Diabetes Archives - Healthhype

Diabetes and Immunity (Immune Causes)

Dr. Chris — Sat, 29 Aug 2009 19:04:35 +0000

Diabetes is a term for glucose intolerance where the body cannot adequately manage the blood glucose levels. This is usually caused by insulin resistance (intolerance), reduced levels of insulin or the absence of insulin. Insulin is the hormone secreted by the pancreas that helps regulate blood glucose levels. When insulin is secreted, the body cells increase the uptake of glucose from the blood and excess glucose is converted into glycogen and stored in the liver and muscle cells. Any glucose above and beyond may be converted into fat and stored in fat cells. When insulin is low (absent or reduced) or if the body’s cells do not respond to insulin (insulin resistance/intolerance) the body cannot manage its glucose regulating mechanism effectively. This causes glucose to remain in the blood (hyperglycemia) and over time, these elevated glucose levels will cause damage to various organs. While certain predisposing factors may give rise to diabetes, like being overweight, lack of exercise, alcohol consumption and familial history, the exact cause of diabetes was not conclusively isolated. However there is significant evidence pointing to a possible immune cause to diabetes. An ‘overactive’ immune response may target the insulin producing cells of the pancreas (beta cells [...]

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Blood Sugar Diabetes & Impaired Glucose Tolerance Levels

Dr. Chris — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 00:26:29 +0000

Diabetes mellitus (type 2 diabetes), also known commonly as sugar diabetes, is the inability of the body to maintain the blood sugar levels within a normal range. Prior to the onset of sugar diabetes, a state known as impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) or pre-diabetes, exists whereby the fluctuating blood glucose levels may not reach extreme levels as in diabetes mellitus. In pre-diabetes, the body’s mechanisms for maintaining normal blood glucose levels is still functioning, although impaired. What is Insulin Resistance & Pre-Diabetes? Upon consuming foods, particularly carbohydrates, the digestive system along with the liver, break down the food into simple sugars like glucose. Glucose then enters the blood stream where it is transported to cells throughout the body. Excess glucose is converted to glycogen and stored in the liver and muscles. Any remaining glucose may be converted for fat storage. This blood glucose regulating mechanism is primarily controlled by the hormone, insulin, which is secreted by the pancreas (beta cells in the islets of Langerhan’s). Insulin triggers cells to take up glucose from the blood so that individual cells can burn this glucose for energy. Alternatively, excess glucose is converted into glycogen and stored in the liver due to the [...]

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Diabetes, Leg and Feet Swelling on Both Sides With Numbness

Dr. Chris — Tue, 27 Apr 2010 18:56:28 +0000

Cathy Asked : I am a 52 year old female and recently I have been experiencing persistent swelling of both legs which were paining at first but now there is some numbness. I was diagnosed with diabetes around the age of 45 and over the past 3 years I have been on metformin. I do not have any leg sores or anything of the sort but I noticed that the skin on my legs feel thick and smooth. My right leg does seem to be more affected but I assume that is because it is my dominant leg and I put more weight on it. My feet are a big problem as well because I sometimes have difficulty putting on my shoes if it is very swollen. I am a bit worried if this is related to the diabetes because initially it would just get swollen for a day or so and then settle down. Now the swelling is staying. The last time I experienced swelling like this was when I was pregnant at the age of 38. By the way, at that time I was diagnosed with pregnancy diabetes and was supposed to go for follow up diabetes tests [...]

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White Spots on Tongue

Dr. Chris — Sun, 09 May 2010 19:23:19 +0000

Larr6T Asked : I am a 53 year old man, diagnosed with diabetes 2 years back and currently on metformin. My sugar levels are quite stable and I always have weekly checks at the pharmacy. For the past 3 months, all readings were at a normal level and I am on a very strict diet. I even lost significant amounts of weight which I know is good for diabetics. I started noticing white spots and patches on my tongue about 2 to 3 weeks ago. They may have been there longer but I did not notice. These patches are whitish-yellow in some areas and very white at other spots. They are not big – about the size of a pin head to a patch that is about the size of 2 to 3 matchstick heads. It started at the back of my tongue, as far as I could see and now have come more towards the front. It has not yet reached the tip of my tongue but I can now see some spots on the sides of my tongue. My pharmacist said that this may be an yeast infection and has advised me to see my doctor. I really [...]

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5 Signs of Insulin Resistance and How to Treat It

Dr. Chris — Fri, 15 Jul 2016 23:32:28 +0000

Insulin resistance is a growing concern across the globe as it can be one of the key factors that may lead to diabetes, heart disease and strokes. It affects about 3 out of 100 Americans. Worldwide as many as 25% of adults have metabolic syndrome in which insulin resistance is a component thereby leading to elevated blood glucose levels. It is also becoming a concern among children where insulin resistance along with obesity is on the rise. What happens in insulin resistance? The pancreas secretes the hormone, insulin, directly into the bloodstream. This hormone helps to lower blood sugar (glucose) levels. It does this mainly by stimulating the liver to stop glucose production by processing complex nutrients and converts glucose into glycogen. Insulin also stimulates cells to take up more glucose from the bloodstream. Another hormone known as glucagon does the opposite to raise the blood glucose levels when necessary. In insulin resistance the cells become less responsive to insulin. In other words insulin does not work as effectively as it should. Less glucose is taken up by the cells from the bloodstream and the liver does not slow down or stop its glucose production. As a result, normal amounts [...]

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Metabolic Syndrome – Criteria, Causes, Diet, Exercise, Reverse, Treatment

Dr. Chris — Wed, 23 Aug 2017 23:52:47 +0000

Metabolic syndrome has been widely publicized in recent years due to its association with heart disease, stroke and diabetes. With all three conditions being among the top ten killers in developed nations, preventing and reversing metabolic syndrome is an important strategy to save lives. However, the approach to achieving this goal largely lies in the hands of the individual through concerted and continuous dietary and lifestyle changes. What is metabolic syndrome? Metabolic syndrome is a group of risk factors which increases the chances of developing heart disease, stroke and/or diabetes. Risk factors in this context simply means that certain conditions may make heart disease, strokes and diabetes more likely to occur. Therefore people with metabolic syndrome should be regularly screened, undertake dietary and lifestyle changes, and possibly use medication to reduce these risks. Prevention and reversal of metabolic syndrome is possible with significant dietary and lifestyle changes. It may help to minimize the risk or even completely avoid the complications of metabolic syndrome which can be life threatening. Losing weight, maintaining a healthy diet and becoming more active are the cornerstones of metabolic syndrome prevention and reversal. Drug therapy can also assist to some degree. Metabolic syndrome affects over 1 [...]

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Diabetes: How to Test (Diagnose), Prevent, Manage, Treat

Dr. Chris — Tue, 13 Mar 2018 23:44:54 +0000

Diabetes is a global problem and is considered as one of the largest epidemics in human history. Almost 1 in 10 Americans have diabetes and 40% of American adults will develop diabetes in ther lifetime. This is largely due to the rise in obesity, which is another global epidemic but more common in developed nations. The key to effectively treating, managing and even preventing diabetes depends on several factors. One of the most important of these factors is to diagnose pre-diabetes as early as possible. However, with prompt treatment and ongoing management, prevention is better than cure as is the case for most diseases. The fact is that most cases of of the more common type of diabetes, type 2 diabetes, are preventable. How To Test for Diabetes Diagnosing prediabetes or diabetes requires confirming elevated blood glucose levels. This can also be done by confirming the presence of glucose in the urine. A random or fasting blood glucose test and urinary dipstick test may be used to diagnose diabetes. However, two other tests are considered to be more reliable and accurate. Oral Glucose Tolerance Test The oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) is considered the gold standard for diagnosing diabetes. This [...]

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Tests For Measuring Blood Glucose Levels

Dr. Chris — Tue, 21 May 2013 23:36:55 +0000

Glucose is the simple carbohydrate that is used for energy production. It can be consumed directly or more complex carbohydrates can be broken down into glucose. While other nutrients play different roles in the body, both fats and proteins can also be converted into simple carbohydrates if it is needed for energy. Glucose is transported through the bloodstream to every cell. This ensures that the cells have a constant supply for energy production. Without glucose and energy production, cells will not function properly and eventually die. Fortunately, the human body has several reserves to maintain a constant supply of glucose to the cells. In this way, the blood glucose/sugar levels are normally maintained within a narrow range. However, any rise or drop in the glucose levels above or below the normal range can have serious effects. Monitoring your blood glucose levels are not usually necessary unless you have related problems. The most common is diabetes mellitus where a deficiency of insulin or impaired response to it allows for the blood glucose levels to go too high (hyperglycemia). Elevated blood glucose levels can damage cells throughout the body. Diabetics are also at a risk of developing very low blood glucose levels [...]

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