Diabetes History
Oprah Diabetes
Oprah Gail Winfrey is a Media personality and business tycoon who’s The Oprah Winfrey Show has been rated as the number one talk show for 23 consecutive years, winning all type of audiences since its debut in 1986.
Dr. Oz, Bob Greene, Dr. Ian Smith and Art Smith divulged the threat of growing diabetes and pre-diabetes epidemic on a special episode of The Oprah Winfrey Show. In front of a studio audience consisted of all diabetics and their families, Oprah and Dr. Oz revealed the current facts, shared tales of those affected, and held a no-holds-barred, divulging discussions about risk elements, lifestyle and diet.
If the calculation of the American Diabetes Association is to be believed, 80 million people in the U.S. are suffering from diabetes or are on the verge of embracing the disease—and about 6 million people are having type 2 diabetes and are not even aware of it.
Winfrey Said, "Diabetes is a ticking time bomb. It's a silent killer. It's annihilating the African American community. Literally, it’s killing almost 100 of us every single day in the African-American community."
Winfrey and Dr. Oz were also joined by health guru Bob Greene, who revealed the hidden sugars in regular food, and health expert Dr. Ian Smith.
Symptoms of Diabetes
The following are a few of several symptoms of diabetes:
Excessive Urination
This constant urination is the most general sigh of diabetes. As high sugar present in the urea, the urine becomes very sugary. If you are urinating very frequently, check out if your urine is sugary. Though it may not be evident that you have diabetes, but it may be a sign that you may suddenly have diabetes in future.
Polyphagia
This indicates the acute urge to eat often experienced in diabetes. This abnormal hunger is a result of shortage of glucose in body, thus starving the body cells. And, the more food the patient eats, the more the glucose level increases and so the body weight.
Polydiosia
This is dryness of the mouth which leads to excessive thirst and the urge to intake liquid. Due to the high amount of fluids lost through urine, the body feels dryness of mouth and excessive thirst.
Loss of Weight
Because the cells are short of glucose, the body begins to use stored fats so as to feed the cells. When this continues for a long period of time, the patients begins to lose weight.
Weakness and Tiredness
The body also feeds on the proteins in the body, resulting to common weakness and fatigue. This is a very common sign of diabetes today.
Itching
Constant itching all over the body, particularly in the genital part of the body is symptom of diabetes. This is more often found in women.
The above are some of the most common diabetes symptoms that should necessitate going for check up if you notice any of them.
Type 1 Diabetes
Type 1 diabetics can suffer Hypoglycemia, which refers to low blood sugar. There are several causes for hypoglycemia in type 1 diabetes but the major cause remains too little glucose in the blood. Even if there's sufficient glucose inside the cells that require insulin, a problem still exists because the brain gets its glucose sufficiently when the glucose in the blood is more than the glucose in brain cells. If insulin has converted most of the blood glucose into cells that don't get enough glucose, hypoglycemia is present so far the brain is concerned. And it leads to sleepy and even comatose state.
Diabetic Diet
If you are having diabetes, it is imperative to stick to strict diabetic diet plan. You should not follow a complexed diabetic diet plan rather your food should consist of a prudent selection of nutrients and low in calorie and fatty contents. There are two essential components that must keep in mind while crafting your diet plan. One is eating foods at regular intervals every day and the second point is to choose healthy food in right proportions.
Counting carbohydrate is a vital element for healthy diet plan, particularly if you are on insulin treatment. High calorie and fat always enhance the risk of various health complications i.e. cardiac problems, high cholesterol and high blood pressure.
Diabetic Diet and Sweets Consumption
Unlike popular belief, scientific research has proved that sweets may not cause any harm if it used in a balanced quantity in the food plan. Although, different sweets affect blood sugar level in a different fashion, but the total carbohydrate quantity matters the most.
Vegetarian Diet
Some people believe vegetarian diet may terminate their diabetes ailment, but it is not actually correct. It may be managed well with vegetarian diet compared to a non-vegetarian one.
There is no hard-and-fast rule for planning a diet menu. Vegan diet is the austere form of vegetarian food.
An austere vegan diet consists of almost no-cholesterol component in it. It is mostly prepared of fruits, vegetables, legumes and whole grains. These food products are very high in fiber. So it is beneficial for diabetic patients.
Vegetarian diet can not cure diabetes, but of course it can reduce different diabetes-related signs including cardiovascular disease and kidney problems.
Diabetes Type 2
Type 2 diabetes has reached an alarming and almost near epidemic condition in America. People with diabetes type 2, unlike those with diabetes type 1, still produce insulin. Their bodies just do not react to insulin accurately. This inappropriate reaction is known as insulin resistance.
Albeit anyone is at risk for diabetes 2 but heavy people and women who have had gestational diabetes, anyone with family members who have diabetes Type 2 and people with metabolic syndrome are more at risk. People, who smoke, live inactive lifestyles, or who have poor eating habits also are prone to developing diabetes Type 2.
Symptoms
The symptoms of type 2 diabetes varies from person to person, but they all include having increased thirst and hunger, dry mouth, vomiting, frequently urination, blurred vision, and tingling and numbness of the feet and hands.
Making good lifestyle selection and checking diabetes type 2 can alleviate the risk of complications and lead to a healthier life overall.
Diabetes Insipidus
Diabetes Insipidus is an ailment disease that is linked to the pituitary gland in the brain. Diabetes Insipidus nevertheless is not caused by a lack of insulin. When the pituitary gland does not make sufficient hormone ADH then diabetes insipidus is cause. Antidiuretic Hormone is required to monitor the amount of water in the body. Diabetes Insipidus can be a serious or even fatal disease if not detected and treated property.
Treatment
Depending on what may be the reason behind the problem a person may be subjected to relevant tests and treatments:
- Blood and Urine tests
- Daily weights to determine fluid loss or gain
- Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)
- Dehydration test
- Complete medical history and exam
- Computerized Tomography scan (CT Scan)
- Intake and output measurements (I and O)
- Surgery if a tumor is involved
Diabetes Care
The following are some of the necessary diabetes guidelines:
- It is necessary to be aware of the basics knowledge of diabetes from either your doctor or a hospital. With proper care and support, you can easily check and manage diabetes.
- Ensure regular and frequent checkups to monitor your diabetes constantly. The doctor will be able to detect if there is any diabetes related problems i.e. kidney damage, heart disease, eye damage or any other medical problem, provide you with treatment, and give you diabetic guidelines.
- High sugar levels in the body alleviate the immune system. It is therefore, essential to take vaccinations regularly. Flu vaccine, pneumonia vaccine and other booster shots will enable your immune system fight external infection.
- People with diabetes are prone to gum complications. It is important to brush your teeth twice a day supplemented by flossing and regular dental check ups.
- Get your eyes checked periodically in accordance with the diabetes guidelines. With proper attention, you can ward off complications such as glaucoma and other eye related problems.
- It can also damage the nerves in the feet by reducing the blood flow to the feet. If left untreated cuts and wounds can cause serious infection. To maintain healthy feet wash it regularly and keep it dry. Consult your doctor if any infection takes long to heal.
