Though diabetes can lead to life threatening disease , it can be managed effectively by proper monitoring of blood sugar levels and certain life style changes . taking your prescribed medication faithfully is not enough for the effective management of diabetes . It is equally important to know if the treatment you are taking is working . Is your diabetes under control ? Is your blood sugar normal ?
Effective monitoring of blood sugar levels is the key to effective management of diabetes
DIABETES :
Diabetes is a conditin in which either your pancreas does not produce enough insulin or it produces sufficient insulin but the cells of your body are unable to use the insulin properly . In the first instance your body does not have enough insulin to change the foods you eat into the energy it needs to to function in a normal manner
In the second instance enough insulin is available , but the cells of your body are unable to use it properly to change food into energy
ENERGY :
How your body uses the food you eat to nourish and sustain itself is , indeed , fascinating story , your body performs , this task by breaking down the foods you eat into the nutrients or ingredients they contain and using them to produce energy , build and repair tissue and regulate body functions , these nutrients are called carbohydrate , protein and fat .
CARBOHYDRATE –carbohydrate is the most readily usable source of energy , it is present in foods such as fruits , some vegetables , bread , milk and rice . The body changes the carbohydrates in the foods into a simple sugar called glucose , the glucose is then released into the blood stream and circulated to the cells of the body which change it into energy for immediate use , if there is more glucose available than the body stores it for future use . the extra glucose is changed to a form of carbohydrate called glycogen and stored in the fatty tissues of the body , when your body needs for immediate energy requirements , the body stores it for future use . the extra glucose is changed to a form of carbohydrate called glycogen and store in the fatty tissues of the body , when your body needs extra energy in a hurry , as when exercising it can quickly change the stored glycogen back into glucose
PROTEIN—ordinarily protein is not a source of energy for your body tissue , protein is found in foods such as pulses , nuts , meat , poultry , a fish, eggs ,cheese and milk . The only time your body uses protein for energy is when the foods you eat contain more protein than your body needs for building and repairing tissue . In such a situation , your body changes the extra protein into glycogen or fat and stores it for future use as source of energy
FAT—-fat is a reserve source of energy for your body . fats are changed by the body into fatty acids and stored in the body tissue for use during long periods without food , fat is found in meat , fowl and diary products such as milk bytter and cheese , as well as in oils from corn peanuts and olives
INSULIN—-one other factor must be mentioned to complete the story of how your body uses the food you eat as a source of energy , for glucose to be used by the cells of your body as a source of energy or stored for future use , insulin must be present in the blood stream , insulin is one of the many different kinds of hormone or chemicals produced by various glands in your body . Once produced , hormones enter the blood stream , circulate through out your body and assist the cells of your body in using glucose and fat for energy or in storing them for future use , without insulin your body is unable to use the foods you eat to sustain , itself and function in a normal manner
PANCREAS —- insulin is produced in the body by a gland called the pancreas which is situated below and behind the stomach . In an adult the pancreas weigh 3-4 ounces . About 5 % of the pancreas is made up of approximately one million tiny islands of tissue called the islets of langerhans . The islets are named after German physician Paul Langerhans who discovered them in 1869 , each of the islands of tissue contains various types of cells , one type called beta cells manufacture and store insulin and release it in to blood stream as needed , insulin produced by the beta calls in the pancreas makes it possible for the cells of your body to change food into energy or to store it for future use
CAUSES OF DIABETES :
The very precise cause (s) of diabetes is unknown at this time , however a few factors stand out a] for type 2 diabetes –heredity , over weight and age and b] for type –1 diabetes –heredity and autoimmunity
HERIDETY :
People who have relatives with diabetes are more likely to develop it themselves than those who have no history of diabetes in their family . the reason for this is that hereditary characteristics are passed on from one generation to the next .. it is difficult , however to determine the exact percentage of people with diabetes who also have relatives who are afflicted . If you are a parent and have diabetes , you may wonder if your children will also develop diabetes . The chances of children developing diabetes , do increase if they have parents who are afflicted but there is no certainity that they will , if one parent has type-1 diabetes , a child has a 2-5 % chance of developing a type –1 diabetes . If a child has type-1 diabetes , the chances of a brother or sister developing it is of the order of 5-10 % (however it may increase to 30 % , if similar genes are inherited )
A person with one parent with type-2 during adult hood ; if both parents has type-2 diabetes it increases the chances of a brother or sister developing it is of the order of 20-40 %
OVER WEIGHT :
Approximately up to 50-80 % of the people with type –2 diabetes are over weight at the time of diagnosis , one of the major reasons type-2 diabetes develops is over weight . Excess weight may cause what was only a tendency towards diabetes to develop into active diabetes . the best prevention against developing type-2 diabetes is maintaining with in recommended limits
AGE—diabetes occurs primarily in middle and late life , between birth and 20 years of age 0-1 to 1 % of children have diabetes , between the age of 4-1 and 50 , 0.5 to 2 % of people have diabetes , while the numbers increase to 2-10 % among people 61 years of age and order . In particular , Asian Indians ( both natives in the Indian subcontinent and those migrated to south Africa , Fiji, U>K , USA etc )
Appear to have a higher prevalence (genetic predisposition ) of diabetes than many white European populations . The increasing incidence of diabetes with age may be related to a general decrease in body functions that occur in all cells with aging
Each of the factors discussed above contributes to the chances of a person developing diabetes , the chances seem to be greater , however when 2 or more of the factors are present at the same time , thus when there are 2 children of parents with diabetes and one becomes over weight during adult hood and the other does not , the over weight one will be more likely to develop type-2 diabetes
AUTOIMMUNITY ;
In this condition the body’s immune system ( which normally defends the body from disease causing germs etc., ) goes a little bit awry and selectively / mistakenly attacks and destroys some of its own cells e.g., beta cells of the islets of langerhans in type –1 diabetes (associated with the presence of auto anti bodies against islet cells in patient’s blood ) certain unclear environmental factors are believed to trigger this autoimmune in genetically susceptible individuals .
TYPES OF DIABETES ;
If you have type-1 diabetes your pancreas produces very little , if any , insulin , .This type of diabetes is called insulin dependent diabetes , mellitus , which is some times abbreviated with the use of the letters IDDM , since this type occurs most often but not exclusively in youth and young adults , it used to be called juvenile onset diabetes . people with this type of diabetes must , among other things inject themselves daily with insulin , with out daily injections , they will not survive
TYPE –2 DIABETES ;
If you have type –2 diabetes , your pancreas produces insulin but it is either not enough for the present needs of your body or , if it is the cells of your body are unable to use it properly . The cells of your body are unable to use it properly . this type of diabetes is also called non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus which is some times abbreviated with the use of the letters NIDDUM . It is called “ non-insulin dependent “ because it can usually be controlled with out the use of the insulin injections . Until recently , this type was also referred to as maturity onset diabetes , since it occurs most often in mature adults , 40 years of age and older .
CONTROL OF DIABETES :
There is no cure for diabetes , the goal of treatment is to control it , that is to keep your blood sugar level near normal , when you did not have diabetes , your body automatically kept that level between about 70 and 115 mg/dl (milligrams of sugar in each deciliter of blood ) that is the way blood sugar is measured , that is a normal blood sugar range .
Now you have to work to do what your body used to do automatically . These blood sugar guidelines from the American diabetes association can help you judge your diabetes control ;
| Fasting Two hours after meal Normal up to 115 mg/dl up to 140 mg/dl Acceptable up to 140 mg/dl up to 180 mg /dl Poor over140 mg/dl over 180 mg/dl |
Discuss these guidelines with your doctor , nurse or diabetes educator . the best level for you may be different from the numbers shown here .
Besides working to control your blood sugar , there are other actions you can take to reduce your risk for health problem . have your blood pressure and blood sugar , fats checked regularly , if they are high , find out what to do and stick to the treatment
Have a complete eye examination every year . this means more than just an eye glass check the examination done in a dark room , photos of the inside of your eye may be taken , check your feet and skin every day , if you are injured , have pain or see signs of infection , get treatment right away .and medicines can be used to balance the effect of your food intake
MEAL PLANNING
Means choosing healthy foods , eating the right amount of food for you and if necessary eating your meals at certain set times . the same healthy diet that’s best foe every one else is also best for controlling diabetes , eat a variety of foods , limit fat , sugar and salt . A dietician can answer all your food questions and help you design your personal meal planning
Diabetes can lead to life threatening diseases and the cost of treating diabetic complications like heart disease or diabetic food is 3 times the cost of controlling di LIFE STYLE CHANGES BOOST DIABETES
Increasing affluence among a section of the urban fraternity in India has become a major contributor to the development of type-2 , insulin dependent diabetes in children and adolescents , while in the type –1 diabetes , the pancreas fail to produce insulin , in type –2 the body fails to make use of the insulin
According to Dr.Anoop Mishra , professor of medicine at the New Delhi based All India Institute of medical sciences ( AIIMS) , intake of high calorie food , lack of exercise and sedentary life style , as well as the tension associated with modern day urban life have all resulted in the increasing incidence of diabetes among a significant section of the urban population .
Do not smoke , smoking and diabetes are a dangerous combination , especially if you also have high blood pressure , have your blood pressure and urine checked each year for signs of kidney damage , find out what the results mean , learn what you can do to protect your kidneys .
LOW BLOOD SUGAR –SYMPTOMS
Low blood sugar is the most common day to day problem experienced by people with diabetes , when diabetes medicines , food and exercise get out of balance , the level of sugar in the blood can drop too low , when this happens you may feel shaky , tired or hungry , become sweaty ,become crabby or confused , have a rapid heart beat
YOU COULD EVEN PASS OUT
If you feel your blood sugar is low , eat some sugar raise your blood sugar level right away
Sugar will bring the level up faster than other foods , if you can test your blood sugar it should be higher than 70 mg / dl , some foods you can eat are –1/2 cup juice (apple, orange) –1/2 cup regular soft drinks ( not sugar free) —-one small box of raisins ,1 cup of milk , 1 table spoon of honey , 1 table spoon of sugar , 5 small sugar cubes
PHYSICAL ACTIVITY
Can help you manage your weight , improve your strength and cope with stress , it can also lower blood sugar , just as diabetes medicines do , exercise
LIFE STYLE CHANGES
If you are diabetic , certain lyfe style changes can help you , control your condition and decrease the risk or complications
Keep fit —-moderate exercise such as walking can help lower your blood glucose levels , regular exercise saves you from putting on excessive weight and keeps a check on blood pressure
Eat right—–A balanced low calorie diet is important , your doctor or dietician can help you plan a diet that takes into account your weight and level of activity
Stop smoking —-diabetic patients who smoke 3 times more lokely to die of heart disease than non smokers
Stress management —-yoga and meditation help relieve stress . regular medical check ups to monitor blood glucose or HBAIC levels wil indicate level of control on the disease , smoking increases the risk to a diabetic patient . moderate exercise helps in lowering the blood glucose levels
LOW BLOOD SUGAR :
The most common causes of low blood sugar are –taking too much diabetes medicines , eating meals or snacks at the wrong times , skipping or not finishing meals or snacks getting more physical activity than usual .
Different people have different warning symptoms of low blood sugar . some one whose blood sugar level is too low may feel shaky , become sweaty , feel tired , hungry , have a rapid heart beat , feel numbness or tingling in the mouth or lips have blurred vision or become confused
Low blood sugar or become confused , low blood sugar is treated by eating or drinking foods , that contain sugar , if low blood sugar is not treated immediately , it will get worse , if blood sugar falls very low , a person may pass out or have convulsions
If blood sugar gets so low that a person can not swallow or passes out , a shot of glucagons is needed , glucogan is a medicine (hormone) that raises blood sugar , you will need a prescription from your doctor to get glucagons `
DIABETES AND ITS MANAGEMENT BY HOMOEOPATHY
Diabetes is a condition where by the body is unable properly to process the metabolism of sugar . this results in an increased sugar level in the body , which produces many of the symptoms described , the condition also affects the micro-circulation of the blood in the small blood vessels giving rise to complications affecting other organ systems , including the kidneys , eyes , nervous system , the heart and the brain . Sugar is metabolized by the hormone insulin which is produced by the pancreas , a small glandular tissue behind the stomach , two forms of diabetes occur ; that affecting young people which is due to pancreas malfunction and very little production of insulin and adult –onset diabetes which is often associated with poor diet and obesity . This latter is the result of over use of the pancreas which produces insufficient insulin to process the excess carbohydrate intake , diabetes is a life long condition and as yet no cure has been found , although the symptoms can be controlled by diet and medication .
Causes : both forms of diabetes have a hereditary tendency . If both parents have diabetes , the risk of a child developing it is greatly increased . Late on-set diabetes is definitely brought about by a high sugar / starch diet , but this is not the case in the early onset type , where sufferers are usually thin , certain drugs can precipitate diabetes –steriods and some of the oral contraceptives are example of these .
Symptoms : thirst and the passing of copious dilute urine is the most common early sign due to the high level of sugar in the blood . Loss of weight in early onset type is common together with tiredness , skin infections (thrush) and itchiness of penis and vagina are common , disturbance in menstruation is common , pins and needles in advanced cases , together with leg ulcers , difficulty with focusing and disturbance of vision , complications of long term diabetes include more serious problems including blindness , loss of mobility , failed circulation and gangrene , thickening of the arteries and an increased risk of heart attacks , kidney infections and eventually kidney failure .
Prevention and self help : A whole food diet incorporating complex , carbohydrates (oats , whole wheat ) and the avoidance of all refined sugar products not only prevents but helps to eradicate late-onset diabetes .
Keep to the recommended body weight for your height and age . if you have diabetes , keep it under good control and have regular check ups .
Hypoglycaemia attacks ( when the sugar level in the blood is too low because of over treatment ) can be controlled by proper monitoring and having barley sugar sweets available to eat when the warming signs of an attach appear .
Regular exercise will help as well as special yoga breathing exercises . No alternative therapy can cure diabetes , although control can be improved and medication reduced , if you follow good naturopathic advise , regarding diet , herbal medicines are some times given to improve the working of the pancreas . Goats rue and gentian are thought to stimulate insulin , garlic taken raw or in the form of garlic capsules , will reduce the effects of fatty imbalance and protect the heart . Daily porridge (oats0 will help stabilize sugar levels and a high fiber diet may reduce the need for medication , all are worth trying under medical supervision .
When sugar is found in urine , it is termed diabetes , patient becomes weaker , losses flesh is emaciated .
Walking is said to be the best treatment for diabetes , orthodox doctors will undertake a series of base line tests , then prescribe a specific diet ( both early and late onset diabetes respond well ) you may be asked to see a dietician and be given a list of foods to avoid and those to eat . If you need insulin infections you will be thought how to administer these yourself and how regularly to test your blood and urine to help you monitor your own blood sugar levels ; regular checks are important to pick up early complications , homoeopathic medication will be prescribed for most cause of adult onset diabetes and there are perfectly safe to take regularly .
Diabetes is understood in simple terms , what diabetes is –Diab= flow through , Mel= sweet urine, passing through your body , it is a metabolic disorder of insulin . Pancreas secretes the hormone insulin that helps to convert sugar into heat and muscle power , loss of insulin means that the sugar is not utilized . sugar content of blood rises and unused sugar is excreted through urine . lipids also get deranged , heredity plays an important role , but at the predisposition level ; needs a precipitating factor to get expressed , like stress .
First understand clearly how diabetes develops :
The hormone insulin , made in the pancreas , helps control levels of sugar glucose , which is needed to fuel many chemical processes . In a healthy person , when food is digested
- glucose levels in the blood stream rise
- the pancreas releases insulin
- which helps body cells into glycogen , which is stored in the liver
- and muscles until needed for fuel , hormones regulate the release of insulin by causing blood sugar level to drop .
- which in turn causes the pancreas to secrete less insulin
- in a person with diabetes mellitus ; the pancreas insufficient levels of insulin or the body is unable to use the insulin it makes ; after food is digested .
After food is digested , if the pancreas can not produce enough insulin , the body is forced to break down fats instead of glucose for energy , poisonous chemicals called ketones are excreted in the urine .and also build up in the blood stream leading to ketoacidosis a serious condition that may cause coma or death . If it is unable to to use insulin properly , glucose is locked out of cells and circulates through the body without being absorbed , high levels of sugar in the blood and urine impair the body’s ability to fight infections and may lead to ketoacidosis.
The main stay for diabetes is “ prevention” : diet , more diet and exercise , does not mean starvation , but a healthy balanced nutrition which is good even for the family .
Mainly focus on fats : butter , margarine , oil , bacon’s cream , meat , milk and nuts , restrict to 60-75 gms a day .
Proteins : meat , fish , cheese , milk and eggs , small quantities found in bread , potatoes , and vegetables , you can be generous with proteins , especially lean protein.
Carbohydrates : purest carbohydrate is sugar , avoid this as far as possible , eat cereals , bread and rice , eat in moderation .
Diabetes prevention is easier and a must , diabetes is a silent killer . All the more dangerous because it is silent , HIV and Ca kill , but they kill upfront and an enemy upfront is easier to accept and deal with , then the hidden enemy , about whom we can even be lulled into thinking it has gone away . For the diabetes prone the danger is in some unseen future , and too far away .
Diabetes prevention is always a much , much better way but more so here , as there is no cure , also you have the added advantage of knowing what you are preventing , and then once again , look at the flip-side advantages ; you will force your self to keep trimand there is no better turn –on then looking fit and beautiful .
Homoeopathic medicines :
This has little to offer the management of diabetes but may help with individual or constitutional symptoms .
Phosphrous—–is often prescribed to reduce symptoms .
Syzigium jambolanum Q —-most useful , no other remedy causes in so marked a degree , the diminution and disappearance of sugar in urine .
Specific remedies for diabetes , both these should be taken one dose in morning and the other dose in the night continuously for some days—natrum sulph 6X and natrum phos 6X
Secale cor —when there is much thirst , burning in palms and soles
Other medicines –acid phos , cephelendra , helonias , rhus tox , and terebenthina , lactic acid , argent met .
Specific remedies for diabetes , both these should be taken one dose in morning and the other dose in the night continuously for some days—natrum sulph 6X and natrum phos 6X
Secale cor —when there is much thirst , burning in palms and soles
Other medicines –acid phos , cephelendra , helonias , rhus tox , and terebenthina , lactic acid , argent met .
This has little to offer the management of diabetes but may help with individual or constitutional symptoms .
Phosphrous—–is often prescribed to reduce symptoms .
Syzgium jambolanum Q —-most useful , no other remedy causes in so marked a degree , the diminution and disappearance of sugar in urine .
Specific remedies for diabetes , both these should be taken one dose in morning and the other dose in the night continuously for some days—natrum sulph 6X and natrum phos 6X
Secale cor —when there is much thirst , burning in palms and soles
Other medicines –acid phos , cephalendra , helonias , rhus tox , and terebenthiniae , lactic acid , argent met .
