| |
| |
|
Diabetes Information |
|
|
|
Diabetes Awareness: The Downside... a New Wardrobe?
Here is some commonsense thinking: I can't understand why anyone who has diabetes wouldn't exercise and watch what they eat. The down side is that you may have to get an entire new wardrobe since exercise and healthy eating causes weight and size reduction. When it happens, people tell you how great you look and that motivates you even more. Other side effects: you'll also sleep better and feel more rested than before you started walking and eating better. I prefer walking outside, especially when the weather is nice. I even designed a walking path about 2.5 miles long around my neighborhood; part flat and part hilly. You'll find that a walking program helps more than your body. "For me, walking time is good thinking time. Nobody is there to interrupt my thoughts. And even when I walk on the treadmill in front of the TV, I find it helps me get ready for the day." Exercise and healthy eating.... A powerful duo for diabetics! Ask your doctor about diabetes and have your blood sugar checked several times a year. For more information about diabetes, including a Diabetes Quiz and a Free booklet, visit our website at: http://hope4diabetes.com/info This 20 page FREE booklet will provide you with in-depth information on comprehensive diabetes care. The 7 principles, or steps, will help you to understand, manage and diagnose your potential diabetes risk. It could help you live a longer and more active life. The booklet is Yours absolutely FREE - No Risk! Share it NOW with the people you love and want to Keep alive!. David Anderson is a freelance health writer for Hope4Diabetes.com. Email contact information is available on the website. For telephone contact: (316) 541-2208
MORE RESOURCES:
Diabetes - Google News |
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Favorite Desserts For A Diabetic Husband It's easier than you think to create delicious desserts for your diabetic husband. When I had to get right down to it the ideas came flying at me out of my kitchen cupboard!Here's a few of his favorites:Easy Orange/Banana Parfait1 pkge Lite Orange Jello (no sugar) 2 cups vanilla yogurt (fat free, no sugar but artificially sweetened) 1/2 tsp vanilla 2 tsp Splenda 1 banana 1/8 cup Lite cream cheese Makes 4 servingsPrepare the jello per the package directions. Diabetes Symptoms, Causes & Types Diabetes affects the manner in which the body handles carbohydrates, fats and proteins. If neglected, diabetes can have serious complications. Build Health: Want To Prevent Diabetes? To prevent diabetes you will get a real jolt when you follow the prescription offered up in the "Journal of the American Medical Association."This 'prestigious' organization reported on separate studies of coffee drinkers in Sweden and Finland. Just Say NO to an 1800 Diabetic Diet It's been a year, and 85 blubbery pounds less, since I was diagnosed with diabetes Type2. The news was especially scary because my mother died of diabetic complications 3 years after diagnosis- the SAME AGE AS ME! EEEK!The day I was diagnosed, my doctor handed me a glucometer, an 1800-calorie diabetic diet and a handful of prescriptions, mumbling something about being sorry and I should watch after my health better. Diabetes Awareness: Will They Recognize You? Imagine how it feels to look younger, feel younger, and act younger! Now, think about how others see you. Are you ready to make a lasting impression on your friends and family? Great!Taking charge of your diabetes through exercise can give you a younger look and feel not to mention ?? a younger attitude!As you read this message, remember this: You don't pay the price to improve your health, you reap the benefits of being healthy!Treatment of diabetes has gone through dramatic changes in the past two decades. Benfotiamine And Diabetic Retinopathy Damage from diabetes can occur in different areas of the eye. It can occur to the cornea, nerves controlling the muscles of the eye, the lens, optic nerve and retina. Type I Diabetes: Insulin-Dependent Diabetes Type I diabetes is also known as insulin-dependent diabetes or juvenile diabetes. This form of diabetes is mainly found in children. Raising Happy Diabetic Kids This is the first in a series of articles I am about to embark upon concerning this subject. As my family gets older and matures with this disease I think back to the early days and wonder why aren't we all on medication for depression? Why don't we have standing twice a week appointments with a psychiatrist? How did we end up so normal?(whatever that is) As I look back this didn't happen by accident, nor am I Super Dad, and I didn't plan it out step by step. Revolutionary Lancet Device for Diabetic Glucose Testing Now you can reduce the pain and inconvenience of testing. Unlike conventional lancing systems, the ACCU-CHEK Multiclix lancet device is the only 1 with a six-lancet drum. Diabetic Neuropathy Diabetic Neuropathy, a nerve disorder caused by diabetes, is characterized by a loss or reduction of sensation in the feet, and in some cases the hands, and pain and weakness in the feet. The symptoms of diabetic neuropathy vary. Pre-Diabetes Awareness: Gamblers Understand the Odds Do you gamble? Play Texas Hold'em poker, casino games, or lotteries? Then understanding your odds of winning is part of the challenge.Are you planning on living a long and healthy life? A life free of aches and pains? A life full of excitement and adventure? Great, then understanding the odds of developing diabetes will surely cause you to take immediate action. Treating Painful Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy The toes burn and tingle and sharp pains shoot into your legs. The bed sheets feel uncomfortable on the feet as you toss and turn, trying to get some rest. Gestational Diabetes Gestational diabetes is a temporary condition that occurs during pregnancy. Pregnant women who have never had diabetes before, but who have high blood sugar levels during pregnancy, are said to have gestational diabetes. If You Have Diabetes, You May Be Entitled To No Cost Diabetic Supplies This article is intended to inform people with diabetes in regards to their diabetic supplies. When I found out that my sister was diagnosed with the disease I started to research more and came across some useful information that might be helpful to others. Discover the Positive Effects of Exercise for Diabetes Sufferers There are two main types of diabetes, type I and type II. Type I diabetes is characterized by the pancreas making too little or no insulin. Protein Principles for Diabetes Dietary considerations can present a Hobson's choice in diabetes. Even when the intake is nutritious, assimilating it can be another matter. Diabetes is Manageable It is estimated that over 18 million people over the age of 20 in this country have diabetes. Persons over the age of 45 and those considered obese according to the Bio Mass Index are in elevated risk categories for this potentially fatal disease. Hyperglycemia, Diabetes, and Managing Blood Sugar So, after a miserable 10 hours of blood tests it's confirmed you have hyperglycemia. Well now isn't the time to sit back and get depressed. Diabetes And The Long Term Dangers Diabetes has hidden dangers that begin before diagnosis and continue to worsen if certain steps are not taken to prevent the complications that are the true, "killers" in terms of diabetes.Statistics show that there are around 18 million diabetics in America, both Type 1 and Type 2. Diabetes Awareness: Ill Wait til it Hurts By the time many type 2 diabetics (and often their doctors) realize action is necessary, the disease, with its destructive high blood sugars, has been silently damaging their body for years.Complications to the blood vessels and tissues of your eyes, feet, heart, kidneys, and other organs, are likely well underway.
|
Diabetes: African Americans Deadly Foe 01/06/09
by: Drahcir Semaj
Diabetes is having a devastating effect on the African American community. Diabetes is the fifth leading cause of death in African Americans and their death rates are twenty seven percent higher than whites.
Over 2.8 million African Americans have diabetes and one third of them don’t know they have the disease. In addition, twenty five percent of African Americans between the ages of 65 – 74 have diabetes and one in four African American women, over the age of 55, have been diagnosed with the disease
The cause of diabetes is a mystery, but researchers believe that both genetics and environmental factors play roles in who will develop the disease.
Heredity
Researchers believe that African Americans and African Immigrants are predisposed to developing diabetes. Research suggests that African Americans and recent African immigrants have inherited a "thrifty gene" from their African ancestors.
This gene may have enabled Africans to use food energy more efficiently during cycles of feast and famine. Now, with fewer cycles of feast and famine, this gene may make weight control more difficult for African Americans and African Immigrants.
This genetic predisposition, coupled with impaired glucose tolerance, is often associated with the genetic tendency toward high blood pressure. People with impaired glucose tolerance have higher than normal blood glucose levels and are at a higher risk for developing diabetes.
What is Diabetes?
Diabetes, commonly know as “sugar diabetes”, is a condition that occurs when the body is unable to properly produce or use insulin. Insulin is needed by the body to process sugar, starches and other foods into energy. Diabetes is a chronic condition for which there is no known cure; diabetes is a serious disease and should not be ignored.
Diabetics often suffer from low glucose levels (sugar) in their blood. Low blood sugar levels can make you disorientated, dizzy, sweaty, hungry, have headaches, have sudden mood swings, have difficulty paying attention, or have tingling sensations around the mouth.
Types of Diabetes
Pre-diabetes is a condition that occurs when a person's blood glucose levels is higher than normal but not high enough for a diagnosis of type II diabetes. Pre-diabetes can cause damage to the heart and circulatory system, but pre-diabetes can often be controlled by controlling blood glucose levels. By controlling pre-diabetes you can often prevent or delay the onset of Type II diabetes.
Type I or juvenile-onset diabetes usually strikes people under the age of 20, but can strike at any age. Five to ten percent of African Americans who are diagnosed with diabetes are diagnosed with this type of the disease. Type I diabetes is an autoimmune disease where the body produces little or no insulin and this type of diabetes must be treated with daily insulin injections.
Type II or adult onset diabetes is responsible for ninety to ninety-five percent of diagnosed diabetes cases in African Americans. Type II results from a condition where the body fails to properly use insulin. According to the American Diabetes Association, “Type II is usually found in people over 45, who have diabetes in their family, who are overweight, who don't exercise and who have cholesterol problems.” In the early stages it can often be controlled with lifestyle changes, but in the later stages diabetic pills or insulin injections are often needed.
Pregnancy related diabetes or gestational diabetes can occur in pregnant women. Gestational diabetes is often associated with high glucose blood levels or hyperglycemia. Gestational diabetes affects about four percent of all pregnant women. The disease usually goes away after delivery, but women who suffer from gestational diabetes are at a higher risk for developing diabetes later in life.
Symptoms of Diabetes
The most common symptoms of diabetes include:
excessive urination including frequent trips to the bathroom
increased thirst
increased appetite
blurred vision
unusual weight loss
increased fatigue
irritability
Complications from Diabetes
Diabetes can lead to many disabling and life threatening complications. Strokes, blindness, kidney failure, heart disease, and amputations are common complications that effect African Americans who have diabetes
Kidney Disease
“Diabetes is the second leading cause of end stage kidney disease in African Americans, accounting for about thirty percent of the new cases each year,” says the National Kidney Foundation of Illinois. Up to twenty-one percent of people who develop diabetes will develop kidney disease.
Amputations
Diabetes is the leading cause of non-traumatic lower-limb amputations in the United States. More than sixty percent of non-traumatic lower-limb amputations in America occur among people with diabetes and African Americans are almost three times more likely to have a lower limb amputated due to diabetes than whites. According to Center for Disease Control (CDC), about 82,000 non-traumatic lower-limb amputations were performed among people with diabetes in 2001.
Blindness
African Americans are twice as likely to suffer from diabetes related blindness. Diabetics can develop a condition called “Diabetic Retinopathy”, a disease affecting the blood vessels of the eye, which can lead to impaired vision and blindness. Diabetes is the leading cause of new cases of blindness in people from 20 – 74 years of age and up to 24,000 people loose their sight each year because of diabetes.
Heart Disease
People with diabetes are up to four times more likely to develop heart disease as people who don’t have diabetes. Atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries) is more common in diabetics and can lead to increased risk of heart attacks, stroke, and poor circulation throughout the body.
Diabetes Risk Factors
You have a greater risk for developing diabetes if you have any of the following:
Obesity
Family history of diabetes
Pre-diabetes
Low physical activity
Age greater than 45 years
High blood pressure
High blood levels of triglycerides
HDL cholesterol of less than 35
Previous diabetes during pregnancy or baby weighing more than 9 pounds
Diabetes has had a devastating effect on the African American community; it is the fifth leading cause of death and second leading cause of end stage kidney disease in African Americans.
African Americans suffer from complications from diabetes at a much higher rate than the rest of the population. African Americans are three times more likely to have a lower limb amputated because of diabetes and twice as likely to suffer from diabetes related blindness.
If you have any of the diabetes risk factors you should contact your physician and have a blood glucose test. Also discuss with your physician lifestyle changes you can take to lower your chances of developing diabetes.
About The Author
Drahcir Semaj is a freelance writer who writes about issues affecting African Americans. He can be contacted at drachir@drachirsemaj.com
| home | site map |
| © 2006 |
