December 9th, 2009
Based on blood sugar facts, people who have low blood sugar
may have skipped their meals and snacks.
They may not be eating food at the right amount or they may
have exercised without eating something. Sometimes, when a
person has low blood sugar count, it reflects how much insulin
was ingested. Having low blood sugar count, especially a person
who has diabetes, is dangerous as it can lead to hypoglycemia.
Hypoglycemia can cause seizures, unconsciousness, permanent
brain damage and even death.
That is why, if you have diabetes, it is important for you
to know how your body reacts when your blood sugar levels are
too low. So you will know the next time it happens. We all know
that certain events will push us to know more about a certain
condition. If you are diagnosed with diabetes, you should push
yourself to learn more about blood sugar facts. In fact, it is
the most important thing that you can do for yourself so you
will be able to prevent yourself from having long term
complications.
The truth is people who have diabetes should be able to keep
the blood sugar from getting too high or too low. It is best to
always keep the blood sugar level target. You should be able to
time and to balance what you eat, when you exercise and when
you take your medicines. By doing so, you have taken charge of
your health. You see, diabetes may be one of God’s way of
saying that it is time to take care of yourself.
October 25th, 2009
If you have type 1 diabetes then the one guarantee that you
can count in the change of your lifestyle is conducting
intensive insulin treatments so that you can avoid any further
complications that this disease may bring on.
What does intensive insulin treatment mean? For starters,
you will have to measure the level of your blood glucose before
every meal you eat, as well as prior to going to bed at night.
In addition, your daily medical regimen will include using two
types of insulin – short acting and long-acting. The reason
that you must use both types of insulin is so that you can keep
your blood glucose levels between 80 and 100 (respectively)
prior to meals and lower than 140 after you eat.
What is the purpose of intensive insulin treatment?
For people that do not have diabetes, specifically type 1,
there is always a small amount of insulin that is circulating
throughout the bloodstream. After a person eats, the pancreas
than increases the amount of insulin in the body for temporary
control of the glucose from each meal. However, when you have
diabetes, you must continue to take insulin treatment in order
to mimic the production of insulin that the pancreas is not
able to achieve.
What are the best types of insulin that a diabetic should
take?
Your doctor will determine exactly what you need in terms of
insulin treatment. However, there are always the basic
treatment regimens which include insulin injections that work
at a rapid pace and should be taken before each meal. A very
common insulin for this pre-meal time period would be “lispro”,
which is very convenient and does not have a high risk of
hypoglycemia.
The other type of insulin that is very common during
intensive treatment would be to inject a long-acting insulin. A
perfect time for this medication to be taken is before going to
sleep at night because it must remain in the system and work
for a long period of time, which is usually six to nine hours
while sleeping. A very popular insulin type for this overnight
period would be “glargine”. Glargine induces a smooth glucose
level for over 24 hours.
September 10th, 2009
People that have high blood sugar levels must take insulin
to control their blood glucose.
And when it comes to eating sensibly for their condition,
people with type 1 diabetes must ensure that the food they eat
is timed as best possible with insulin in order to mimic the
natural function of the pancreas. It is never perfect,
but combining the right diet with insulin shots is the best way
to keep the body maintaining its condition.
Although it is not the case for every person with high blood
sugar levels , most people must take two forms of insulin. The
first type of insulin must be able to work in the body
immediately after being injected, which remains active for a
short period of time. This is called short acting insulin. The
other type of insulin that must be taken takes a little longer
to become active in the body, yet works for an extended period
of time. This is known as long acting insulin.
What is the purpose for taking insulin that works at
different intervals?
Injecting insulin that works at different speeds has a
simple reason behind it: When the diabetic eats his or her or
food, they must take the more rapid acting insulin to work with
each meal that is eaten throughout the day. On the other hand,
there are times when the diabetic will not eat for a long
period of time, particularly overnight, which calls for the
slower acting insulin to be injected.
New insulin is available that remedies the possible problem
with delayed meals
The previous two types of insulin that was just mentioned,
the slow acting and the fast acting insulin, have worked great
for years and still do for type 1 diabetics, however many times
a person can run into a problem when their meals are
delayed.
A diabetic must inject insulin approximately 30 minutes
before a meal. Now think about what could happen if their
schedule is knocked off and they could not eat for an hour or
two after they just took their insulin? The person could become
easily hypoglycemic this way.
New insulin that is available today takes care of this
problem because the diabetic can take it when they begin to eat
or better yet, during and after they have eaten their food.
With this new insulin, there is no more worrying about taking
the injection and needing to eat exactly 30 minutes later.
There is no more fear of experiencing a delay with a meal. Now
the diabetic can just eat and then take their insulin when it’s
most convenient, during or after the meal.
July 27th, 2009
There are approximately 70,000 cases of amputations that
take place each year in United States alone, and it is
estimated that half of these cases are among those that are
suffering from diabetes or those with high blood sugar
levels.
The numbers are going up even though there is a procedure
that exists which can bring more blood to the feet thus
preventing many amputations.
Foot ulcers more likely precede amputation. However, if you
have high blood sugar levels and have developed ulcers of the
foot, there is still a good chance for you to keep your foot
and not have to get it amputated. With proper medical care and
a regular health maintenance program, you’ll be able to avoid
this debilitating process.
Always have routine checkups on your feet and legs
Your health care provider should check your feet on a
regular basis, preferably every time you you have an
appointment. For every routine medical exam, your doctor should
check to see if you are at risk of developing foot ulcers. Your
doctor will most likely use a filament (also called a 10 gram
monofilament) and press it on certain areas of your foot. Once
the filament presses the against the foot, it’s tip creates a
pressure of 10 grams that you should be able to feel.
If you were able to feel the pressure of the filament, you
are not at risk of suffering from ulceration. On the other
hand, if you had acquired a loss of sensation on those
particular areas of your feet, then you are at risk of
developing an ulcer or may already have one.
For better convenience, you should be able to take a foot
screening test by yourself by obtaining your own filaments. If
you are unable to feel the filament, then you need to see your
health care provider so he or she can do a more thorough
evaluation and determine the treatment to use.
7 ways to easily take care of your feet
There are three ways to develop foot ulcers: continuous
moderate pressure of the feet, sudden hard pressure, and
continual pressure. Below are seven simple things that you can
do to take care of your feet:
1. Examine your feet daily, preferably in front of a
mirror.
2. Do not walk barefoot.
3. Always wear comfortable shoes.
4. Wear different shoes every five hours on average.
5. When wearing new shoes, change them about every two hours
in the beginning.
6. Do not smoke. Smoking increases your risk of having an
amputation.
7. Avoid using a heating pad on your feet.
June 12th, 2009
There should be a worldwide promotion on blood sugar facts
so people would know how to take care of themselves. Besides,
there are a lot of people who have type 1 diabetes.
They do not even know that they have it which is dangerous
because it can be fatal when left untreated. So before it is
too late get to know blood sugar facts.
Just check the increasing number of people who are obese and
chances are these people, adults and children, have type 2
diabetes. The danger of type 2 diabetes it is has no symptoms
and it can occur at any age and weight. So if we know our
facts, we can somehow minimize our chances of getting type 2
diabetes.
If you want to know if you have diabetes, get a urine test
and a blood sugar test. Every hospital and clinic offers this
service, you can go to the nearest hospital or clinic and get
one. It is always best to know so you will be able to take care
of it while it is at it’s earlier stages.
We already know that the best way to take care of our blood
sugar levels is to control our food intake. But aside from that
we should also be disciplined in the consumption of alcohol
because studies show that it affects with the production of
glucose.
April 28th, 2009
Having normal blood sugar is important for the people who
have diabetes
It is important for them to control their blood sugar level.
For their bodies to be able to work properly, they need to keep
their blood sugar levels steady.
There are many reasons why people get high blood sugar
levels: If a person is not able to take the required medicine
at the right time and the right amount, if the person is eating
too much. If that person is not getting enough exercise. If
there is an illness or if the person is experiencing stress and
if there are other medications taken that can trigger
diabetes.
In order to manage your blood sugar level, you need to be
aware of the symptoms of high blood sugar. They are the
following: if you urinate more than usual, if you lose weight
even if your appetite has remained the same and if you feel
exhausted all the time.
Actually, you should not get stressed out if you have a high
blood sugar reading, it happens to people every once in a
while. Just be sure you get help so you can go manage it and
get back to having normal blood sugar count. For sure, your
doctor will be able to give you specific instructions on what
to do to keep your blood sugar level at a healthy range.
March 14th, 2009
Changes in lifestyle are inevitable when you have diabetes.
You must watch your diet closely and learn how to count
carbohydrates before eating each meal.
You may also have to take insulin shots on a daily basis.
And getting healthy requires the introduction of regular
exercise into your daily routine.
In addition to these important lifestyle changes, the one
thing you must adhere to is avoid taking any illegal drugs such
as speed, heroine, marijuana, cocaine, etc.
All of these drugs are extremely harmful to people with high
blood sugar levels
1. Many drugs, such as smoking marijuana, induce hunger
which can cause you to eat foods that you normally would not
eat and at times of the day which could interfere with your
insulin needs. You might also take in too many calories which
is dangerous when it comes to your diet and diabetes.
2. As a diabetic, you must be aware of the possibility of
hypoglycemia. Feeling the onset of hypoglycemia is important so
that you can avoid complications. However, when you are drugged
up on substances then you may not be sensitive enough to feel
your body going into a state of hypoglycemia.
3. Loss of judgment goes with the territory of getting high
from illegal drugs. Let’s face it, that is the main goal when
participating in these substances. But with a diabetic, losing
judgment can be disastrous in terms of missing medications,
deciding not to eat properly, and lacking the appropriate
exercise needed.
4. Some of these drugs may cause you to have a reduced
response to insulin in the foods that you normally would eat.
When this happens, you could become easily hyperglycemic
because even though you are eating what you believe is the
right food at the right time, the drugs can severely interfere
chemically with this process.
5. As a diabetic, taking drugs such as cocaine or
methamphetamines completely diminishes your appetite. When you
can’t eat, you will become hypoglycemic. Your body will be
malnourished and may create vitamin deficiencies.
January 28th, 2009
Blood sugar count is the measurement of the amount of
glucose that is present in your blood.
A blood sugar chart can help you keep track of it. This is
useful to have especially if you have diabetes since you need
to check your blood sugar level many times throughout the day.
It helps keeps you on track and it gives you control of your
blood sugar. More importantly, it can save your life.
The blood sugar chart should be able to show you normal
blood sugar levels so you will be able to compare the normal
count with that of yours. The chart should list all the days of
the week at the top of the columns and at the side should be
the time. It should be able to display normal blood sugar
levels at different times of the day especially during meal
times. If your count is not without the range of the levels
shown at your chart, then you should immediately get in touch
with your doctor. You can easily monitor your blood sugar level
by using an electronic blood sugar monitor which is readily
available. Having a chart can help you live a normal life and
keep diabetes at bay especially if you accompany it with
special diet and exercise.
December 14th, 2008
So many people are still unaware of the danger of diabetes.
Yes, they may know the upper layer of information about the
disease but they never get the in-depth knowledge, thinking
that it can never happen to me.
That philosophy or way of life should no longer be part of
how we live because it makes us reckless. It is always best to
know the facts, blood sugar facts, before assuming anything
because you will find out information that you will be able to
use later on life, with or without diabetes.
To those who have diabetes, they knew they had them when
they were feeling thirsty a lot, when they urinated a lot, when
they have lost weight without even lifting a finger, when their
vision is affected, and when they feel hungry most of the time
or more than usual. A wound that does not heal or takes longer
to heal is a clear indication that one has diabetes. This can
be happening all at once or one symptom at a time. Sometimes a
person learns that she has diabetes during a routinary medical
check-up. If you are feeling all of this or one of this, check
with your doctor. It is always best to seek medical advise.
October 30th, 2008
For the diabetic of those with high blood sugar levels that
must administer insulin shots for the rest of your life, there
are some basic tidbits of information that you should know
about in order to be better educated about medication.
Proper care and storage of your diabetes supplies is
essential so that you are always keeping the medication
up-to-date and fresh.
Here are a few common informative tips that pertain to all
types of insulin and thereby help in preventing insulin
resistance:
1. Always pay attention to how long you store your insulin
at room temperature. Write down the exact date for each bottle
and then adhere to the “4-week rule”. This means that insulin
should be discarded if it has been exposed to room temperatures
for 4 weeks straight.
2. Always discard insulin if it has has reached the
expiration date, even if stored in the refrigerator. Unlike
storing your medication at room temperature, refrigeration does
keep insulin fresh for a longer period time, but once the
expiration mark has been hit, you should discard it
immediately.
3. Keep your insulin fresh by protecting it against certain
conditions that may cause the medication to be exposed to heat
or frozen temperatures. Direct sunlight or even excessive cold
temperatures can damage the insulin. Proper storage is
essential.
4. Some diabetics will take less than 50 units of insulin in
one shot. If you are taking the same amount then you can
purchase ½ cc syringes that will make it easier for you to
measure up to your 50 units. On the other hand, if you are
taking less than 30 units, you can find 3/10 cc syringes for
easy application.
5. All insulin shots can be given through clothing if need
be. Doing so is completely safe and will not affect the
delivery of the medication into your bloodstream.
6. If you must use your disposable syringes more than once,
this is completely safe. However, it is not recommended that
you reuse your syringes more than two or three times before
replacing them with a new one.
7. All insulin can be given through shorter needles if the
longer ones are too painful. However, the depth of the needle
does affect how fast the insulin can start working depending on
what part of the body the injection was given.
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