Suffering From Hypoglycemia?

WHAT IS HYPOGLYCEMIA?



Hypoglycemia is an abnormally low level of glucose (sugar) in the blood. This can be caused by a sudden rise in glucose in the blood due to sweets and other sweeteners. This then leads to a sudden drop once the sweets or sweeteners are no longer in the blood system. Too much insulin released into the blood system can also cause it. Diabetes on the other hand is just the opposite and is an abnormally high level of glucose (sugar) in the blood.



Learn more about hypoglycemia at:



Hypoglycemia Website



WHAT DOES THAT MEAN EXACTLY?



When someone is suffering from a hypoglycemic attack, the glucose level in the body is too low to effectively fuel the body's blood cells. Since all the cells of the body, especially the brain cells, use glucose for fuel, a blood glucose level that is too low starves the cells of needed fuel, causing both physical and emotional symptoms.



The normal range of blood sugar is approximately 60 to 120 mg/dl (milligrams of glucose per deciliter of blood). When the level is below 45 mg/dl, a serious condition is suspected.



Hypoglycemia may be a condition by itself, or may be a complication of diabetes or other disorders. It is most often seen as a complication of diabetes (due to the fact that many doctors don't recognize hypoglycemia without diabetes as true illness), which is sometimes referred to as insulin reaction.



SYMPTOMS OF HYPOGLYCEMIA



The following are the most common symptoms of hypoglycemia. However, each individual may experience symptoms differently. In most cases, the symptoms will go away once you eat (especially if you eat sweets). Eating sweets however is not the best way to deal with hypoglycemia.



THESE SYMPTOMS INCLUDE (but are not limited to):



· Headaches



· Dizziness



· Uncontrollable cravings



· Inner trembling



· Body feels weakv
· Fatigue



· Sudden moodiness or behavior changes, such as crying for no apparent reason



· A craving for sweets



· Cold hands and feet



· Forgetfulness



· Blurred vision



· Irritability



· Shakiness



· Sudden hunger



· Crying spells



· Insomnia



· Mental Confusion



· Nervousness



· Faintness



· Depression



· Heart Palpitations



· Family history of low blood sugar or diabetes



· Exhaustion



· Low libido (sex drive)



· Inability to concentrate



· Waking up tired and exhausted



· Indecisiveness



· PMS or premenstrual syndrome



AM I HYPOGLYCEMIC?



How do you know if you are hypoglycemic or not? Is there anyway to test to see if you are?



What amazes me is that the answer is no. There is no standard way to test for hypoglycemia (although a small amount of doctors use a glucose test).



According to recent research, it is estimated that there are close to 100 million people in the United Sates alone that are suffering from hypoglycemia and many of them don't know it. With that many possible cases, wouldn't you think that they'd come up with a way to test for the disease?



If you are suffering from any or many of the symptoms listed above, yes, you COULD be hypoglycemic.



You should consult your doctor to rule out any other possible diseases, but don't allow the doctor to take over. You must be proactive in your approach and go with your gut feeling if the doctors tell you that you're fine.

Feline Diabetes - Why So Many Cats Are Suffering From This

If you asked the majority of people they probably wouldn't know that feline diabetes exists. If you are a cat owner then you may want to get to know a bit more about the condition. There are many theories as to why more cats are suffering from diabetes but there some that are right under our noses.



What cats should be eatingCats were never meant to be domesticated and eating the dry food that is manufactured for them these days. Cats are designed to eat meat. This is where cats are meant to get their protein from. There is very little protein in grains and dry cat food. Cats can't do very well without the essential amino acids from meat. Instead of going for the dry varieties it is better to give your cat canned food with meat of some sort in it.



Those dreaded carbsMany people think that it's only fat that puts anyone at risk for diabetes and that carbohydrates have nothing to do with it. The truth is that when your carbs are broken down it is sent to your tissues to be used as energy, but remaining ones are turned into fat and stored. It is much easier to put on fat than it is to lose it. This is what puts cats at risk for feline diabetes. You should not be feeding your cat too many carbs. Theoretically they should be eating carbs as around 5% of their diet. Most pet foods these days can contain up to 30%, and even 50%. This is done because carbs are much cheaper to stuff into food than other nutrients.



So before you go refilling your cat's dry food, spare a thought for what their diet should be so you can avoid them suffering from feline diabetes.

How to Tell If Your Pet is Suffering From Cat Urinary Tract Infection Symptoms

Cats are cuddly, lovable animals. Sometimes, however, they become irritable and show signs of unpleasant characteristics. They may start to act weird and to pee in the most inappropriate places in the house. If this is the case, your cat may be suffering from cat urinary symptoms.



Instead of giving your cat punishment for such a behavior, try to observe your cat closely and look for other cat urinary tract infection symptoms. Signs of UTI in cats may include frequent urination out of the litter pan, blood in its urine, increased thirst, urinary incontinence, pain or straining during urination, blockage in the urethra, foul-smelling and dark urine, arching of back while walking, hesitation in jumping, straining in pain when you touch its belly, and constant squatting in the litter box without producing any urine or, if there is, only a small amount of it.



The symptoms of feline urinary tract infection may or may not be accompanied with inflammation. Most of the time, these symptoms remain unnoticed and are determined only when closely examined. To tell if your cat is suffering from cat urinary tract infection symptoms, it is best that you observe your cat's behavior and urinating pattern intently. If you notice an abrupt change in your cat's behavioral pattern especially in its urination pattern, it is best that you immediately bring your cat to the veterinarian for proper diagnosis and treatment. Cat urinary symptoms may aggravate and result in a more severe infection in your cat if untreated for too long. In the case of urinary tract blockage in male cats, complete urinary tract blockage would mean death to the cat within 48 hours if left untreated.



The main culprits behind the urinary tract infections in cats are bacteria and fungus. Approximately 9% of cases of UTI in cats are caused by the bacteria Staphylococcus spp. while approximately 46% of cases are found to be caused by the E. coli bacteria. Usually, UTI occurs most often in cats which are overweight, is suffering from diabetes mellitus, are spayed female cats, cats older than 10 years old, and those cats which are Abyssinian.



If your cat is any of the above-mentioned categories, and if you see tell-tale signs that may be symptoms of UTI, seek the help of a veterinarian.



The veterinarian may feel the belly of the cat to look for signs of bladder problems such as stones in the bladder. A sample of the cat's urine and blood may also be extracted and tested in the laboratory for signs of bacteria and other underlying causes. If this is not enough, the veterinarian may perform x-rays and radiographs, processes which would help determine the formation of crystals or stones or possible blockage in the urethra. There are instances, however, that the underlying causes could not be determined no matter what tests the veterinarian would apply to the cat.



Ways to Prevent Cat Urinary Infection Symptoms from Happening



The diet you are giving your cat has a lot to do with whether or not it will contract cat urinary infection, better known as FLUTD.  Since cats do not usually drink a lot of water, you can increase its fluid intake by giving it wet food. Feeding your cat natural food supplements and natural diet also helps a lot.



All cats may experience cat urinary tract infection symptoms in their life-span. However, it is still best that as cat owner, we know how to prevent our cat from experiencing such a discomfort.