Diabetes: Don't Let This Chronic Illness Hold You Hostage
Description
This article is from the Health Articles series.
Diabetes: Don't Let This Chronic Illness Hold You Hostage
R. Keith Campbell is associate dean and professor of pharmacy practice at the Washington State University College of Pharmacy. He is also a certified diabetes educator, has served on the board of directors of the American Diabetes Association, and has written numerous articles on diabetes, pharmacy practice, and the role of the pharmacist in caring for patients with chronic conditions. He has had Type 1 diabetes for 49 years.
Don't let this chronic illness hold you hostage. Here, how to maintain your health and enjoy life
Can you name the major causes of death in the United States? You're probably thinking cancer, heart disease, stroke...then what? Believe it or not, diabetes mellitus-a condition which occurs when the body fails to produce enough of the hormone insulin or is unable to use insulin properly-is the fourth leading cause of death in the U.S.
And diabetes, which affects up to 17 million Americans, is on the rise. In fact, it's expected that the number of people with the illness will double in less than 10 years.
Diabetes causes problems because insulin is needed to move the glucose (blood sugar) that's produced by the foods we eat into the cells. The cells use the glucose for energy. Without insulin, glucose builds up in the bloodstream and never gets to cells.
The complications of diabetes can affect many of the body's systems. Diabetes is the number-one cause of new cases of kidney disease, blindness, and impotence. Heart disease and stroke are two to six times more frequent in those with diabetes. Infections, dental, skin, and gastrointestinal problems are also common.
But there is good news. Researchers are learning more every day about how to help keep blood sugar levels close to normal and prevent or minimize complications. Here's what you need to know.
Diagnosis Doings
Type 1 (insulin-dependent) diabetes usually occurs in children and adolescents and affects some one million people in the U.S. Type 1 patients can't produce insulin and must take regular injections of the hormone. The warning signs often appear suddenly: increased frequency of urination, thirst, hunger, fatigue, weight loss, and blurred vision.
Type 2 (non insulin-dependent diabetes), where the body makes insulin but is unable to use it correctly, affects 90 percent of those with diabetes. The signs are much more subtle-and blood sugar levels are not always significantly higher than normal. Many Type 2 patients have no signs at all. Still, you might experience a mild increase in thirst, hunger, and urination; exhaustion; blurred vision; dry, itchy skin; tingling or loss of feeling in the hands or feet; and nonhealing infections of the skin, vagina, and/or bladder.
The American Diabetes Association (ADA) recently recommended that everyone 45 years old or older be tested for diabetes and that the test be repeated every three years for those with normal results. Anyone with a family history of diabetes, who is overweight, has hypertension and/or high blood lipids, or is a minority, should be tested yearly. If you're at risk for developing Type 2 diabetes, speak with your doctor if you notice one or more warning signs.
Healthy Habits
To reduce your calorie intake and bring blood pressure and blood fats into a normal range, try the following strategies:
- Ask a registered dietitian (RD) to explain the components of a healthy eating plan and help you to calculate your ideal number of daily calories.
- Work with your doctor to develop an exercise regimen and get aerobic exercise at least every two to three days.
- Monitor yourself regularly and keep a log of the key numbers. Check your blood sugar level once a day. At least twice a week, check your blood sugar more often-three or four times a day. (If you use insulin, test your blood sugar three to four times each and every day.) Also, have your glycosylated hemoglobin level taken every three to six months and know your blood pressure and cholesterol levels. If you use insulin and have several high blood sugar readings, have your urine ketones tested.
- Be scrupulous about at-home dental care and see your dentist twice a year.
- See your optometrist or ophthalmologist at least once a year.
- Examine your feet daily, use foot lotion each day, cut your toenails straight across, and break in shoes slowly to prevent blisters. See a podiatrist at the first sign of any problems.
- Take a daily multivitamin supplement, preferably one for those with diabetes.
- Always carry a source of fast-acting sugar (preferably not candy) with you to prevent blood sugar from dropping too low. If you use insulin, have a Glucagon Emergency Kit on hand at all times. "Medical foods"-over-the-counter products that contain uncooked cornstarch and slowly release glucose into the body-can help prevent morning and night low blood sugar (hypoglycemia).
Continue to:
My Books
