Posts Tagged ‘Diabetes Treatment’

Factors To Consider When Planning A Diabetic Meal Plan

Monday, June 27th, 2011

Many factors are taken into consideration when planning a diabetic diet with the patients as well as their families. The meal plan must be a permanent part of their lives. Dietary compliance is going to be improved if the meal plan is compatible with their previous habits and preferences. Under these constraints, the diet plan must be individualized for each patient.

Some factors that need considering for diabetes treatment especially on the aspect of meal planning include savings and social life. You must only buy the type of food that is fit for your budget. You can refer to an exchange list so that you will know what foods would be preferable based on your income. Your social life is a vital factor because you might be keen on attending a lot of events. You must understand how to make adjustments with your diet when joining such.

Your work situation and activity levels will also be very necessary. You have to remember that stress and exertion can transform the levels of blood sugar in the body. The amount of food and the frequency of the meals that you will take will depend on your workload and activity level you do every day.

You must also consider your family size and the family meal habits. You have to remember the food that your family cooks will also be affected. The good thing about a diabetic diet is it just follows a healthy diet plan. You can stick to what you used to eat and get rid of the processed foods that you love to have on the table.

Lastly, you have to remember to check out the availability of food inside your locality. Make sure that you see to it the foods on your list are available in your market. These would be easier for you to prepare your meals.

Symptoms and Treatment of Gestational Diabetes

Saturday, September 13th, 2008

Gestational diabetes is a condition wherein a pregnant woman experiences a rise in her blood sugar levels during pregnancy. The pregnant women who experience gestational diabetes are those who have had no diabetes before it. Many doctors believe that this form of diabetes is caused or triggered by the imbalanced hormones in a pregnant woman’s body caused by pregnancy.

In some cases, women who are prone to diabetes might develop diabetes during pregnancy because of this susceptibility. There are several factors to this and one is genetic, the diet and other environmental factors. The risk of giving birth while undergoing this condition is a bit high since there are complications from diabetes which can be compounded by pregnancy.

Gestational diabetes is what doctor’s call a condition where the individual has glucose intolerance during pregnancy. This disease or condition usually resolves itself after the woman has given birth and her hormones go back to normal.

Symptoms Of Gestational Diabetes

Gestational diabetes is a pregnant women only type of diabetes. Since it occurs in pregnant women only, chances are the symptoms can be contributed to the pregnancy instead of the diabetes. This is the reason why most doctors order a test for the pregnant mother when she is around her fourth or fifth month of pregnancy. There are three ways to test a pregnant woman if she has gestational diabetes. It is sometime done with a blood test, an oral glucose tolerance test or a screening glucose challenge test.

There are some symptoms of gestational diabetes which can be attributed to it. These symptoms are being thirsty a lot, fatigue or tiredness, nausea, increased urination, blurred vision and recurrent yeast infections. These symptoms are sometime mistaken as symptoms of pregnancy which is why it is important to have tests done before it is too late.

Treating Gestational Diabetes

Most cases of gestational diabetes can be controlled or treated with strict diet and exercise. The condition usually clears up within a few months of the mother giving birth to the child. In some cases, doctors will recommend the pregnant woman to have insulin injections to help maintain and balance her gestational diabetes.

Unlike the other types of diabetes, this one is basically caused by the pregnancy so it can usually be treated by the end of the pregnancy. Since the woman’s hormones usually go back to normal a few weeks after she gives birth, you can hope that the diabetes goes away with it, too.

Facts About Type 2 Diabetes

Wednesday, September 10th, 2008

There are basically three types or forms of diabetes, Type 1 diabetes, Type 2 diabetes and gestational diabetes. All three diabetes types have subtypes under them. Diabetes is a disease which is characterized by the high levels of blood sugar in the body.

Type 2 diabetes is a condition of the body where the muscles and tissues develop insulin resistance, deficiency of insulin and hyperglycemia. This condition can be treated with by changing one’s diet and lifestyle. Adhering to a strict diet which is specifically made for type 2 diabetes individuals and taking up exercise can help control and reverse the effects of this for of diabetes.

Cause Of Type 2 Diabetes

The main cause of Type 2 diabetes is insulin resistance of body cells. This may be because the insulin are substandard as produced by the beta cells in the pancreas or the tissues themselves do not respond to the insulin. It is believed that genetics plays a vital role in diabetes. Those who have a long history of diabetes in the family tree run the risk of developing the disease sometime in their lives.

Obesity, improper diet and lifestyle are some of the factors that trigger diabetes in people. If your family has a history of diabetes and you suffer from being overweight, you had better have annual check ups regarding the risk of developing Type 2 diabetes. There are many symptoms of Type 2 diabetes which may go unnoticed by the individual. This is because the symptoms are by far quite common and easy to take for granted. Among the symptoms of this form of diabetes are increased urination, excessive thirst, blurry eyesight, numbness in the fingers and toes, increase abdominal girth and many more.

Treating Type 2 Diabetes

Type 2 diabetes can be easily treated or controlled. Sticking to a special diabetic diet and exercising can help reverse Type 2 diabetes. Weight loss is the goal of the special diet and exercise. Weight loss can help bring back sensitivity to insulin in our muscles and tissues.

There are also drugs and medication which can control the release of blood glucose and also increase the body tissues’ uptake of glucose. These drugs balance the effects of insulin in the muscles and tissues and give the diabetic person a chance to live a normal life. Although Type 2 diabetes is more complicated than Type 1 diabetes, it is by far easier to cure and control.

What is Type 1 Diabetes?

Monday, September 8th, 2008

If you have been diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, there is a good chance that you have already dealt with this chronic disease for years. The reason that this type of diabetes is also known as juvenile diabetes is because in many cases, the illness is diagnosed in the childhood years. However, it is possible to develop this type of diabetes at any point during your life. This is not a situation that arises due to obesity or poor diet choices. In fact, there is little that you can do to prevent the onset of this kind of diabetes.

It is often associated with family heredity, and is also thought to be brought on through a variety of viruses. Type 1 diabetes occurs when your immune system turns on the insulin producing cells within the pancreas. This organ produces insulin, which acts as a sort of key to open the way for sugar to be absorbed into the cells of your body. Sugar in the form of glucose is necessary for your body’s energy supply. When insulin is not present to help sugar get absorbed into the cells of your body, this sugar can build up in your bloodstream. The result can be a whole host of physical issues that you might experience with diabetes.

Symptoms of Type 1 Diabetes

There are many symptoms of type 1 diabetes, but none of them may seem particularly serious on the surface. However, diabetes that is left unchecked and untreated can cause severe and even life-threatening problems. This is why it is important to recognize the symptoms of type 1 diabetes, so that if you suspect you might have this disease, you can seek your doctor’s advice and assistance as soon as possible. Symptoms of diabetes might include an increased thirst and need to urinate.

Extreme hunger is also a sign of diabetes, particularly when it is accompanied by a sudden weight loss. Fatigue and irritability can also be symptoms of diabetes, because they may be a sign that your body is being depleted of much needed energy. Finally, some people with type 1 diabetes might experience blurred vision, since the tissue of your eyes can also be affected by this disease. If you are suffering from any of these symptoms, it would be wise to make an appointment with your doctor to determine if type 1 diabetes really is the reason behind your symptoms.

Tests and Treatment

Your doctor can run tests to determine if you do indeed have type 1 diabetes. If it is found that you are suffering from this disease, there are a number of options that you can utilize to effectively control your illness. Unfortunately, there is no cure for diabetes at this point in time. However, there have been great strides made in the area of disease management, and many who are diagnosed with type 1 diabetes can now live long and healthy lives. The first step is in getting a prompt diagnosis so that you can begin to manage your illness as soon as possible.