How Does Diabetes Affect Life Insurance Rates?
Diabetes is a serious medical condition and can impact purchasing life insurance. While finding coverage may be more difficult for a diabetic than someone who does not have a health condition, there are life insurance companies who will offer coverage. We understand the importance of protecting your family from a financial struggle in the event of premature death and will work with you to get affordable life insurance coverage. Life insurance carriers all follow a different set of underwriting guidelines. This means that each carrier will rate a certain condition differently. While one company may decide to give an applicant a Preferred Plus rating for a certain condition, another company may offer only Standard. This is where we can help you. We have relationships with many of the best life insurance carriers and know the idiosyncrasies of each. Once we know your unique situation, we will shop your case at the appropriate carriers to help you get the best possible coverage. What the Life Insurance Carriers Want to Know About Your Diabetes When you disclose on your life insurance application that you have diabetes, you will be asked to complete a follow-up form so we can get more information. The more information we have, the better we can shop your case. A diabetes questionnaire will typically ask: The date you were diagnosed Type 1 (often diagnosed in childhood) Type 2 (often diagnosed as an adult) How often you visit your physician How your diabetes is controlled Diet Oral medication Insulin If you are taking any other medications What your most recent blood sugar reading was If you monitor your own blood sugar What your most recent glycohemoglobin or fructosamine level was (if you have the information) Whether you have any other health conditions If you have smoked Continue reading >>
How Diabetes Can Affect Your Nerves
According to the International Diabetes Federation diabetics run the risk of developing serious health problems affecting the nerves, eyes, kidneys, heart and blood vessels. They also have a higher risk of developing infections. It is important that diabetics maintain cholesterol, blood pressure and blood glucose at normal or close to normal levels in order to avoid the above problems. Uncontrolled diabetes can lead to lower limb amputation, kidney failure, blindness and cardiovascular disease. Diabetic neuropathy Nerve damage as a result of diabetes is referred to as diabetic neuropathy and is a common complication of the disease. Neuropathy means damage to the nerves, something that prevents one from feeling sensations like pain. Consistently high blood sugar levels can damage the nerves in a number of ways, but the damage is mostly experienced as numbness, pain and weakness in the arms, hands, feet and legs. Read: Eric Clapton: Nerve pain like 'electric shocks' The pain caused by diabetes-related nerve damage usually isn’t severe and may be overlooked by the patient. There are four types of diabetic neuropathy: Peripheral neuropathy causes pain or loss of feeling in the hands, arms, feet, and legs. Autonomic neuropathy can cause changes in digestion, bowel and bladder control, and erectile dysfunction. It can also affect the nerves that serve the heart and control blood pressure. Proximal neuropathy causes pain in the thighs and hips and weakness in the legs. Focal neuropathy can affect any nerve in the body, leading to pain or weakness. How does it happen? Endocrine Web explains that there is still a lot uncertainty about exactly how elevated blood glucose levels affect the nerves. A long-term study published in 1993 clearly showed that neuropathy (and other compl Continue reading >>
The Effects Of Diabetes On Your Body
When you hear the word “diabetes,” your first thought is likely about high blood sugar. Blood sugar is an often-underestimated component of your health. When it’s out of whack over a long period of time, it could develop into diabetes. Diabetes affects your body’s ability to produce or use insulin, a hormone that allows your body to turn glucose (sugar) into energy. Here’s what symptoms may occur to your body when diabetes takes effect. Diabetes can be effectively managed when caught early. However, when left untreated, it can lead to potential complications that include heart disease, stroke, kidney damage, and nerve damage. Normally after you eat or drink, your body will break down sugars from your food and use them for energy in your cells. To accomplish this, your pancreas needs to produce a hormone called insulin. Insulin is what facilitates the process of pulling sugar from the blood and putting it in the cells for use, or energy. If you have diabetes, your pancreas either produces too little insulin or none at all. The insulin can’t be used effectively. This allows blood glucose levels to rise while the rest of your cells are deprived of much-needed energy. This can lead to a wide variety of problems affecting nearly every major body system. The effects of diabetes on your body also depends on the type you have. There are two main types of diabetes: type 1 and type 2. Type 1, also called juvenile diabetes or insulin-dependent diabetes, is an immune system disorder. Your own immune system attacks the insulin-producing cells in the pancreas, destroying your body’s ability to make insulin. With type 1 diabetes, you must take insulin to live. Most people are diagnosed as a child or young adult. Type 2 is related to insulin resistance. It used to occur i Continue reading >>
Living With Diabetes
Modern treatment for type 1 and type 2 diabetes makes it possible to live a near normal life, but this doesn't mean the going is always easy. Diabetes doesn't just affect your lifestyle, but can have an impact on your emotions, relationships, work and hobbies. Mood and diabetes It's known that mood changes and depressive illnesses are more common in people who have a long-term medical condition than in people who are well. There is evidence that some illnesses directly affect the parts of the brain and the chemical systems that control our mood and behaviour. For example, endocrine conditions interact with the chemical systems governing mood. However, the psychological and social impact of an illness is also important. Suddenly being dependent on insulin injections or having to take care about what you eat and drink can lead to a number of consequences. You may feel as if you've lost control, or have to change your lifestyle and give up certain hobbies. At the same time, these changes can affect your self-esteem and your roles at home and work may be changed, too. These factors can all contribute to the development of depression or anxiety. If it's difficulty in coming to terms with diabetes that's causing anxiety or depression, these feelings should fade as you learn more about the condition and how to deal with it. Just as a loss of control can cause anxiety, regaining control will give you back your confidence. But it may be you need to talk to your GP and get treatment – don't be afraid to ask for help. Medicines for depression and anxiety won't affect your diabetes. Endocrine: of or relating to hormones that are secreted directly into the blood. Problems with the hormone insulin is what causes diabetes. Relationships and family life There's no doubt that diabetes Continue reading >>
'how Diabetes Affects My Daily Life'
Brian Hunte was born in Trinidad and now lives in London. He was diagnosed with diabetes around 34 years ago, when he was 43. He talks about living with the condition. "When I was diagnosed with diabetes, it was a surprise. I didn't feel unwell, but I had been losing weight and felt thirsty all the time. "I was drinking lots of water and going to the loo more often. I had to get up twice in the night to urinate, which wasn't normal for me." Seeing the doctor "When I described my symptoms to the GP, he said it sounded like diabetes symptoms. Blood tests confirmed I had type 1, which usually develops earlier than 43, but can develop in older people. "I was worried because I didn't know anything about diabetes. I didn't like the idea of giving myself injections. "At first, I was given tablets to stimulate the pancreas to produce insulin. I also had to change my diet. "I needed to avoid sugar, so I gave up cakes, chocolates, sweets, and sugar in my tea and coffee. It wasn't as difficult as I'd expected, but I confess I still eat cakes every now and then." Fried and sugary food "The doctors also recommended a healthy diet with no fatty foods, so no chips or anything else fried. I loved sausages, eggs, bacon and black pudding, but it wasn't too hard to give them up. "I ate more fibre and fruit (but fruit is sugary, so I don't have more than three portions a day), steamed or boiled vegetables and grilled meat. It was a normal diet, really. I could go to a restaurant with friends and order from the menu easily. "I never ate too much Trinidadian food because my wife is Irish. Growing up with three sisters in Trinidad meant I was never allowed in the kitchen. It was only when I emigrated to Dublin in 1959 that I learned to cook for myself. "I taught my wife some Trinidadian dishe Continue reading >>
Diabetes And How It Can Affect A Person At Work
Many conditions can cause health issues in the workplace and long-term absence from work. One condition that is becoming increasingly prevalent is diabetes. Diabetes is the result of the body being unable to break down glucose into energy, either because the body doesn’t produce enough insulin to metabolise glucose or because the insulin produced by the body doesn’t work properly. Figures from Diabetes UK show that since 1996 the number of people with diabetes in the UK has more than doubled from 1.4 million to 3.5 million. By 2025, it is estimated that five million people will have diabetes in the UK. Types of diabetes Type 1 diabetes: Develops when the insulin-producing cells in the pancreas have been destroyed so the body can’t maintain normal glucose levels. This accounts for only around 10% of all cases of diabetes and is controlled through regular, life-long insulin injections. Type 2 diabetes: This occurs when the body is not making enough insulin and is most common in middle aged or older people. However, it is becoming increasingly common in younger, overweight people and is often linked to lifestyle choices. To some extent, type 2 diabetes can be controlled through diet and exercise, although many people with type 2 diabetes will require medication to control glucose levels. Diabetes – warning signs Certain symptoms can suggest the onset of diabetes, and these include: feeling very thirsty; urinating more frequently, particularly at night; increased hunger; feeling tired; weight loss or loss of muscle bulk; slow-healing cuts or wounds; blurred vision; frequent b0uts of thrush. Risk factors for diabetes Type 1 diabetes: Family history: Having a parent or sibling with the condition. Genetics: The presence of certain genes indicates an increased risk of d Continue reading >>
Diabetes Type 2
Family members were often involved in the lifestyle changes that people made after they were diagnosed with diabetes. Many people said that their spouses, partners and children were essential in helping them, and motivating them to keep their diabetes under control. Often the whole family made changes to their diet, and several people thought there had been benefits from doing this. Some involved their younger children or grandchildren when they were doing their blood glucose tests, taking their medication or injections, so that managing diabetes became a natural part of family life. However when people were in denial about their diabetes, it was difficult for families to know what to do. Parents said they educated their children about their diet and lifestyle, and encouraged them to eat healthily and to take more exercise, hoping that it might reduce their chance of getting diabetes. Some were keen to ensure that any sign of diabetes in their children would be picked up quickly. One father encouraged his children to be tested regularly because he believed getting diagnosed early had minimised the impact diabetes had on his health. Social Life Diabetes had little effect on most people's social life. Many had learnt to manage their diabetes so that it didn't affect their ability to eat out in restaurants, at friends' houses, or in social gatherings. Some people said they only had small amounts of food and were careful to avoid sweet or spicy foods (as these are often high in sugar, salt and fat. Spices are not on their own bad for you). Others said that they only ate out occasionally so they felt the odd indulgence was okay. A few people found other's reactions and lack of understanding difficult, which made it harder to keep within their diabetic guidelines and they suf Continue reading >>
Life Insurance For Diabetics
Find out how to get the best deal on life insurance if you suffer from diabetes People who suffer from diabetes are affected in many aspects of their lives, including their ability to get life insurance. This guide explains how having diabetes can affect the ability to get life insurance, as well as the cost of it, and what diabetes sufferers can do to minimise the impact. How does diabetes affect your life? Diabetes is a group of life-long metabolic diseases, which involve the sufferer having a higher than usual blood sugar level. There are two types of diabetes, type 1 and type 2, and there are many distinctions between the two types. With type 1 diabetes, the sufferer’s pancreas is unable to produce insulin. Insulin is a vital hormone that controls the sugar (glucose) levels in your blood. Without insulin, the glucose levels build up instead of being used as energy. The causes are unknown and it is often diagnosed in childhood. In order to control type 1 diabetes, insulin injections need to be administered daily (by syringe, pen or pump). Depending on the condition and severity, a doctor will recommend how often the insulin injections need to be taken and at what times. Because type 1 diabetes often occurs so early and is a result of the pancreas failing to produce insulin, it is not usually linked to having excess body weight or high levels of cholesterol. Meanwhile, type 2 diabetes is often diagnosed later on in life, usually in people aged 30 or over. Unlike type 1 diabetes, type 2 is usually associated with having excess body weight in combination with high blood pressure and/or high cholesterol levels, but there is also a combination of other factors that could be involved, such as genes or miscommunication between the cells in your body. The pancreas in type Continue reading >>
How Does Diabetes Affect Your Sex Life?
Having diabetes affects much more than a person's diet - it can impact every aspect of their life, including their sexual health. Similarly, it is not just the physical side effects of diabetes that cause problems. Diabetes can have an impact on a person's mental health, their sex drive, and their self-esteem. How does diabetes impact the sexual organs? Diabetes can affect the sexual health of both men and women in the following ways: Impact on women Damage caused by diabetes to the nerves can affect a woman's ability to sense sexual stimulation and arousal. This can affect the release of vaginal lubricant, which may result in painful sex and reduced ability to experience an orgasm. When a woman who has diabetes goes through the menopause, she may experience sudden drops in her blood sugar levels. This may affect a woman's sexual health because she may have to check her blood sugar before having sex. She might also experience symptoms of low blood sugar during sex. This may make sex seem more of an inconvenience than a pleasure. Women with diabetes are also more likely to experience infections, such as thrush, cystitis, and urinary tract infections. These can all impact the ability to have sexual intercourse. Impact on men Men with diabetes often have reduced testosterone levels, which can affect their sex drive. However, the main sexual health problem affecting men who have diabetes is an inability to achieve and, or, maintain an erection. According to the Joslin Diabetes Center, an estimated 50 percent of men who have had diabetes for 10 years experience erectile dysfunction (ED). In order for a man to achieve an erection, significant blood flow to the penis is required. However, diabetes damages the blood vessels, which can affect blood flow to the penis. Diabetes ca Continue reading >>
How Does Diabetes Affect A Person's Lifestyle?
Learning you have diabetes is a life-changing diagnosis. Adjusting to life as a type 2 diabetic can be a challenge but it's important to work with healthcare professionals to come up with a plan that lets you lead as healthy and normal a life as possible. How does diabetes affect a person's lifestyle? Dietary Changes A change in diet and meal planning is almost certainly going to be a part of a diabetes treatment plan, as the foods you eat will affect your blood sugar levels. This can affect family meal times since you may have to modify your food choices, eat smaller portions, as well as eat regularly (or smaller, more frequent meals) to avoid dramatic fluctuations in blood sugar. This can be difficult for the other members of your family to adjust to. This is especially hard if they're accustomed to certain foods that you now need to limit in your diet. Make meal-time an adventure; try out some new tasty diabetic-friendly recipes to try to ease your family into your new way of eating. You can even offer a homemade diabetic-friendly dessert as an incentive for them to try new dishes. Likewise, it will be hard to adjust to having dinner at a restaurant or attending a party where there are all sorts of tempting treats. It may well be that you need to eat a higher-protein, higher-fiber snack before going to the party so that it's easier for you to resist munching foods you shouldn't. Some restaurants will be accommodating if you ask them to prepare a dish a little differently. If you don't want to ask in front of your dinner companions, call ahead and see if the restaurant can meet your request. Exercise Exercise helps diabetics to regulate their blood sugar... plus it's just plain good for everyone to get fit! Obesity is a major contributor to diabetes and exercise can h Continue reading >>
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Type 1 Diabetes Constantly Affects Daily Life
Although more than one million Americans have type 1 diabetes, most people don't understand the toll it can take on daily living. "It would be easier to tell you how diabetes doesn't affect my life," said Meri Schuhmacher-Jackson, a mother of four sons -- three with type 1 diabetes. "Type 1 diabetes affects every aspect of our lives. It looks invisible from the outside. But, it's anything but invisible for us. There's a hamster running on a wheel in your brain all the time," she explained. Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease that occurs when the body's immune system mistakenly attacks and destroys the body's insulin-producing cells. Insulin is a hormone that helps the body use the sugar in foods as fuel for the body and brain. Because the body can no longer make enough insulin, people with type 1 diabetes have to replace that lost insulin. This can be accomplished with insulin injections -- about four to six shots a day -- or from a tiny tube inserted under the skin that's attached to an insulin pump. The tubing has to be changed and reinserted in a new place under the skin approximately every three days. People with type 1 diabetes have to make a number of potentially life-challenging decisions about their care throughout the day. They need to check their blood sugar levels by lancing their fingers to draw a small drop of blood at least four times a day, and often more, according to the American Diabetes Association (ADA). And, unfortunately, insulin dosing is not a precise science. "Eating, exercising, stress, illness and more can all impact blood sugar levels," said Mark Heyman, director of the Center for Diabetes and Mental Health in Solana Beach, Calif. Heyman has type 1 diabetes. All of those factors make getting the right amount of insulin a difficult balanc Continue reading >>
What Is The Life Expectancy For Diabetics?
Diabetes is recognized as one of the leading causes of disability and death worldwide. There was a time when Type 2 diabetes was common in people in their late forties and fifties. However, thanks to the easy availability of processed foods, sedentary lifestyles, poor sleep and a host of other unfavorable factors, type 2 diabetes affects millions of young adults throughout the globe today. A report was commissioned in 2010 by the National Academy on an Aging Society. It showed that diabetes cut off an average of 8.5 years from the lifespan of a regular, diabetic 50-year-old as compared to a 50-year-old without the disease. This data was provided by the Health and Retirement Study, a survey of more than 20,000 Americans over the age of 50, done every two years by the University of Michigan. Characterized by high blood glucose levels, T2D can be the result of a combination of genes, obesity and an unhealthy lifestyle. If left untreated, diabetes can be life-threatening. Complications of this disease can take a serious toll on a patient’s health and well-being. So, how long do diabetics live, you ask? Does having diabetes shorten one’s life? Let’s address these questions, one by one. MORE: Decoding The Dawn Phenomenon (High Morning Blood Sugar) How Long Do Diabetics Live? Diabetes is a system-wide disorder which is categorized by elevated blood glucose levels. This blood travels throughout the human body and when it is laden with sugar, it damages multiple systems. When the condition is left unchecked or is managed poorly, the lifespan of diabetic patients is reduced due to constant damage. Early diagnosis and treatment of diabetes for preventing its long-term complications is the best coping strategy. So, don’t ignore your doctor’s advice if you’re pre-diabeti Continue reading >>
How Does Diabetes Affect Exercise?
Having diabetes or prediabetes changes one important response to exercise -- the way your body adjusts the level of glucose, which is needed to power your workout. It boils down to the way diabetes alters insulin and other hormones that control blood sugar. Here's what's supposed to happen during exercise: At the beginning of a workout, muscles use mainly glucose, pulled from the blood, and glycogen (the stored form of glucose in muscles). As the workout progresses, the fuel shifts to a mix of glucose and fatty acids. Insulin, as you know, plays a key role in ushering glucose into muscle cells. During exercise, insulin needs to be available to help sugar get into your cells, but must also keep a low profile because a high level of insulin in the blood tells the liver not to release glucose -- glucose you need to keep your energy up. In a person without diabetes, insulin ebbs and flows as the body needs it. But when you have diabetes, several things can throw this system off. In one case, you don't make enough insulin, so you can't get enough sugar into your cells and you start feeling pretty tired on the treadmill. Or you're taking insulin or a medicine that revs up insulin production and you have too much insulin in the bloodstream, which tells the liver to stop releasing sugar just at the time you need it most. That can cause a hypoglycemic reaction. Normally, with vigorous exercise, the body releases several other hormones. The main one is adrenaline, also called epinephrine. Adrenaline is the body's "fight-or-flight" hormone. It causes your heart rate to go up, increases blood flow to the muscles, enhances breathing, and generally prepares you for a burst of physical activity. That increased activity requires fuel, so adrenaline also causes the release of glucose in Continue reading >>
Does Type 2 Diabetes Affect Life Expectancy? Live Longer By Spotting These Symptoms
If type 2 diabetes isn't treated properly and well managed, it can lead to a number of other health problems including heart disease. However, there is no way of knowing how long someone with the condition is expected to live. It depends how soon diabetes was diagnosed, any other health conditions unrelated to diabetes and factors including how often people attend health checks and look after their own health. Knowing the symptoms of diabetes can boost the chances of living longer. Diabetes UK said: “Early diagnosis, treatment and good control are vital for good health and reduce the chances of developing serious complications.” Symptoms include urinating more than usual, feeling thirst, feeling tired, cuts or wounds which heal slowly and blurred vision. Type 2 diabetes occurs when the body does not produce enough insulin or the insulin produced does not work properly and can be linked to lifestyle factors such as being overweight. High glucose levels - also known as blood sugar can damage blood vessels, nerves and organs. If diabetes is not properly managed it can lead to serious consequences such as sight loss, limb amputation, kidney failure and stroke. Experts also suggest a mildly raised glucose level that doesn't cause any symptoms can also have long-term damaging effects. The condition can impact life expectancy, how experts have said the length of time people are expected to live with the condition has increased. Seven years ago, Diabetes UK estimated that the life expectancy of someone with type 2 diabetes is likely to be reduced, as a result of the condition, by up to 10 years. Wed, June 21, 2017 Living with diabetes - ten top tips to live normally with the condition. However, a report based on data collected by GP services in the UK between 1991 and 2014, Continue reading >>
Keeping Your Quality Of Life With Diabetes
What’s most important in your life with diabetes? Is it your glucose numbers? Your symptoms? Or is it the quality of your life: your happiness, your relationships, how you and feel? Most people would say quality of life (QoL) is more important to them than lab values. But how much support do you ever get from health professionals with your quality-of-life issues? Some professionals understand the importance of quality of life, if only in how it affects your physical health. Psychologist Richard Rubin PhD, CDE, says that diabetes can feel overwhelming. “[Feeling overwhelmed] leads to diminished self-care, which in turn leads to worsened glycemic control [and] increased risks for complications.” He gave the example of depression, a sign of low quality of life that is very common in diabetes. Depression predicts health outcomes better than HbA1C or body-mass index. What makes up your quality of life? Quality of life is complicated and different for each person. Dr. Rubin says it is a combination of satisfaction with your life and happiness. Others would include functionality in their assessment. Diabetes can impact your quality of life in many ways. Physical symptoms like fatigue or the pain of neuropathy are one way. Mental symptoms such as depression over lost health or fear of future complications are another. Diabetes can take away things that make your life enjoyable, such as eating what you want, or driving, or sex. You may find yourself having less physical affection, including fewer hugs, if you don’t make contact a priority. Relationships, finances, and work issues all affect quality of life and are affected by diabetes. And there are bigger issues, like: What am I doing with my life? How am I still contributing? Am I enjoying life any more? One of the har Continue reading >>
