Posts Tagged ‘blood glucose level’

The Story Behind Diabetes

Friday, October 7th, 2011

Even two thousand years before, diabetes has already been acknowledged as one of the deadly disease from the century. Aretaeus, a Greek authority, gave the name “diabetes” to this disease which comes from a Greek word meaning “siphon”. Physicians from the early times already recognized the signs of diabetes but were powerless either in controlling or treating it.

Within the 17th century, Dr. Thomas Willis, a London physician, determines if his patients have diabetes by sampling their urine. If it has sweet taste based on him, then the patient has diabetes. This process has been accepted and widely used until the early 20th century.

A miraculous discovery of insulin happened in 1921 when Frederick Banting a surgeon and his friend Charles Best administered insulin to some dying young man of diabetes and high glucose level returned to normal after 24 hours. Before that youngsters detected with diabetes are expected to reside for only less than a year but it changes when insulin was introduced. Many lives were saved or prolonged otherwise totally saved with the discovery of insulin. It was Roger Hinsworth in 1935 that discovered the 2 types of diabetes namely: “insulin sensitive” or type I and “insulin insensitive” or type 2.

Since then different types of insulin were developed and marketed like PZI insulin, NPH insulin and sulfonylureas, a dental medications for type 2 diabetes. In 1960 urine strips was introduced which is used to monitor the glucose level. The following year, the use of syringe was widespread which is more efficient than the early glass syringe. Many are inconvenient with because you have to boil it to sterilized apart from it being so painful when use.

The enormous glucose meter came in 1965 created by Ames Diagnostics. It weighs nearly three pounds with about four-inch galvanometer which is cumbersome to create anywhere. New technology brought a significantly smaller sized glucose meter where you can bring with you wherever you go.

In 1970’s insulin pumps was designed. This allows a continuous drip of insulin dosage utilizing a cannula and a small needle inserted into the skin. It is bulky and should be carried like a backpack. Today it is simply light and easily carried in a pocket of anyone. An evaluation called hemoglobin A1c is used to measure more precisely the blood glucose level. Newer models of sugar test are now becoming lighter and compact in addition to easy to use.

Oral medications for diabetic people are now available over the counter and duly approved by the FDA of the United States. Metformin is an effective medicine that heightens the sensitivity to insulin and boosts the ability of the muscles to make use of insulin. Precose is responsible for delaying the digestion of carbohydrates thus sudden rise from the glucose level is prevented. Liapro may be the fast-acting insulin of today released in August 1996 that energizes the body’s output.

Today with the emergence of newly formulated oral or inject able insulin, diabetes is no longer a threatening issue unlike before. Take a look at more information at http://historyofdiabetes.org/.

A Healthy Diet For A Diabetic

Thursday, September 15th, 2011

Among the changes you have to make if you are diagnosed with diabetes is to change your diet into a healthy one. Although this is easy said than can be done, but if your life is at risk, you have to be determined to change it for the better.

Follow a healthy diet like what everyone ought to do whether you are diagnosed with diabetes or otherwise. Diabetic do not have a special foods. Their foods still can raise blood glucose level, contains calories and fats like that of non-diabetic foods. Diabetics are just advised to eat a diet that is low in salt, fats and sugar but instead high in fibers.

They can consume the same food non-diabetic are eating but for a low to moderate amount. To ensure they are achieving the correct and a balanced diet, a need to see with a dietician is necessary. They have to know how to balance the amount of insulin towards the amount of food they are taking. Following a right meal plan makes a large amount of difference in a person struggling to control blood sugar level.

Among the food groups, carbohydrates have the greater impact on the blood sugar since it is broken down into simpler sugars throughout the digestion process. It is therefore necessary to monitor the food that you eat rich in carbohydrates along with some fats and proteins.

3 to 5 servings of fruits and vegetables are highly recommended daily and to reduce saturated fats and sugar intake as well. If you are smoking, it is about time you have to stop using for it boosts the risk of cardiovascular diseases one of the complications of diabetes.

Another change in the day to day activities of a diabetic is a time for you to monitor blood glucose level daily. This is to make sure insulin and the food intakes are in accordance to the correct level. Taking medication religiously is also highly recommended so that you will not find yourself worrying a low blood glucose level today and a high blood glucose level the next day.

Aside from a change in their diet, other activities ought to be modified as well. If you are overweight, there is a need to lose excess weight. It might be difficult to control your blood glucose level if you cannot control your food intake as well. Maintain a healthy bodyweight combined with regular exercise and you will find yourself a healthy you.

If you cannot find time for you to do some exercise, you have to be at least physically active for 30 minutes of regular and moderate-intensity activities of all days. If you want to control your weight, a regular physical activity or a daily being active is required. All these changes you will make in your lifestyles when done regularly won’t feel like a torture but a challenge towards a better you. Acquire some useful information at http://diabeticdietzone.com/.

Diabetes Type 1

Thursday, September 1st, 2011

Type 1 diabetes, also known as insulin dependent diabetes mellitus, is a type that can develop in the early stages in life. Additionally, it develops in adults as well. It’s available in different names such as childhood-onset diabetes and juvenile diabetes since it usually develops at the young age, as early as 2 or 3. There is no preventive cure for this type of diabetes.

Patients who are diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, with nutritious diet, exercise and lifestyle, are mainly in better physical condition compared to those who have acquired type 2 diabetes. The reason being patients who develop the condition earlier have had a lengthy time period to adjust and get accustomed using the treatment and diet required for the patients. Patients with type 2 diabetes having developed the disease in later life will often have difficulties adjusting to a new lifestyle.

Type 1 diabetes patients need insulin to outlive. Insulin is normally produced by the pancreas but with this disease the pancreas is not able to do so. Thus, type 1 diabetes patients need to take insulin externally. Insulin intake may be administered through injections or insulin pumps. Insulin pumps are usually preferred especially with children. A proper planned diet is also necessary to maintain glucose levels in the blood in a normal and tolerant level.

Insulin is needed by the body for food to become assimilated into the cells. Without insulin, more than glucose in the bloodstream occurs. Glucose in the basic energy source of the cells in your body but without insulin it could become toxic. The high levels of glucose in the blood stream could cause the damage of many tissues and organs such as the kidneys.

The dose of insulin for intake depends on the doctor’s prescription and assessment in your needs, lifestyle, diet plan and exercise program. It may be taken with flexibility with respect to the rise and fall of the blood glucose level.

If not treated, the high levels of glucose in the blood will lead to blindness, kidney problems, complications in the heart, and nerve damage. However, diabetes type 1 can be managed and will not become a significant problem. Get valuable information at http://diabetes-type-1.org/.