Type 2 diabetes in older people-symptoms, treatments and complications

While type 2 diabetes affects younger people more often in the elderly. People are not always aware that they suffer from diabetes until rise for a routine check. The medical site for Mayo Clinic maintains that only in United States there are more than 6 million people who are not aware that they are diabetic.



Diabetes symptoms



-Weight gain or weight loss that has no other cause can be a sign of diabetes.
-Diabetics found that are always hungry.
-Frequent urination is another possible sign of diabetes.
-Blurred vision may be a symptom, but can also be an issue related eye disease.
-Some diabetics find that wounds tend to heal more slowly than normal.



Who is at risk?



-Being overweight is a major risk factor for type 2 diabetes.
-Inactive are at greater risk. Inactive people also tend to take weight easier and can become overweight or obese.
-Age is one of the other major risk factors and most probably because older people may be less active and gain weight easier.
-A family history of diabetes may increase your risk.



Complications associated with type 2 diabetes



-Diabetes can damage the delicate filtering system of the kidneys and if diabetes is left untreated it can lead to kidney failure.
-Eye Damage that can lead to blindness are also associated with diabetes.
-Diabetes can increase the risk of Alzheimer's disease, can lead to amputation of the foot or leg, increase the risk of osteoporosis or result in blood vessel and heart disease.



Treatments



-Blood sugar should be monitored regularly. Must be checked daily or several times a week. Your doctor will inform you about the procedure. It is essential to assist the elderly, especially if they tend to be forgetful or cannot manage alone.
-Healthy nutrition is very important and the elderly should also assisted with this if necessary.
-Regular exercise will help you lose weight or prevent weight gain.
-Insulin oral medications or Therapy may be prescribed. Some people may be enough to make the modifications necessary lifestyle while others will be needed both medication that lifestyle changes.



Diabetes can be a death sentence, if it is not checked, but if diagnosed quickly and kept under the elderly do not experience serious side effects.

Diabetes Mellitus Disease Is an Opportunity to Become Healthier People

Diabetes mellitus is nothing new.



Diabetes mellitus is not a new disease and contrary to this it has been around since ancient times and at that time they considered it as having a death sentence. All throughout history many nations have been battling with this disease, mostly with varying degrees of success.



The very first detailed description of diabetes had been published in the canon of medicine and produced by Avicenna, sometime between the year 980 and 1037 in medieval Persia. This detailed account described the symptoms of diabetes as the sweet taste of urine, abnormal appetite and sexual dysfunction.



Avicenna is also known to have treated diabetes patients using a mixture that reduced the levels of sugar being excreted in the urine.



You might be interested in knowing that this treatment is still around today, but not widely used by the general diabetic public. Many treatments for diabetes have been used throughout the ages and they varied from region to region, however, the pathogenesis of the disease had not been explored until the 1900s.



Diabetes mellitus disease



When my father and I discovered this piece of valuable information, we embarked on further research to learn all about diabetes mellitus, despite the fact that it had been in the late stages of his illness.



It became important that we continue with the research to learn more about diabetes mellitus. We considered it important because we discovered early that in some cases you can also inherit the disease.



Embarking on a new quest can be an exciting thing, and our quest for more information brought some added benefits as well, like bringing us closer together for example.



We searched throughout the ages for effective treatments in curing the disease or at making life with the disease more bearable and in this quest we learned all about diabetes mellitus that we could.



As an example we discovered that although the word diabetes is mostly used to refer to a person suffering from diabetes, the correct terminology of the word is 'Diabetes Mellitus'. The word mellitus is said to mean millite, which means sweeten with honey and honey sweet, this in turn comes from mill meaning honey, sweetness or pleasant things.



Are you seeing a relationship here, do you see that the ancients have given us the clues and the means to effectively combat this ailment?



Diabetes mellitus introduction



Sometime in 1675 Thomas Willis introduced the word mellitus to the word diabetes; this was after he noticed that the urine of his patients had a sweetness about it and as a result of this observation it gave a designation to the disease.



This sweet taste of urine has been recognized by many nations throughout the history of the disease as being an indicator of the presence of diabetes, these included the Greeks, the Egyptians, the Chinese, the Indians and the Persians.



These ancient people used many effective remedies that are still being used today, but only by people who know where to look for them. Unlike the pass, today anyone who want to learn about diabetes mellitus only have to search on the internet, where they will find a wealth of information on the subject.



However, they are many myths associated with diabetes, so you have to be prudent and consistent about the research. You should also try to make sure to corroborate your findings before acting on them or it could backfire on you.

Type 2 Diabetes in Elderly People - Symptoms, Complications and Treatments

While Type 2 diabetes is affecting more and more younger people it still occurs more in the elderly. People are not always aware that they suffer from diabetes until they go for a routine check up. The medical website for Mayo Clinic claims that in the United States alone there are more than six million people who are not aware of the fact that they are diabetic.



Symptoms of Diabetes



- Weight gain or weight loss that has no other cause can be a sign of diabetes.
- Diabetic people find that they are thirstier than always.
- Frequent urination is another possible sign of diabetes.
- Blurred vision can be a symptom but it can also be an eye disease related problem.
- Some diabetic people find that wounds tend to heal slower than normal.



Who is at Risk?



- Overweight is the primary risk factor for Type 2 diabetes.
- Inactive people are at greater risk. Inactive people also tend to pick up weight easier and can become overweight or obese.
- Age is one of the other main risk factors and most probably because older people might be less active and gain weight easier.
- A family history of diabetes can increase the risk.



Complications Associated with Type 2 Diabetes



- Diabetes can damage the delicate filtering system of the kidneys and if diabetes is left untreated it can lead to kidney failure.
- Eye damage that can lead to blindness is also associated with diabetes.
- Diabetes can increase the risk of Alzheimer's disease, can lead to foot or leg amputation, increase the risk of osteoporosis or lead to blood and heart vessel disease.



Treatments



- Blood sugar levels must be monitored regularly. This must be checked daily or several times a week. Your doctor will inform you about the procedure. It is essential to assist older people with this, especially if they tend to be forgetful or can't manage it by themselves.
- Healthy eating is very important and older people should also be assisted with this if necessary.
- Regular exercise will help to loose weight or prevent weight gain.
- Oral medication or insulin therapy might be prescribed. Some people might only need to make the necessary lifestyle changes while other will need both medication and lifestyle changes.



Diabetes can be a death sentence if it is not controlled, but if it is quickly diagnosed and kept under control older people won't experience serious side effects.

How Do People Get Diabetes? - What Causes Diabetes

Diabetes is characterized by the inability of the body to control the level of blood sugar. But how do people get diabetes and what causes diabetes are still two burning questions in the minds of the people. Scientists are still striving hard to find the answer of these question.



Diabetes is caused by the disruption of hormone insulin. There are mainly three types of diabetes. Each type causes the disruption of hormone insulin in different way.



Type 1 Diabetes is also termed as juvenile diabetes or insulin dependent diabetes. It is termed juvenile diabetes because normally it occurs in early childhood.



How do people get diabetes type 1 is still not clear; however there are some theories that work behind it.



Diabetes type 1 is termed an autoimmune disorder. This shows that body has the ability of destroying insulin producing cells. These cells are termed beta cells and are found in the islets cells that are found in pancreas. As insulin producing cell are destroyed; the blood sugar levels cannot be regulated by the body. Thus the insulin has to be injected to perform its role.



Type 2 Diabetes is also termed as adult onset diabetes. It is caused by the resistance towards insulin and generally occurs later in life. The beta cells of the pancreas produce insulin but the body needs more insulin than is secreted by the pancreas. This insufficiency of insulin lessens the control of the body on sugar level.



Again the answer of what causes diabetes type 2 is not clearly known. However it is believed that being overweight, leading a sedentary lifestyle and eating unhealthy foods contribute to the onset of this disease.



Gestational Diabetes is the temporary phase of uncontrolled blood sugar levels. This stage fades away after the completion of pregnancy. Gestational diabetes is an outcome of hormonal changes during pregnancy. The hereditary genes also play their role here.

3 Signs of Diabetes That Most People Don't See Because They Seem So Normal

When it comes to noticing the warnings signs of diabetes, most people tend to overlook them because these signs can seem so normal. That's why many have termed this disease the "silent killer." You won't lose your hair like cancer or develop sores on your body like other serious diseases. But make no mistake: even thought the diabetic symptoms may seem subtle, this is still a very dangerous illness to have.



Doctors now believe that noticing these signs of diabetes and getting officially diagnosed is crucial. Getting treated for this disease as soon as possible has shown to minimize the long term effects. So basically, the earlier you get treated, the less this disease will affect you. So what are these symptoms that tend to get overlooked?



The 3 Signs of Diabetes That Most People Miss:



1. Constant thirst. If you are always thirsty, it would be wise to go see a doctor and get a blood glucose test. This warning sign especially gets pushed aside during the summer months and for those that are very physically active (whether with exercise or with work). But under normal circumstances, drinking a few glass of water should end this thirst. Not so for those who have diabetes. Their thirst never gets satisfied.



2. Frequent Urination. Who would have thought that going to the bathroom too much could be cause for concern? But this is one of the most common signs of diabetes. And if you consume alcoholic beverages on a daily basis, you are just going to assume that your going to the bathroom often is the result of your drinking.



3. Fatigue. Who doesn't get tired every once in a while, right? But if that tiredness doesn't go away, then you may have diabetes. This is especially true if you are getting plenty of sleep and are eating healthy. Feeling tired all the time is the body's way of letting you know that something's wrong.



When it comes to diabetes, time is of the essence. Knowing how to spot these three subtle signs of diabetes can be lifesaving. If you or someone you love experience any of these symptoms and they don't away, it would be smart to go see a physician as soon as you can.

Recognizing Anemia in People With Diabetes

Diabetes is one of the most common condition affecting millions of people world wide. It is believed that every hour a person is diagnosed with diabetes worldwide. Anemia is an extremely common symptom and also secondary condition in people who suffer with diabetes.



High blood sugar is actually a condition that affects the kidneys and the kidneys produce erythropoietin hormone. This hormone is essential to control the production of the red blood cell and in people with diabetes the production of red blood cells may not happen normally leading to anemia. The most common symptoms of anemia are palpitations, shortness of breath, weakness, pale skin color, hair loss and also dark circles around the eye. This condition when noticed in diabetic people it can be a sign of anemia.



In order to avoid anemia, people suffering from diabetes should be regular with their meals and also should not follow an irregular diet or timings of food. It is extremely important for diabetic people to have food on time. Diabetes also controls the way the nervous system responds to anemia and it can further cause certain nutritional deficiencies in the body. Another problem that having high blood sugar causes is that the medication taken for the cure of the condition might actually add to the anemic condition making the person weaker. People with high blood sugar may already suffer from conditions like weakness and hypertension. Anemia may also further aggravate these symptoms by causing more weakness, and also increasing the hypertension. Alternate therapies like Ayurveda are known to have very good cures for conditions like anemia and diabetes.