BLOOD SUGAR FACTS
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Treating Diabetes: You Are In Control

March 4th, 2011

When you have discovered that diabetes is a disease you must
live with for the rest of your life, a key factor in most every
case will be the use of various medications in order to control
your blood sugar level, as well as keeping your body in a
healthy state for the rest of your life.

This is your new reality in one that nobody can force you to
comply with. In other words, it is your duty to take full
responsibility for your medications and keeping up with your
treatments.

No one can do it for you

As strange as it may sound, there are many diabetics out
there who just plain refuse to handle the responsibilities of
proper insulin treatment and getting the right medications in
order to maintain their health.

Yes, you can go to the doctor and get diagnosed with
diabetes. Yes, your doctor can properly assist you in medical
advice as well as prescribe you the appropriate medications.
And yes, you can hire outside help to make life much easier
such as a professional dietitian. However, backing these
responsibilities with action is totally up to you. Only you can
commit 100% to taking your medications and faithfully applying
your knowledge of these medications so that you are taking the
right doses and at the appropriate times.

What you should know about your diabetes
medications

Medications can often be a little tricky when it comes to
following a regimen and avoiding side effects. Many of them are
extremely potent and must be mixed carefully if using other
drugs at the same time. Below are a few things that you should
know when taking your diabetes medications:

1. Are you taking your medications with the appropriate
dosages? Are you following doctor’s orders and ingesting them
at the right time of the day or night?

2. Are you following the instructions of the meds when it
comes to taking them with or without food?

3. Do you know if your medications are okay to mix with any
other meds that you may be taking? Were you honest with your
doctor about other nonprescription drugs you may be using?

4. How well are you educated about the side effects of your
medications? Have you asked your doctor what to expect?

5. Will these side effects cause conditions that you may not
be able to handle? Have you considered whether or not the side
effects may interfere with your work or other activities which
could prove to be dangerous under the influence of certain
medical drugs, like driving a car or operating heavy
machinery?

6. Should you experience major side effects which could be
very dangerous to you or other people, are you well equipped
with an antidote that will relieve them immediately?

Companies Will Not Hire You Because Of Your High Blood Sugar Levels

January 18th, 2011

If you suffer from diabetes then by law you are prohibited
from working with certain organizations.

This doesn’t mean that you cannot follow your career goals
and strive to accomplish the work you desire, but “where”
exactly you can work is definitely slightly limited.

The FBI says no to diabetics

One such example of an area in which will not employ you due
to diabetes is the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). Of
course not everybody aspires to be a member of this elite
governmental agency, but if you have always wanted to work for
the FBI, then having diabetes means that you must look for
another line of work. The FBI has a strict policy called a
“blanket ban” which denies employment to specific groups of
people. One of these groups are men and women who require
insulin.

You may not think it’s fair for the FBI to practice such
discriminatory action for people that have diabetes, but
because the policy is so strict, there is no additional
background information on individual which would change the
rules. It doesn’t matter how healthy you are, how young you
are, or how well you manage your diabetes, if you need insulin
then you are automatically shut out from the opportunity to
work at the FBI.

The Military says no to diabetics

Joining the armed forces is one of most patriotic decisions
a person can make. I should know because I personally served
eight years in the United States Navy. It was the best time of
my life and I’ll always feel proud for obligating myself to
serve the duty in which I felt I owed to this great country.
However, had I been a diabetic then there would be no chance at
all in signing up.

Just like the FBI and its policies, the military won’t even
consider accepting a man or woman that has diabetes, regardless
of what type and how well it is managed. You are ineligible to
serve. And if a person is currently serving in the military and
then gets diagnosed with diabetes, either type 1 or type 2,
then they may be discharged automatically and sent home to
search out a different career.

Although it doesn’t make that much sense, those of the
rules. There are many people who successfully manage their
diabetes and can do a great deal service to their country, but
unlike other military services around the world, the United
States will not take the risk.

Blood Sugar Fact 1 - Understand Carbohydrates

December 4th, 2010

There are a lot of things that could go wrong when we do not
understand carbohydrates and know the right blood sugar
facts.

Some people who do not have diabetes in their family history
think that they are safe from the horrible disease. What they
do not know is they can acquire it. Some have even gotten it
from drinking colas. So it is important to know what kinds of
food to limit and which ones you can eat regularly.

First of all, the most important step in knowing the blood
sugar facts is to understand carbohydrates. The reason for this
is, it not only causes obesity but it also causes diabetes,
heart attacks, strokes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol,
high triglycerides, etc. So as early as now, it is important to
learn how we can limit our carbohydrate intake. Carbohydrates
come in many forms, such as sugar, bread, pasta, pretzel,
crackers, fruits, vegetables, sodas and fruit juices. It is
also not right to completely eliminate carbohydrates in our
system. We move all the time, thus, we need the energy to do
that. The technique is to be able to learn how to eat right and
that just means limiting the carbohydrate intake.

So remember eating the right kind of carbohydrate at the
right amount is the first step to knowing the right blood sugar
facts that can change your life.

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October 20th, 2010

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Blood Sugar Facts – Site Map

September 5th, 2010

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Diabetics In Search Of Medical Insurance

July 22nd, 2010

When shopping for medical insurance, diabetics must perform
their due diligence in order to find medical coverage that can
save them the most money, while providing all of the expenses
needed to cover diabetes testing and the treatment of high
blood sugar level conditions.

If you suffer from diabetes, it’s an unfortunate fact that
finding medical insurance is going to be very expensive, both
on your coverage costs as well as your out-of-pocket expenses.
Your goal is to look for a larger group company so that the
costs are spread out over a wide range of people as opposed to
the limited funds available with an HMO. Before you sign up
with any insurance provider, here are a few questions you
should ask:

1. Who will cover the costs of the ongoing testing required
for the proper management of diabetes?

2. Take specific notes and write down what your total annual
cost will be as well as how often the payment will be
required.

3. Most companies have co-payments, which means that you pay
something out-of-pocket for every visit that takes place. Find
out if the insurance company requires you to make this
co-payment when visiting or if payment can be made at a later
date.

4. Always find out if there is a deductible and if so, what
is the cost? A deductible simply means that you will always pay
a specific set amount of money before the insurance policy
covers the rest of the expenses.

5. As a diabetic, you will have to be treated with diabetes
medications and supplies. Ask if the medical policy will cover
these items and if so, to what extent?

6. It is very important to ask if the plan will pay for
highly expensive medical equipment, such as an insulin pump.
You may not need such high level technology in order to handle
your diabetes, but it is better to be safe than sorry if the
time comes when needing special equipment to treat your
condition.

7. Diabetes sometimes requires alternative medications and
specific changes in treatment. Ask if the medical plan will
allow your physician to order any of the extra medications that
you may need. If not, then find out which ones are restricted
from the coverage.

8. Should your diabetes worsen to the point where you may
need to be treated at home, find out if the plan includes home
health care costs. If so, then to what extent does the coverage
offer?

First Generation Sulfonylureas Drugs To Lower Blood Sugar Levels

June 7th, 2010

In case you didn’t already know, a person with low blood
sugar levels can have alternative treatments that will allow
them to bypass the hassle of insulin injections. One such
treatment comes in various forms of the drug Sulfonylureas.

These drugs are considered “first generation” because they
have been used to treat men and women with diabetes since the
1950s and require more milligrams of the medicine to equal the
effects of the so-called “second generation” Sulfonylureas.

Here are a few examples of first generation
Sulfonylureas:

1. Acetohexamide: You may recognize this drug by its brand
name “Dymelor”. It begins to work within 60 minutes after
ingested and can last up to 12 hours. Acetohexamide is taken
most often is one or two doses on a daily basis, with a maximum
dose of 1.5 grams. These pills come in strengths of 250 mg and
500 mg. You must use caution when taking this drug due to
potential kidney problems.

2. Tolbutamide: The brand name for this drug is called
“Orinase” and it is the only Sulfonylurea drug that is short
acting. Tolbutamide is broken down immediately by the liver and
because of this it begins to work quickly and is out of the
system within 10 hours. You can find this drug in strengths of
250 mg and 500 mg. Tolbutamide is also considered very safe for
the elderly because it enters the system and disappears very
quickly. This medicine is typically taken before each meal.

3. Chlorpropamide: This drug comes in the brand names of
“Glucamide” and “Diabinase”. It is one of the longest acting of
the first generation Sulfonylureas drugs. Because of this, it
was the cause of a large amount of hypoglycemia cases in the
past. Chlorpropamide stayed in the system for more than a day,
over 24 hours in many instances. It comes and strengths of 100
mg and 250 mg. There is a high risk of kidney problems because
once Chlorpropamide is broken down by the body, it forms into
other chemicals which are still active and are eliminated very
slowly through the urine.

4. Tolamide: The brand name for this drug is called
“Tolinase” and comes in strengths of 100 mg, 250 mg, and 500
mg. This is also a long acting Sulfonylureas drug but does not
stay in the system quite as long as Chlorpropamide – about 20
hours or so. Tolamide can take up to four hours or more before
the effects are noticed. And like most of these
first-generation Sulfonylureas drugs, it is excreted through
the urine which can cause kidney problems.

What Is The Best Medical Coverage For People With High Blood Glucose Levels?

April 23rd, 2010

Many insurance companies and their policies have an enormous
range of differences when it comes to individual health
insurance.

However, if you have high blood glucose (or blood sugar)
levels or a member of your family has diabetes, you can
definitely count on a few things to be true no matter where you
shop for your insurance.

For starters, you will always pay more expenses out of your
pocket than families who do not have diabetes, but have the
same coverage as you. And if you have yet to find an insurance
company, get used to being rejected because a person with
diabetes gets turned down often.

If you are an elderly diabetic or are helping your parents
or grandparents get medical insurance who have high blood sugar
levels, then you should know and expect to spend more money on
coverage than other elderly people that do not have diabetes,
over 50% in fact. The good news in this situation is that
Medicare should pay for most of these expenses but you still
want to make sure that you are not being shortchanged in any
way by the insurance company.

All hope is not lost

While it’s true that as a diabetic you will pay more money
for your medical coverage, spend more cash out of your pocket,
and get turned down more often when shopping for a policy, the
good news is that you can get health insurance just as quickly
as a person can who does not have diabetes. And your insurance
type will most often be the exact same as the majority of
people who are medically insured. Such options include HMOs,
Blue Cross, CHAMPUS, etc.

What forms of medical care payments are available?

To date, there are two forms of payments that exist when it
comes to medical care. The first type is called the
“fee-for-service” which is the oldest type that is offered and
using this method allows the medical provider to get paid based
on the amount of services that are provided, regardless if it’s
the physician, hospital, or lab. Obviously this older form of
payment is a benefit to the providers because the more services
that is done with the patient, the more money they will
make.

The second form of payment, and most commonly used today, is
called “capitation”. This means that the provider is allotted a
fixed amount of funds designated for each patient. Obviously
this could create problems for the provider if one patient as
many expenses which then leaves little left over for the other
patients. Capitation is the basis for today’s HMO system. And
as you may know already, the goal here is for the provider to
do the least amount possible so that less money to spent. It’s
up to you to decide which medical coverage type you feel more
comfortable with as it pertains to your blood sugar levels.

How A Positive Attitude Can Help Manage High Blood Sugar Ailments

March 9th, 2010

If you are battling high blood sugar levels or know a loved
one who is suffering from the same condition, the most powerful
tool you have in your fight for good health and a long healthy
lifestyle is in fact your attitude!

Once the fact of diabetes has set in, you can either live
with this disease and suffer for the rest of your life or you
can cope with diabetes and maintain high energy levels and
strong health. It’s your choice and it is how you approach your
attitude and perception of the situation which makes all the
difference in the world.

A positive mental attitude

If you choose to look at your diabetes as a challenge that
life has given you, and an opportunity to grow by doing
something useful with your disease, you will undoubtedly have
no problems maintaining your health and living a happy life.
This is not just about tricking your mind into feeling better,
research has shown that having a cheerful positive attitude can
also program the body to produce chemicals that will help in
fighting your disease.

A negative mental attitude

On the other hand, many people just can’t seem to accept the
fact that they have diabetes and must learn to move on with
their lives and perceive their disease as an opportunity for
change and positive growth.

These people see no light at the end of the tunnel and are
more prone to continuing the bad habits that got them diagnosed
with diabetes in the first place. A negative mental attitude
will lead to failure in attempts at proper eating, failure with
exercise, and failure at keeping up with medications. Ask
yourself this question: why make your life any harder than it
has to be? Learn to change your thoughts from negative to
positive.

Turn diabetes into an opportunity

Some of you may be thinking “How in the world do I look at
diabetes is a positive challenge?” Everybody is different and
there are various reasons why we have these types of challenges
that come into our lives. What you have to do is figure out the
connection between the “challenge” of diabetes and how you can
grow from it. For example, what changes are you forced to make
that are positive as a result of being diagnosed with diabetes,
such as eating clean and exercising on a regular basis? Are you
now more excited about helping others lead a healthy lifestyle
so that they do not have to go through the same experience you
are having with diabetes?

These are the gifts that unfortunate events can bring out of
a person’s life if you choose to see it that way. There is
never a such thing as an accident and if you or your loved one
has been diagnosed with diabetes then look for the
opportunities that you have been granted instead of the
negative perceptions of diabetes.

Get Blood Sugar Facts From A Doctor

January 23rd, 2010

Diabetes kills. It kills because people who are diabetic
often do not know how to manage the disease.

All it takes is to eat the right kind of food in the
appropriate quantity. It’s as simple as that! Many adults and
children across the globe are afflicted with the disease and
the sad thing about it is, they are not aware that they have
it. It could be genetic or it could be because of the diet that
you have.

If you feel that you have diabetes but are not sure, you can
check if you have any of the following symptoms: frequent
urination, excessive thirst, you feel hungry all the time,
unexplained weight loss, you feel tired all the time,
irritability and if you have a blurry vision. Chances are you
have diabetes. However, it is best to check with your doctor.
Doctors are the only ones who can tell you if you have it or
not. Plus, they are the ones who can give you reliable blood
sugar facts. Facts that you can trust.

Actually, there are online tests that you can take so you
can determine for yourself if you have diabetes or not.
However, bring the results that you got from the online test to
your doctor for the final diagnosis.


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