Diabetes
Additional information on Diabetes Monitoring Approximately 3.5 million people in the UK have been diagnosed as diabetic, around 10% of whom have Type 1 diabetes. There is no conclusive proof that those travelling with diabetes are more likely to become unwell during travel than those without diabetes. However, a change in diet, activity levels and environment (temperature, altitude) during travel can all affect blood glucose levels and represent a challenge to maintaining good health. Many people with diabetes need to travel with medication and/or medical devices and be able to access medical attention when needed. Careful pre-travel education and preparation should allow travellers with diabetes to enjoy a rewarding and pleasurable trip. Preparing for Travel Ideally you should start planning your trip well in advance (i.e. 8 weeks) of your departure date. Dedicated diabetes websites (see Useful Contacts) offer excellent advice and Travel Check Lists and Travel Guides are available online. Alongside accessing information on vaccination and prevention of travel-related illness you also need to consider: Travelling with a chronic medical condition. Maintaining health and glucose control during travel. Effects of temperature and altitude. Not all people with diabetes require medication, or are on insulin, therefore some advice (where stated) will not apply to everyone. Travelling with a Chronic Medical Condition Before embarking on travel, you should ensure that your health is optimized and can be maintained throughout your trip. You should consider: Pretravel Medical Check-up A routine checkup with your Diabetic Consultant, Diabetic Nurse Specialist or General Practitioner pre-travel will include assessment of: Glucose control If you are crossing time zones, alteration o Continue reading >>
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Prediabetes
Prediabetes is a serious health condition where blood sugar levels are higher than normal, but not high enough yet to be diagnosed as type 2 diabetes. Approximately 84 million American adults—more than 1 out of 3—have prediabetes. Of those with prediabetes, 90% don’t know they have it. Prediabetes puts you at increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and stroke. The good news is that if you have prediabetes, the CDC-led National Diabetes Prevention Program can help you make lifestyle changes to prevent or delay type 2 diabetes and other serious health problems. Causes Insulin is a hormone made by your pancreas that acts like a key to let blood sugar into cells for use as energy. If you have prediabetes, the cells in your body don’t respond normally to insulin. Your pancreas makes more insulin to try to get cells to respond. Eventually your pancreas can’t keep up, and your blood sugar rises, setting the stage for prediabetes—and type 2 diabetes down the road. Symptoms & Risk Factors You can have prediabetes for years but have no clear symptoms, so it often goes undetected until serious health problems such as type 2 diabetes show up. It’s important to talk to your doctor about getting your blood sugar tested if you have any of the risk factors for prediabetes, which include: Being overweight Being 45 years or older Having a parent, brother, or sister with type 2 diabetes Being physically active less than 3 times a week Ever having gestational diabetes (diabetes during pregnancy) or giving birth to a baby who weighed more than 9 pounds Race and ethnicity are also a factor: African Americans, Hispanic/Latino Americans, American Indians, Pacific Islanders, and some Asian Americans are at higher risk. Getting Tested You can get a simple blood Continue reading >>
Can You Be A Pilot With Diabetes?
Update: On May 1, 2017, a new medical program called BasicMed went into effect that drastically changed the medical requirements for most class 3 certificated private pilots. For more information visit the following link: FAA changes can be found here In this article we will explore whether or not you can become a pilot if you have diabetes. We will look at piloting for a commercial airline with diabetes and piloting for a private company with diabetes. We will also look at other jobs centered on aviation, such as being a flight instructor, or flying gliders and other small aircraft. We will look at whether or not you can pilot an aircraft if you have Type 1, Type 2, or pre-diabetes. We will look at whether or not it matters if you are taking insulin, other injections for diabetes, oral medications, or are diet and exercise controlled. We have already been looking at some promising careers that we can have with diabetes that is well-controlled. We have looked at being a long-distance truck driver, an EMS/Paramedic, a Firefighter, an air traffic controller, and a law enforcement officer. We have looked at whether or not you can be in the military with diabetes. Now we take on the most difficult career to date. *Becoming a commercial airline pilot with diabetes requiring insulin is prohibited by a blanket ban in the United States. It is one of 15 conditions that can disqualify you when you go for your medical certificate with the FAA. So what’s up? Let’s look… Type 1 or Type 2 insulin requiring diabetes The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) licenses all pilots in the US, and they provide Class 1, Class 2, Class 3 medical certificates. A person with Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes requiring insulin is exempt from the possibility of obtaining a Class 1 or 2 medical cert Continue reading >>
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Can Diabetics Eat Honey? The Research Will Surprise You
Honey is an all-natural food nicknamed Nature’s Sweetener. Humans have likely been eating it for tens, if not hundreds of thousands of years. And not only for its sweet flavour, but for its medicinal properties too. Sounds like something we should be eating more of right? Yet when you break it right down, honey is essentially sugar. We know that a high sugar diet is bad for you, which is why many consider honey unhealthy. So is honey good for us or not? Perhaps more importantly… Can diabetics eat honey? Honey vs Sugar: How does it compare? Honey is made in the bee-hive from flower nectar. The process is a collective effort that requires honey bees to consume, digest and regurgitate nectar repeatedly. For this reason the nutritional properties of honey depend on the nectar available around the hive. A typical batch of honey compared with sugar looks like this (1): You can see honey contains water and many trace vitamins and minerals that sugar doesn’t. That’s why honey is only 82% sugar by weight, while sugar is 99.9%… And that’s also why honey contains fewer calories than sugar. It’s hard to argue the winner here. Honey is also reported to contain at nearly 200 different substances, especially antioxidants. Antioxidants are thought to protect against many forms of disease (2). The Glycemic Index (GI) ranges considerably depending on the type of honey, but the entire GI concept itself is unpredictable anyway. Summary: Honey is not pure sugar. It also contains water and small amounts of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants, which vary depending on the type of honey. Honey vs Sugar: Effects on blood sugar and insulin The impact of honey consumption on blood sugar levels tends to be slightly better than regular sugar. One small experimental study on healthy sub Continue reading >>
And Diabetes
Diabetes is a common, life-long condition that occurs when the pancreas doesn’t produce enough insulin, or the insulin it does produce doesn’t work properly. Insulin is a hormone that transfers glucose from the bloodstream into the cells to be used for energy. If you have diabetes, your body cannot make proper use of this glucose so it builds up in the blood instead of moving into your cells. The chances of developing diabetes may depend on a mix of your genes and your lifestyle. Drinking to excess, for example, can contribute to individuals becoming diabetic. Diabetes is a manageable condition. But when it’s not well managed, it is associated with serious health complications including heart disease, stroke, blindness, kidney disease, nerve damage and amputations2. There are two main types of diabetes3 Type 1 diabetes develops if the body can’t produce enough insulin, because insulin-producing cells in the pancreas have been destroyed. It can happen: Because of genetic factors When a virus or infection triggers an autoimmune response (where the body starts attacking itself). People who have this type of diabetes are usually diagnosed before they’re 40 and there’s currently no way to prevent it. It’s the least common type of diabetes – only 10% of all cases are type 14. Type 2 diabetes. Develops when the body can still make some insulin, but not enough, or when the body becomes resistant to insulin. It can happen: When people are overweight and inactive. People who are an ‘apple-shape’ (with lots of fat around the abdomen) have a greater risk of developing type 2 diabetes Because of genetic factors. People who have this type of diabetes are usually diagnosed when they’re over 40, and it’s more common in men. However, more overweight children and Continue reading >>
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Can Diabetes Kill You?
Here’s what you need to know about the life-threatening diabetes complication called diabetic ketoacidosis. Diabetic ketoacidosis is one of the most serious complications of diabetes. Symptoms can take you by surprise, coming on in just 24 hours or less. Without diabetic ketoacidosis treatment, you will fall into a coma and die. “Every minute that the person is not treated is [another] minute closer to death,” says Joel Zonszein, MD, professor of medicine at Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York City. Diabetic ketoacidosis occurs when your body doesn’t produce enough insulin. (Diabetic ketoacidosis most often affects people with type 1 diabetes, but there is also type 2 diabetes ketoacidosis.) Without insulin, sugar can’t be stored in your cells to be used as energy and builds up in your blood instead. Your body has to go to a back-up energy system: fat. In the process of breaking down fat for energy, your body releases fatty acids and acids called ketones. Ketones are an alternative form of energy for the body, and just having them in your blood isn’t necessarily harmful. That’s called ketosis, and it can happen when you go on a low-carb diet or even after fasting overnight. “When I put people on a restricted diet, I can get an estimate of how vigorously they’re pursuing it by the presence of ketones in the urine,” says Gerald Bernstein, MD, an endocrinologist and coordinator of the Friedman Diabetes Program at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City. RELATED: The Ketogenic Diet Might Be the Next Big Weight Loss Trend, But Should You Try It? But too many ketones are a problem. “In individuals with diabetes who have no or low insulin production, there is an overproduction of ketones, and the kidneys can’t get rid of them fast enough,” sa Continue reading >>
Prediabetes
What Is Prediabetes? Prediabetes is a “pre-diagnosis” of diabetes—you can think of it as a warning sign. It’s when your blood glucose level (blood sugar level) is higher than normal, but it’s not high enough to be considered diabetes. Prediabetes is an indication that you could develop type 2 diabetes if you don’t make some lifestyle changes. But here's the good news: . Eating healthy food, losing weight and staying at a healthy weight, and being physically active can help you bring your blood glucose level back into the normal range. Diabetes develops very gradually, so when you’re in the prediabetes stage—when your blood glucose level is higher than it should be—you may not have any symptoms at all. You may, however, notice that: you’re hungrier than normal you’re losing weight, despite eating more you’re thirstier than normal you have to go to the bathroom more frequently you’re more tired than usual All of those are typical symptoms associated with diabetes, so if you’re in the early stages of diabetes, you may notice them. Prediabetes develops when your body begins to have trouble using the hormone insulin. Insulin is necessary to transport glucose—what your body uses for energy—into the cells via the bloodstream. In pre-diabetes, your body either doesn’t make enough insulin or it doesn’t use it well (that’s called insulin resistance). If you don’t have enough insulin or if you’re insulin resistant, you can build up too much glucose in your blood, leading to a higher-than-normal blood glucose level and perhaps prediabetes. Researchers aren’t sure what exactly causes the insulin process to go awry in some people. There are several risk factors, though, that make it more likely that you’ll develop pre-diabetes. These are Continue reading >>
Diabetes And Driving
You can be fined up to £1,000 if you don’t tell DVLA about a medical condition that affects your driving. You may be prosecuted if you’re involved in an accident as a result. Check with your nurse or doctor if you don’t know what type of medication you’re on. Read leaflet INF188/2 for more information about driving a car or motorbike with diabetes. Diabetes treated by insulin Car or motorbike licence You must tell DVLA if your diabetes is treated with insulin. You can also fill in form DIAB1 and send it to DVLA. The address is on the form. Bus, coach or lorry licence You must tell DVLA if your diabetes is treated with insulin. Fill in form VDIAB1I and send it to DVLA. The address is on the form. Read leaflet INS186 if you want to apply for vocational entitlement to drive larger vehicles (C1, C1E, D1, DIE, C, CE, D or DE). Diabetes treated by tablets or non-insulin injections Car or motorbike licence Check with your doctor or nurse to find out if your treatment means you need to tell DVLA. If you do need to tell DVLA, fill in form DIAB1 and send it to the address on the form. Bus, coach or lorry licence You must tell DVLA if your diabetes is treated by tablets or non-insulin injections. You must fill in: form VDIAB1SG if your diabetes is treated by sulphonylurea or glinide tablets form VDIAB1GEN if your diabetes is treated by any other tablets or non-insulin injections Send the form to DVLA. The address is on the form. Diabetes treated by diet Car or motorbike licence You don’t need to tell DVLA. Bus, coach or lorry licence You don’t need to tell DVLA. Continue reading >>
Diabetes And Driving
If you’ve got diabetes, you need to be aware of the risks involved when you’re driving. If you know the risks, you can take steps to manage them. Hypoglycaemia (low blood sugar) Low blood sugar levels are dangerous for drivers with diabetes. If you’re taking insulin or tablets for diabetes (except Metformin), it’s very important that you avoid low blood sugar levels, which can dangerously impair your driving. Hyperglycaemia (high blood sugar) Very high blood sugar levels could leave you feeling unwell or tired, and may affect your ability to drive safely. You should not drive if you’re severely hyperglycaemic. Newly diagnosed? If your diabetes has just been diagnosed and your treatment is still being adjusted, you may not be fit to drive just yet. Check with your doctor. Precautions while driving If your diabetes is well controlled, you can drive a private car safely. However, there are times when you need to take precautions. Always have meals and snacks before and during long journeys. It’s safest not to delay meal times. Take regular, short breaks from driving. Check your blood sugar levels regularly. If you feel that your blood sugar is low, stop driving and treat it with a quick acting sugar, eg three glucose tablets. Follow this up with a plain muesli bar or biscuits. Wait until the sugar has started to work before you start driving again. Keep a supply of plain muesli bars, biscuits, glucose tablets, dried fruit and long lasting fruit juice in your pocket or in the glove box. Don’t delay treating low blood sugar levels. The brain becomes confused when blood sugars reach low levels. Be aware of your warning signs. Although a mild hypo may not seem to impair your driving, it’s vital to act before your judgement is affected. If you sometimes experien Continue reading >>
Diabetes In Dogs: Symptoms, Causes, & Treatment
Diabetes is a chronic disease that can affect dogs and cats and other animals (including apes, pigs, and horses) as well as humans. Although diabetes can’t be cured, it can be managed very successfully. Diabetes mellitus, or “sugar diabetes,” is the type of diabetes seen most often in dogs. It is a metabolism disorder. Metabolism refers to how the body converts food to energy. To understand what diabetes is, it helps to understand some of this process. The conversion of food nutrients into energy to power the body’s cells involves an ongoing interplay of two things: • Glucose: essential fuel for the body’s cells. When food is digested, the body breaks down some of the nutrients into glucose, a type of sugar that is a vital source of energy for certain body cells and organs. The glucose is absorbed from the intestines into the blood, which then transports the glucose throughout the body. • Insulin: in charge of fuel delivery. Meanwhile, an important organ next to the stomach called the pancreas releases the hormone insulin into the body. Insulin acts as a “gatekeeper” that tells cells to grab glucose and other nutrients out of the bloodstream and use them as fuel. What is diabetes? With diabetes, the glucose-insulin connection isn’t working as it should. Diabetes occurs in dogs in two forms: • Insulin-deficiency diabetes—This is when the dog’s body isn’t producing enough insulin. This happens when the pancreas is damaged or otherwise not functioning properly. Dogs with this type of diabetes need daily shots to replace the missing insulin. This is the most common type of diabetes in dogs. • Insulin-resistance diabetes—This is when the pancreas is producing some insulin, but the dog’s body isn’t utilizing the insulin as it should. The ce Continue reading >>
Symptoms Of Diabetes: Seven Signs You Could Have The Condition
The symptoms are not always obvious, and many people could be suffering with the condition for years before they learn they have it. Every week 4,500 people are diagnosed with type 2 diabetes across the UK. However, experts warn thousands could be living with undiagnosed type 2 diabetes. The condition, which can be caused by being overweight and poor diet can cause blindness, limbs to be amputated - every week diabetes causes 150 amputations - and even kidney failure. It has even been linked to a reduce life expectancy if the condition it not managed well. People also need to ensure they look after their feet properly as high levels of blood glucose can cause foot problems. This can stop nerves working so people might not feel when they have cut their feet or burned themselves. The main symptoms of both type 1 and type 2 diabetes are: Urinating more often than usual - particularly at night Excessive urination can be triggered by excess glucose in the blood which interferes with the kidney’s ability to concentrate urine. Feeling thirsty Kidneys have to work harder in people with type 2 diabetes. Puldisia is the term given to excessive thirst. Diabetes.co.uk said: “If you feel thirsty all the time or your thirst is stronger than usual and continues even after you drink, it can be a sign that not all is well inside your body.” If you feel thirsty all the time or your thirst is stronger than usual and continues even after you drink, it can be a sign that not all is well inside your body Feeling tired Feeling tired could be a symptom of many conditions - but it can be caused in people who have low blood sugar. Itching around the penis or vagina Thrush - a yeast infection - tends to affect warm, moist areas of the body such as the vagina, penis, mouth and certain areas Continue reading >>
What Is Type 1 Diabetes And Why Does It Occur?
There are two main types of diabetes, known as "Type 1 Diabetes" and "Type 2 Diabetes". These two conditions are generally considered to be 2 different and separate conditions, so it is important to understand the differences between the two. Some old names for Type 1 Diabetes include: "Juvenile Diabetes", "Insulin dependent diabetes mellitus" and "IDDM". These old names should not be used, as they are no longer considered correct. Important Stuff to Know In our bodies, an organ known as the pancreas produces insulin, which is a very important hormone. Insulin is vital because it enables the metabolism of carbohydrates, fats and proteins. We need insulin to survive. In Type 1 diabetes, the immune system attacks the insulin producing beta cells in the pancreas. This usually happens in younger people, but it can happen at any age. When this happens, the pancreas no longer produces insulin. So what happens if there is no insulin in your body? The main effect is high blood sugar (hyperglycaemia). Insulin normally moves blood sugar into body tissues where it is used for energy. When there is no insulin, sugar builds up in the blood. High blood sugar is dangerous, with many side effects. It also causes damage to the body. What are the symptoms of Type 1 diabetes? The symptoms of Type 1 diabetes are all based on the fact that there is high blood sugar. The symptoms include: Extreme thirst Frequent urination Lethargy, fatigue and drowsiness Blurred vision Sudden weight loss Increased appetite, hunger When the blood sugar is stabilised by treatment, these symptoms go away. How is Type 1 diabetes treated? Every person with Type 1 diabetes needs to inject themselves with insulin to survive. There are quite a number of different types of insulin, and a number of different insulin t Continue reading >>
Diabetic Retinopathy
On this page: Diabetes and diabetic retinopathy • DR symptoms • Types of diabetic eye disease • Who gets diabetic retinopathy? • Minorities and diabetic eye disease • When is DR a disability? • Eye exam assistance program • Prevention • Diabetic retinopathy videos Diabetic retinopathy — vision-threatening damage to the retina of the eye caused by diabetes — is the leading cause of blindness among working-age Americans. The good news: Diabetic retinopathy often can be prevented with early detection, proper management of your diabetes and routine eye exams performed by your optometrist or ophthalmologist. According to the International Diabetes Federation (IDF), the United States has the highest rate of diabetes among 38 developed nations, with approximately 30 million Americans — roughly 11 percent of the U.S. population between the ages of 20 and 79 — having the disease. About 90 percent of Americans with diabetes have type 2 diabetes, which develops when the the body fails to produce enough insulin — a hormone secreted by the pancreas that enables dietary sugar to enter the cells of the body — or the body becomes resistant to insulin. This causes glucose (sugar) levels in the bloodstream to rise and can eventually damage the eyes, kidneys, nerves or heart, according to the American Diabetes Association (ADA). Risk factors for type 2 diabetes include obesity, an unhealthful diet and physical inactivity. Unfortunately, the prevalence of obesity and type 2 diabetes has increased significantly in the United States over the past 30 years. According to data released by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in December 2015, there were 1.4 million new cases of diabetes reported in the U.S. in 2014. Though this annual number is d Continue reading >>
Quiz - As Diabetes Increases Worldwide, A Vegetable Could Help
From VOA Learning English, this is the Health & Lifestyle report. Diabetes is a serious, chronic disease on the rise around the world. And, not everyone can take the medication that treats it. However, researchers have discovered that a compound found in a common vegetable might help treat diabetes. In 2016 the World Health Organization published its Global Report on Diabetes. It says the number of diabetic adults rose from 108 million in 1980 to 422 million in 2014. Diabetes happens in two ways. If the body does not produce enough of a hormone called insulin it is called Type 1. Type 2 diabetes is when the body cannot effectively use the insulin it produces. Insulin controls levels of sugar in the blood. Over time, diabetes can damage the heart, blood vessels, eyes, kidneys and nerves. Diabetes is a major cause of blindness, kidney failure, heart attacks, stroke and lower limb amputation. It can lead to an early death. India is one of the countries that could be facing a public health crisis as cases of diabetes increase. Amit Jain is a children's doctor in that country. He says obesity is one of the main reasons people get Type 2 diabetes. However, children who are not obese can also get diabetes. Rohin Sarin is a regular 15-year old kid. He goes to school. He likes sports. But unlike most children, four times a day he has to take a shot of insulin. Rohin has type 2 diabetes. "Sometimes it affects me negatively like if I just play a lot and I don't eat my food properly; then my sugar goes down. So, then I feel dizzy and I am not able to play the sport properly." About 300 million people around the world have type-2 diabetics. A large percentage of these people cannot take a drug used to treat this disease. The drug metformin is a first-line therapy. This means it is o Continue reading >>
Can You Develop Diabetes?
Between creepy clowns and diabetes, the latter is a lot scarier. Here’s why — diabetes can be a silent killer because many symptoms are easy to miss, and the disease will lead to some serious complications. Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong cited recently that one in nine Singaporeans has diabetes, and three in 10 over the age of 60 have the disease. Just what is diabetes? Diabetes mellitus, commonly referred to as diabetes, is a long-term medical condition where our body’s blood glucose levels remain constantly higher than normal. It occurs when the pancreas does not produce enough insulin or when the insulin is simply ineffective. Insulin is a hormone produced by the pancreas that controls the use of blood glucose (simple sugar) for energy. It plays an important role in keeping our blood glucose levels low. Without insulin, our body will not be able to use or store the glucose that comes from food. The body will then use fat as a source of fuel for the body instead, which in turn will give rise to acute complications such as blindness and kidney failure. Can I develop diabetes? Here’s a quick breakdown on the two major types of diabetes: Type 1 diabetes This is the less common type between the two, often diagnosed in childhood. Type 1 diabetes is a type of condition where the body is unable to produce insulin due to a damaged pancreas. Although it can occur at any age, Type 1 diabetes is usually more common in children and young adults. Insulin is needed for treatment, and the complications can be sudden and life-threatening. Type 2 diabetes This is the most common type of diabetes that affects most Singaporeans. In Type 2 diabetes, your body either becomes resistant to insulin or your pancreas does not produce enough insulin for your body. You run a higher risk Continue reading >>
