Diabetes is becoming more common in the United States. From 1980 through 2011, the number of Americans with diagnosed diabetes has more than tripled (from 5.6 million to 20.9 million).
DIABETES: The Signs & Symptom and How to control the them:
The signs and symptoms of Diabetes 1 or 2 with hyperglycemia (HIGH GLUCOSE LEVELS):
THINK OF THE 3 P’s=
1.)Polyuria-a lot of urinating due to your body trying to void out of the body excess glucose in your urine. This causes the next symptom due to your voiding a lot of urine which causes your body to lose fluid and in return you become very thirsty with hungry. This gives you:
2.)Polydipsia= very thirsty
3.)Polyphagia=very hungry
This should be a red light for a diabetic with these one or all 3 symptoms to finger stick themselves. See where your glucose level is at and if over 200 this is why you have one or all of the “P” symptoms (listed above).
Other s/s of Diabetes consist of:
– Tingling / Numbness in the hands and feet (diabetic neuropathy)
-Very tired and fatigued
-Weight Loss (more common to see in Diabetes 1)
-Blurred Vision.
-Sores that do not heal; and if not healed, this can cause in time a severe condition.
Complications that can come about due to DIABETES:
Dental Disease – Diabetes can lead to problems with teeth and gums, called gingivitis and periodontitis.
Heart Disease – People with diabetes have a higher risk for heart attack and stroke.
Eye Complications – People with diabetes have a higher risk of blindness and other vision problems.
Kidney Disease – Diabetes can damage the kidneys and may lead to kidney failure.
Nerve Damage (neuropathy) – Diabetes can cause damage to the nerves that run through the body.
Foot Problems – Nerve damage, infections of the feet, and problems with blood flow to the feet can be caused by diabetes.
Skin Complications – Diabetes can cause skin problems, such as infections, sores, and itching. Skin problems are sometimes a first sign that someone has diabetes. Sores that cannot heal due to constant high glucose in the body can lead into a severe condition=AMPUTATION of the foot or leg.
**. (At least 15 % of all people with diabetes eventually have a foot ulcer, and 6 out of every 1000 people with Diabetes have an AMPUTATION. Possibly first surgery with bypassing the blood can resolve the problem 100% or like many only temporary. It is based on your other medical history with how brittle the diabetes and how compliant you are in taking care of yourself with diabetes.***
All these complications are effected by hyperglycemia and in playing a part in the blood circulation of our body. Ending line the person is getting bad oxygenated blood supply sent to the lower extremities when the glucose is poorly controlled over a long time. Based on the principle of gravity; what happens here is the heart pumps our blood throughout our body and when it gets difficult for the organ to do its job due to thick high glucose blood than it has to compensate at some point. Simply a narrowing to a blockage is occurring in that lower extremity and the reason for this is it’s the furthest area from the heart=FEET/LEGS. This is why you never see or rarely see a diabetic having an arm amputated due to hyperglycemia.
This can be caused by just thick high glucose blood flowing throughout the body making it difficult for the heart to pump as effectively as opposed to someone that doesn’t have hyperglycemia which over time leads to further complications (listed above).
Diabetes with constant high glucose blood levels can leaded into poor circulation causes the feet and lower leg to first become cool to cold to changing colors of pale to cyanotic (purple) which takes over weeks to months to years, depending on the patient. Then the tissue gets necrotic (black=dead tissue) and an amputation has to be done to save the person or else this will get infected locally, at first, going into a systemic infection causing the person to go into septicemia and expire.
HOW we can decrease the risk of complications and decrease the chance of diabetes worsening or KEEP IT UNDER CONTROL = PRACTICING VERY GOOD MANAGEMENT IN CARING FOR YOUR DIABETES.
This is how you can reach this goal:
-Controlling your blood glucose, blood pressure, and cholesterol can make a huge difference in staying healthy. Talk with your doctor about what your goals should be and how to reach them but make sure you are given information on paper or write down what it is you have discussed in the doctor’s office based on your care for diabetes and what to do. Usually diabetic information on paper is available and given to you.
To reach this know the following:
-Your healthy eating plan that you and your doctor with a dietician have discussed.
-Overweight? Than diet down to your therapeutic weight range for your height after discussed with by you with your doctor.
-Be physically active for 30 to 60 minutes most days but if this is new get your doctor to clear this activity for you with what kind of activity you are allowed and not allowed.
-Take your medicines as directed and keep taking them even after you’ve reached your goals; or you will be at high risk of ending up the way you were earlier=Diabetes badly controlled with running into the problems you had earlier.
-If you smoke=QUIT.
-Check your skin daily in particular the FEET and LOWER LEGS to check for redness, swelling to blisters, sores and sore toenails
-Ask your doctor if you should be taking aspirin to prevent a heart attack or stroke by making the blood less thick to thinner making it easier for the heart to pump and less stress to the organ.
-Need assistance like others have needed? Here it is; knowing how to surviveee with Diabetes 1 or 2 and that is to reach the best goal you can in treating it:
The key is to controlling your DIABETES is to be living a healthy life! This consists of diet, exercise or activity and healthy habits learned and practiced routinely in your life that will help prevent or assist in treating diabetic disease. The better we treat ourselves regarding health the higher the odds we will live a longer and healthier life. There is not just one food to eat or one type of exercise to do or one healthy habit to practice in order to keep you healthy, there’s choices. Come onto my website which is no fee, no charge, no hacking, just letting you check us out to look further in understanding how to take a shape for your life with Dr. Anderson and even myself as your health coach in helping you learn what healthier habits or changes you want for a healthier way of living, learn how to eat out of the 4 food groups still following your diabetic diet as ordered by your MD. It allows you to make all the decisions in what you want to do regarding what to eat (diet), exercise/activity, and what healthy habits you want to add in your life. We just provide the information and healthy foods in your diet, if you decide you want it. You make all the choices.
Wouldn’t you want less disease/illness for yourself, for your family, others significant to you and even throughout the nation including our future generations. Wouldn’t it be great to see Diabetes decrease in America for future years and giving us an ending result of higher probability that we would overall a healthier country with less disease. If that included Diabetes what an impact it would play in decreasing other diseases alone caused just by Diabetes.
REFERENCES for Part 1 and Part 2 :
1.)Center for Disease (CDC) – “National Diabetes Fact Sheet”
2.)NYS Dept. of Health –Diabetes
3.)Diabetic Neuropathy.org “All about diabetic neuropathy and nerve damage caused by Diabetes.”Copyright 2002 – 2013.
4.)NIDDK “National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases”
5.)National Diabetes Information Clearinghouse (NIDC) – U.S. Department Health and Human Services. “Preventing Diabetes Problems: What you need to know.”
OR ELSE 