermediate acting and long acting

The many types of insulin that are now available to diabetes patients no longer need to be given to those patients by a simple injection. Newer devices have been designed to help diabetes patients get their insulin in a less painful manner. Some of the devices now on the market also help to prevent the problems caused by insulin pooling.

Some diabetes patients administer their insulin by using pen injectors. A pen injector has disposable needles. A pen injector allows the diabetes patient to receive an accurate insulin dose without doing a lot of measuring. The pen has a dial that can be set for the desired insulin dose. (The maximum dose setting is 150 units.)

Jet injectors send insulin through the skin, in the form of a fine spray. The fine mist disperses quickly in the body, sending insulin into the blood faster. A diabetes patient should not expect problems with pooling if he or she is using a jet injector. Still, the makers of the jet injectors have not ironed out all of the problems that are associated with the use of such injectors. A diabetic using a jet injector could benefit from an improved ability to control the intensity of the spray.

Inhaled insulin appears to have the potential to replace the need for rapid acting insulin. However, the Exubera medication is no longer available.

Doctors and diabetes patients would welcome the development of a skin patch. The use of such a patch would help to eliminate problems with pooling.. The size of the insulin molecule poses the greatest challenge to creation of a workable insulin patch.

Celiac Disease And Diabetes: Celiac Disease is a disease that interferes with the digestive system; it makes the small intestine have further lack of absorbing traditional nutrients that is taken from the food that you eat. There is a protein called Gluten that these people who suffer from this disease are not allowed to have. Most packages especially chips provide us with knowledge on whether or not the ingredients include Gluten or not, most say “Gluten-free.” Of course for most people that doesn’t mean much on a regular basis because we scarf down a bag a chips anyways. However, for those who have Celiac disease it could be a huge problem.

Usually, Gluten is found in things like rye breads, barley and wheat products. Usually this protein is found in the foods we intake daily, but there are instances that it can be found is our daily activities also that can be just as harmful. Take a closer look at both your medications and vitamins because you could find out that both hold the harmful protein for your body. Also something as simple as a self adhesive stamp could hold the protein. Most people these days use the pre-made adhesive stamps and that’s actually the best way to go since the other stamps taste very bad.

So you are probably wondering what exactly happens to these people with Celiac disease who intake Gluten? Well I’ll tell you, Gluten will cause the immune system of these certain people to interact with the body and end up damaging itself. The body will start beating up on its own self and the most damage will go straight to your small intestine. There are many protrusions along the wall of your intestine that end up taking a harsh amount of damage and are most times destroyed. These protrusions are referred to villi, and they allow the food that is eaten to be absorbed into the bloodstream. Without it, a person will become unhealthy and very malnourished which will cause other serious problems. Many people would say to eat more, but it doesn’t matter how much you eat, once the villi’s are destroyed then you will need medical help to recover.

Celiac Disease is considered an autoimmune disease because it is a disease that makes the body attacks itself. Most times it is a genetic disease but occasionally it is found that the disease is triggered through an event in your life such as severe stress, viral infections, child birth, surgery and possibly pregnancy.

Some normal symptoms you could look for are the following:

• Recurring abdominal bloating and pain
• Chronic diarrhea
• Constipation
• Foul, smelling stool
• Weight loss/ weight gain
• Fatigue
• Behavioral changes
• Muscle cramps
• Seizures
• Missed menstrual cycles
• Recurrent miscarriages

Those are just some of the basic symptoms there are many more, so if you find yourself with any of the recurrent symptoms then it is very important to get checked out as soon as possible.

Diabetes plays a role in Celiac disease by also being an autoimmune disease. Those who have developed Celiac Disease may also find that they have developed Diabetes also. So to get checked for both might be in your best interest as far as your health is concerned. Other diseases that can be found are thyroid disease, liver disease, systemic lupus erythematosus and rheumatoid arthritis.

Treatment for Celiac disease consists of first making sure there is no gluten anywhere near your food. If you do that, then can live normally; granted it will be harder to live normally due to checking all your food products. However, gluten-free diets are basically the only cure for those who have developed Celiac disease.

What You Need To Know About Pre-Diabetes: It is always an issue before developing Type 2 diabetes that people are going through the process of what is called Pre-diabetes. This could be the most important part of curing your future diabetes problems because it is an earlier detection and can cure most of the problems that might progress in the future. Through-out your life whether or not your family members before you had diabetes it is always a good thing to get a check-up by your doctor for diabetes.

Since diabetes is a growing problem more and more checkups are being made to seek out diabetes as early possible. Those who have come before us who died painful deaths through having diabetes should not have had. Truth is, we just didn’t have the technology that today’s world has and so people were developing more and more unneeded and unwanted problems.

Now though technology has a way of telling us if we are in harsh shape for developing diabetes and what can be done in out pre-diabetes stage. The only problem is there is absolutely no cure for diabetes, so if you are diagnosed with pre-diabetes then it is going to turn into Type 2 diabetes. However, at least in learning about it early you have more of a chance to fix the issues that are going to come with diabetes later and keep a more watchful eye on them.

Over 41 million Americans have been diagnosed with pre-diabetes and at that rate you can not afford to be held in the dark about it. If you are diagnosed with pre-diabetes then that means your body is starting to resist insulin and glucose is trying to be produced more to suffice your body’s needs.

Your doctor may also call this medical condition “impaired fasting glucose” or “impaired glucose tolerance”. Some risk factors that can cause pre-diabetes or diabetes Type 2 are being overweight or obese, family history, sedentary lifestyle, race, age or a previous diagnosis of gestational diabetes.

Three tests might be offered to see if you are have pre-diabetes; “The fasting plasma glucose test”, “The oral glucose tolerance test”, “The A1c test and diabetes.”

If you have pre-diabetes your doctor will most likely set you on a diet and exercise plan. Sometimes just losing anywhere from 5% to 7% of your body weight can help to prevent pre-diabetes from ever escaping to the next level. Some oral medications may be given depending on how far along the pre-diabetes has progressed.

If you take really good care of your health and your body you could delay or even prevent the oncoming of Type 2 diabetes. It happens all the time, through exercise and dieting and watching everything that you eat you too could make sure that your “pre- diabetes” stays just that and nothing else develops.

Diabetes can be hard for a person to go through and some of the symptoms are just so irritating and mind-numbing that most people feel depressed and alone. Diabetes can have a huge affect on people, especially those who can no longer to what they did before because of their diabetes. If you know someone who has diabetes or are showing the signs of having diabetes the first and foremost important thing to do is start a diet plan that will help to get your body sitting on the right track until you can see a doctor. Most times just diet and exercise is a lot of what diabetes needs. However, never think that diabetes will up and just go away because it won’t. Diabetes will stay in your life and get worse until something is done to help the symptoms be less and more livable.

Understanding Double Diabetes: What is double diabetes? Double Diabetes simply means what it basically states, when you have double diabetes then you are dealing with both Type 1 and type 2 diabetes. This can be extremely harmful on both you and your body since just having one form of diabetes in unfathomable to many people. Double diabetes happens when a person who has Type 1 diabetes starts to gain weight it then can turn into Type 2 diabetes which can also be helped the same way with others who have been diagnosed with just Type 2 diabetes alone. Through exercise and dieting, you can achieve a miraculous goal as long as you truly want to.

Double diabetes can be painful in many areas of your life just as regular diabetes can be. However, there are things that you do to make sure you are less pain then need be. Granted, I don’t think many people going asking for pain, so it is truly better when you find someway of having all the pain a the mildest degree.

Sometimes when you have one relative in your family who has had diabetes your chance at either having one type or even both types’ presents you at even a bigger risk. Double diabetes can be treated by diet and exercise but also through medication and weight loss. It has been studied that through weight-loss alone many of those suffering diabetes have found some form or relief. You can also find more information when looking up double diabetes through alterative names like hybrid and mixed diabetes.

Double Diabetes has taken on amazing growth since it was first diagnosed and now it may be harder then ever to help those who have both types of diabetes, but that doesn’t mean that doctors will stop looking. It just means doctors have to work harder to diagnose their patients with a type of diabetes when they show signs and symptoms from both types.

Doctors can guess all day long about patients having the symptoms of both types of diabetes and then guess which one more resembles the correct type of diabetes they have. The truth is, is even those Type 1 ad Type 2 diabetes are so close they are also very different. One could show signs leading doctors to believe they have Type 1 when in actuality they have both types. It is a truly hard illness to diagnose.

It is estimated that over 20 million people in America have diabetes, which is at least seven percent of people in our nation who have this illness. In a study we found out that over six million of those people have diabetes but they don’t know that they do. Forty-one million people living in the U.S. have been diagnosed with pre-diabetes therefore we can not afford to not be tested to make sure we do not have the disease. Because of these astounding numbers many people have started showing up for double diabetes rather then just Type 1 or Type 2. Granted, it is because of those who have been diagnosed with Type 1 and who have gained weight that produces the Double Diabetes.

Since Type 2 diabetes can be controlled through diet and exercise then it is safe to say that when we gain weight we are at a higher risk for developing the disease.

The first step you can do when showing signs of being a diabetic is to make sure you start a diet plan. Many diet plans are available through-out the internet or food stores. There are even cookbooks devoted to those who have been diagnosed with diabetes. Diet and exercise is number one key for anyone who has diabetes, whether it’s Type 1, Type 2 or double diabetes.

Rates In The Elderly With Diabetes Rise: It’s no secret that many people world-wide are learning more and more information about the 6th most popular reason people are dying world-wide yearly. It is hard for people as they get older and it doesn’t help that diabetes seems to be sitting there waiting in our very bodies until we catch up to it. Diabetes is a huge threat to our families, our loved ones and our environment. It has developed into one of the common most known illnesses out there.

Those who have diabetes know exactly what it is like to be forced with the thoughts of not only a different lifestyle but sometimes a more depressing lifestyle. Diabetes is known to be associated with all kinds of symptoms but those living with diabetes are most affected by the depression that diabetes brings to their lives. Elderly people have produced a huge amount of diabetes patients in the last few years, more then any other age group. Because of this, more and more elderly men and women are deciding early on to get checked for diabetes. That way they will know before hand, even if they are in the stages of having pre-diabetes, they can still do something about it.

According to WebMD, a plunge of more then twenty-three percent of elderly patients have been diagnosed with Diabetes recently. This also means that medical costs have also plunged due to the medical treatment needed to help these new found diabetic patients. This itself has put a huge strain on the health care system. Just between 1994 and 2004 a plunge of over 23% was inhabited which proved that the healthcare system is an even furthering demand to overcome it.

If this continues there may be no way for the healthcare system to help itself and may fall under the high demand of such a tall order to fill. Scary thought as it is something has to be done about this ever –growing problem but what? Sure, more people could donate to the cause of diabetics but a lot of people do not realize diabetes as such a serious problem. They see Aids, Cancer and such things as more of an importance and most definitely those are some very important causes to donate to also but diabetes must not be forgotten as a huge problem that needs to be helped.

We can do this by developing articles and websites that show how important diabetes is and exactly what happens to people and why they need medical attention and deserve it. Those who have taken on the elderly age of 65 and older seem to have many health concerns and diabetes just adds to list. Therefore, them getting medical treatment is necessary and must be a top priority.

Many elderly people develop Type 1 diabetes over Type 2, however there are those who are trying to surpass both Type 1 and Type 2 who are in need of medical comfort and either can not afford or have been turned down. It’s an unnatural way to live when you don’t have a medication for Type 1 diabetes and most people who are 65 and older find themselves unable to physically exercise to allow comfort from Type 2 diabetes. In this situation with under developed medical assistance, how are these people supposed to find comfort in their lives and in their health’s.

The sad truth is, is that most of those people don’t and that’s why many amputations have been done in the last few years on elderly people. The answer, support those who are diabetic in helping to find someway to cut medical costs and supply out elderly folks some form of comfort.