Diabetes is Serious and Can Put You at Risk For a Heart Attack Or Stroke

If you have been to your doctor recently, he/she may have advised that you have diabetes or you are a borderline diabetic. You might be overweight, you may be at risk of diabetes due to your lifestyle or you may be predisposed, because a relative has either had or been diagnosed with the disease.



Diabetes, in simple terms means that your blood sugar (blood glucose) is too high. Since your blood always maintains some glucose in it, your body uses the glucose for energy. But if you have too much glucose in the blood, it can be detrimental to your health. Glucose is added to the body from the food you eat. The bloodstream carries the glucose to all of your cells in the body.



Insulin is a hormone made by the pancreas and the pancreas releases the insulin into the blood. The purpose of insulin is to help the glucose from ingested food get to your cells. In the case where your body does not produce an adequate amount of insulin or if the insulin, for whatever reason does not function properly, the glucose is unable to get to your cells, remaining in the blood. As a result, your blood glucose level will get too high, which can cause pre-diabetes or diabetes.



Pre-diabetes is defined as a condition in which the blood glucose levels are higher than what they should be. Most people who are diagnosed with pre-diabetes are usually at an increased risk for developing type 2 diabetes and also have the risk of developing heart disease or having a stroke. stroke. If you have pre-diabetes, there are things you can do to reduce your risk of getting diabetes with, namely Weight loss and physical activity. But more importantly, they can help to lower your blood glucose to return to normal levels.



The major signs of diabetes can include any or all of the following:



1. excessive thirst



2. frequent urination



3. excessive hunger or tiredness



4. sores that heal very slowly



5. dry, itchy skin



6. numbness or tingling in your feet



7. blurry vision



You may have experienced one or more of these symptoms but it is possible you never had any symptoms at all. A simple blood test will check your glucose levels and the results will show if you are pre-diabetic or actually have diabetes.



Diabetes can strike anyone, at any age, so if you have been diagnosed, you will have one of the two types.



Type 1 diabetes, was previously referred to as juvenile diabetes or insulin-dependent diabetes and it affects children through young adults.



In Type 1 diabetes, specialized cells located in the pancreas can no longer make insulin and for whatever reason, they have attacked and destroyed the immune system of the body. The usual treatment for Type 1 diabetes includes insulin injections. It is also stressed that you need to make wise choices of food and become more physically active.



Type 2 diabetes, was previously referred to as adult-onset diabetes or non insulin-dependent diabetes. This is the most common form of diabetes and anyone can develop Type 2 diabetes at any age.



In Type 2 diabetes, the condition manifests itself with insulin resistance. This is a condition in which the body's cells do not use the insulin produced properly.



Initially, the pancreas is able to keep up with the increased demand of the body to produce more insulin. But over time, the pancreas loses it's ability to produce an adequate amount of insulin when you ingest food.



When you are overweight and do not get any type of exercise, you increase your chance of developing Type 2 diabetes. The normal treatment for this type of diabetes includes using prescribed diabetes medicines, making wise choices in the foods you eat, exercising and being physically active and controlling blood pressure and cholesterol.



Although there is no actual timeframe, over many years, diabetes can lead to very serious health problems with your eyes, kidneys, nerves, and gums and teeth. However, the most serious problem can be heart disease or stroke. When you do have diabetes, you become twice as likely as people without diabetes to suffer from heart disease or a stroke.



Diabetes, heart attack and stroke do not care if you are male or female, as both women and men are at risk. The absolute best way to take care of your health is see your doctor to both monitor and keep your blood glucose, blood pressure and cholesterol in check and within normal limits. Remember this - every step you take towards your goals ill help you.

The Symptoms of a Hypogylcaemic Attack

A diabetic hypoglycaemic attack can come as a result of many different activities. A type 1 diabetic can experience spells of dizziness, blurred sight, sweating, shaking hands and feet, an unnaturally cold body temperature, an unnaturally hot body temperature, a slurring of their words, a general lack of control over their bodily functions, and confusion, amongst many other symptoms. A person suffering a hypoglycaemic attack can fall very quickly into a worsened state if they are not treated rapidly leading to further complications. Of the above listed symptoms; when experiencing low blood sugars, a diabetic may show signs of one, two, three, all or none of the above symptoms which is why it is important for us to know as much about the disease as possible.



The most common of these symptoms is shaking limbs; this effect can make writing, typing, cooking, buttoning or unbuttoning clothes, literally any activity which you need to use your hands for, nearly impossible. Sometimes someone with diabetes can even feel pins and needles in their tongue, or a numbing of their mouth. The experiences of a hypoglycaemic attack are numerous and are seemingly endless. There are many symptoms which occur across the board, however there are certain symptoms that one diabetic may suffer that another diabetes sufferer has never experienced.



The disease is very difficult to understand because, once diagnosed with diabetes, your blood sugars are affected by all surrounding variables. Doctors and nurses are also unsure why some people are struck down with the disease yet others are not. There are also varying degrees of diabetes type 1 which further complicates the issue (for example, some individuals are told they are 'borderline' diabetic)



I have been diabetic for nine years - I was diagnosed as a teenager aged 13 - and still cannot ascertain what will happen to me when my blood sugar level drops. A type 1 diabetic whose hypoglycaemic levels are low can appear drunk, or even mentally ill, causing members of the public to disregard them. Despite it being well publicised, the general public do not know the details of type 1 diabetes and can be unnerved when face with someone suffering a hypoglycaemic attack.



However, it is vital that you, as a healthy individual, do not ignore a diabetic who is suffering a hypoglycaemic attack, as the worst effects can end in the patient falling into a hypoglycaemic coma, or even in death. It is imperative that those of us who do not suffer type 1 diabetes learn to recognise the effects of a diabetic hypoglycaemic attack because a moment's ignorance on your part, could be the death sentence for a type 1 diabetic.



Copyright (c) 2010 Paul Evans