Living With
Serious side effects can happen in people who take JANUVIA, including pancreatitis, which may be severe and lead to death. Before you start taking JANUVIA, tell your doctor if you've ever had pancreatitis. Stop taking JANUVIA and call your doctor right away if you have pain in your stomach area (abdomen) that is severe and will not go away. The pain may be felt going from your abdomen through to your back. The pain may happen with or without vomiting. These may be symptoms of pancreatitis. Before you start taking JANUVIA, tell your doctor if you have ever had heart failure (your heart does not pump blood well enough) or have problems with your kidneys. Contact your doctor right away if you have increasing shortness of breath or trouble breathing (especially when you lie down); swelling or fluid retention (especially in the feet, ankles, or legs); an unusually fast increase in weight; or unusual tiredness. These may be symptoms of heart failure. Do not take JANUVIA if you are allergic to any of its ingredients, including sitagliptin. Symptoms of serious allergic reactions to JANUVIA, including rash, hives, and swelling of the face, lips, tongue, and throat that may cause difficulty breathing or swallowing, can occur. If you have any symptoms of a serious allergic reaction, stop taking JANUVIA and call your doctor right away. Kidney problems, sometimes requiring dialysis, have been reported. Some people who take medicines called DPP-4 inhibitors like JANUVIA, may develop joint pain that can be severe. Call your doctor if you have severe joint pain. Some people who take medicines called DPP-4 inhibitors like JANUVIA may develop a skin reaction called bullous pemphigoid that can require treatment in a hospital. Tell your doctor right away if you develop blisters or the brea Continue reading >>
10 Tips For Staying Healthy With Type 2 Diabetes
10 Tips for Staying Healthy With Type 2 Diabetes If you've been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, these simple strategies can help you avoid complications and enjoy life. Sign Up for Our Living with Diabetes Newsletter Thanks for signing up! You might also like these other newsletters: Sign up for more FREE Everyday Health newsletters . Checking your blood glucose regularly, eating a healthy diet, and staying active are all things you can do to manage your diabetes. Every day, about 4,000 people are newly diagnosed with diabetes, according to the American Diabetes Association. For most of them, getting this news is likely to cause a swirl of emotions and questions, perhaps the most important one being: What do I do now? Jenny Dejesus, NP , diabetes educator at Weill Cornell Medical Center in New York City, explains it in rather simple terms: Staying healthy with diabetes is all about making choices. The most important things people with diabetes can do are making healthy food choices, getting some exercise, testing their blood glucose, and taking their medication. And its important to stay informed and ask questions during your doctor visits. The more you know, the more you can do for yourself to control diabetes. Type 2 Diabetes: Lifestyle Choices for Staying Healthy If youre one of the millions of people who have developed type 2 diabetes , consider making these important changes: Healthy food choicesAccording to the American Diabetes Association , start by choosing foods that are low in refined carbohydrates (like sugar and flour) and emphasizing vegetables, whole grains, whole fruit, beans, lean meats (like chicken and fish), and low-fat dairy products. The next part of this strategy is portion control eat the right amount for a healthy diet and weight control. Eat r Continue reading >>
What It’s Like To Live With Type 2 Diabetes
Keeping tabs on your blood sugar If you’re not taking insulin, should you be testing your blood glucose during your day? The short answer is yes. You may not be using the results to adjust an insulin dose or the dinner menu, but it’s still important for people with Type 2 diabetes to be aware of their levels. “If there’s no testing, your sugars can be out of whack,” says Tabitha Palmer, a dietitian and certified diabetes educator working in Endocrinology Research at Capital Health in Halifax. “You can feel just fine with high blood sugar, but unfortunately they can still be causing all sorts of problems inside.” You certainly don’t need to test as often as someone with Type 1 diabetes would. But it may be a good idea to check your blood glucose level once or twice during the day. Taking medication Not everyone with Type 2 diabetes takes medication. But if you do, part of your day involves taking your pills or administering your injections. The medication may be prescribed to lower blood sugar, help your body produce insulin or provide the insulin your body can’t produce. About a quarter of people with Type 2 diabetes will eventually need to have insulin injections. “It’s not something that’s considered a failure or your fault. It’s just a natural progression of the disease,” says Palmer. These days, people are being diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes at a much younger age, which means they could be living with the disease for decades. Watching your diet If you have Type 2 diabetes, your daily routine should always include three healthy meals. It’s important to put some planning into what goes on your plate. Because you’re at a high risk for cardiovascular problems, such as heart disease and stroke, your focus should be on low-fat foods. There Continue reading >>
How To Learn To Live With Type 2 Diabetes
It takes more than medicine to cope with diabetes every day.(RADE PAVLOVIC/ISTOCKPHOTO) Type 2 diabetes is serious business, but it's not a death sentence. With proper management, people can live relatively normal lives. "I think sometimes people still understand diabetes as being the disease where you get your legs cut off and go blind," says Thomas Blevins, MD, an endocrinologist and founder of Texas Diabetes and Endocrinology, a private practice in Austin. Diabetes management has come a long way in recent years thanks to a flurry of research, more drug options, advances in home glucose monitoring, and in many cases earlier diagnosis. While diabetes has become more manageable, it isn't necessarily easier. Learning how to cope You'll need to cope with added health costs, diabetes burnout (a point when the daily grind of finger pricking, food monitoring, and exercise may get you down), social functions like the office holiday party, and family members who may be less than supportiveor overzealous in their support. Frustration I did everything and my sugar was high Watch videoMore about coping with diabetes Turning down a second piece of cake is no piece of cake. But you may need to cope with temptation as well as well-meaning family and friends who morph into the "food police," interrogating your every food choice. Diabetes education Your first ally in learning how to live with diabetes will most likely be a diabetes educator, a health professional who teaches the finer points of living with diabetes. Penny, a 67-year-old who lives in New York City, took a five-week course in diabetic self-management at the Montefiore Medical Center. It was the best thing to ever happen to her, she says. She gained a much deeper understanding of the anatomy and physiology of diabetes; l Continue reading >>
Living Longer With Diabetes
Diabetes tends to shorten your expected life. The good news is that you can do a lot to get those years back, and most of those things feel good. Studies disagree on exactly how much damage diabetes does. A Princeton University study of about 20,000 adults found that diabetes cuts about 8.5 years off the life expectancy of an average 50 year old, compared to a 50 year old without diabetes. Most of this early death comes from complications such as heart disease, stroke, and kidney failure. People with diabetes are also less likely to be employed and more likely to be depressed and disabled, all of which can make life harder and potentially shorter, researchers found. However, a recent Dutch study published in the online journal PLOS One found much more encouraging results. People with Type 2 and an average age of 66 seem to have the same death rate as those without diabetes. Various factors influence death rates. According to the British site Diabetes.co.uk, “How soon diabetes was diagnosed, the progress of complications, and whether one has other existing conditions will all contribute to one’s life expectancy.” What to do Most complications of diabetes come from high blood sugars and high blood pressure. Too much sugar damages blood vessels and nerves. Almost any organ can fail given poor circulation caused by diabetes. According to mainstream medicine, the best way to lengthen life with Type 2 is to keep sugars down. In a typical recommendation, Diabetes.co.uk writes, “Keeping blood sugar levels within the recommended ranges will [reduce] the likelihood of complications and increase life expectancy…Enjoy a healthy lifestyle, with a well balanced diet, and regular activity.” If that doesn’t work, take medications, they say. With about ten categories of pr Continue reading >>
Tips For Living Well With Type 2 Diabetes
Tips for living well with Type 2 diabetes It can come as a shock to be diagnosed with a long-term illness. It is easy to feel overwhelmed and helpless, but its important to know how to manage those feelings and learn how to cope with the daily stress of living with Type 2 diabetes . Many communities offer diabetes classes or groups that can help you to manage your disease. Read these tips from the Healthy Living with Diabetes class: Its a stressful feeling to be diagnosed with an illness that will affect your lifestyle long-term. Here are a few ideas to get your feet on the ground: Take small steps. Find small, weekly goals that are attainable and easier to accomplish. Long-term goals are great, but when you can accomplish something in a matter of days, you are more likely to continue to reach and set more goals for yourself. Get physical activity. If you are one who rarely engages in physical activity, start by getting outside and going for a short, 5-minute walk. Once you start, its easier to continue on, so start small if you need to. Take time for yourself. It is OK to feel overwhelmed. In fact, its normal. Take a few minutes of your day to do something that you enjoy to get you back on track to feeling like yourself. Eat healthy . Whatever that may mean for you give it a try. Even if its smaller portions than you normally eat, just start there. Think positively. Positive thinking can truly affect your ability to overcome emotions you may feel you have no control over. Turn negative thoughts, such as Im too tired into If Im tired today, I probably got a lot done yesterday. Practice gratitude. There are many things in life to be thankful for. Choose to think about the good over the bad. Attend a diabetes-related class or support group. These offerings allow you to s Continue reading >>
Living With Type 2 Diabetes: 20 Inspirational Blogs
When thinking of diabetes what is the first thing that comes to your mind? Insulin? Injections? Of course, these things are very important – for type 1 diabetics. However, almost 90% of all diabetics have type 2 and mostly don’t need to inject insulin. But nevertheless, having type 2 diabetes can change your life completely and you need to take good care of your health. In the UK there are more than 135 and in the US more than 1400 diabetes-related amputations – every week. But the good news is: it doesn’t need to get that far. With the right treatment and responsible behavior, you can do a lot to prevent the progress of your diabetes. And you’re not alone: There are a lot of bloggers providing insight into their lives with type 2 diabetes, sharing their experience and motivation. How do I keep my blood glucose levels stable? What is the right diet for me? And is there an app that supports me with my diabetes? We’ve collected 20 of the most inspiring blogs about type 2 diabetes that you need to read: Are you missing one of your favorite blogs? Please write us in the comment section below. Diabetes Ramblings Sue writes about her personal experiences with type 2 diabetes and how she is dealing with her life as a mom of five. She says about herself: “I may have type 2 diabetes but it doesn't have me!” diabetesramblings.com Diabetes Stops Here On this blog, run by the American Diabetes Association, people with type 1 and type 2 diabetes share their stories about “what it means to live with diabetes, from frustrations and fears to friendships and triumphs”. diabetesstopshere.org Bob’s Blog, UK Bob writes about how he is living well with type 2 diabetes and how he is managing his condition with the right diet, exercise, and oral medication. fractis.net D Continue reading >>
Living With Type 2 Diabetes: Under Control Without Meds For 25 Years
When Bonny Damocles was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, he asked his doctor if he could try diet and exercise before starting the recommended medications. Granted a reprieve, he immediately began the most grueling workout he could think of: running stairs. Because his export business allowed him to work from his Midland, Michigan home where he served as the primary caregiver for a son with Duchenne muscular dystrophy, he broke his workouts up into segments totaling two hours per day. He quit eating sugar and most processed foods. When he reported back to his doctor ten days later, his blood sugar had dropped from 468 to readings in the 130s and 140s. “Continue what you are doing,” his doctor told him. “These are very encouraging results.” Twenty-five years later, the 80-year-old still runs stairs and watches his diet rather than using medication to control his diabetes. His a1c tests typically range from 5.2 to 6.3 percent; his most recent result was 5.8. He reports no diabetes complications and considers himself in excellent health. But he knows he hasn’t conquered diabetes. About 3½ years after his diagnosis, after a long streak of excellent blood sugar readings, a friend suggested he was cured. Damocles believed him. “So I drastically reduced my stair-running time to practically none on some days and started eating the wrong foods for me: steaks, fried chicken, pork chops, and other high-fat foods.” Then one day, out of curiosity, he tested his blood sugar. “It was 486 mg/dl. I nearly fainted.” These days, Damocles does his stairs exercise in four 25-minute increments, primarily before meals. He knows better than to let up. “I know, as all type 2 diabetics know, that once a diabetic, always a diabetic. I will never get rid of this disease.” Too Continue reading >>
Diabetes Life Expectancy
Tweet After diabetes diagnosis, many type 1 and type 2 diabetics worry about their life expectancy. Death is never a pleasant subject but it's human nature to want to know 'how long can I expect to live'. There is no hard and fast answer to the question of ‘how long can I expect to live’ as a number of factors influence one’s life expectancy. How soon diabetes was diagnosed, the progress of diabetic complications and whether one has other existing conditions will all contribute to one’s life expectancy - regardless of whether the person in question has type 1 or type 2 diabetes. How long can people with diabetes expect to live? Diabetes UK estimates in its report, Diabetes in the UK 2010: Key Statistics on Diabetes[5], 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. People with type 1 diabetes have traditionally lived shorter lives, with life expectancy having been quoted as being reduced by over 20 years. However, improvement in diabetes care in recent decades indicates that people with type 1 diabetes are now living significantly longer. Results of a 30 year study by the University of Pittsburgh, published in 2012, noted that people with type 1 diabetes born after 1965 had a life expectancy of 69 years.[76] How does diabetic life expectancy compare with people in general? The Office for National Statistics estimates life expectancy amongst new births to be: 77 years for males 81 years for females. Amongst those who are currently 65 years old, the average man can expect to live until 83 years old and the average woman to live until 85 years old. What causes a shorter life expectancy in diabetics? Higher blood sugars over a period of time allow diabetic complications to set in, su Continue reading >>
4 Steps To Manage Your Diabetes For Life
This publication has been reviewed by NDEP for plain language principles. Learn more about our review process. Actions you can take The marks in this booklet show actions you can take to manage your diabetes. Help your health care team make a diabetes care plan that will work for you. Learn to make wise choices for your diabetes care each day. Step 1: Learn about diabetes. What is diabetes? There are three main types of diabetes: Type 1 diabetes – Your body does not make insulin. This is a problem because you need insulin to take the sugar (glucose) from the foods you eat and turn it into energy for your body. You need to take insulin every day to live. Type 2 diabetes – Your body does not make or use insulin well. You may need to take pills or insulin to help control your diabetes. Type 2 is the most common type of diabetes. Gestational (jest-TAY-shun-al) diabetes – Some women get this kind of diabetes when they are pregnant. Most of the time, it goes away after the baby is born. But even if it goes away, these women and their children have a greater chance of getting diabetes later in life. You are the most important member of your health care team. You are the one who manages your diabetes day by day. Talk to your doctor about how you can best care for your diabetes to stay healthy. Some others who can help are: dentist diabetes doctor diabetes educator dietitian eye doctor foot doctor friends and family mental health counselor nurse nurse practitioner pharmacist social worker How to learn more about diabetes. Take classes to learn more about living with diabetes. To find a class, check with your health care team, hospital, or area health clinic. You can also search online. Join a support group — in-person or online — to get peer support with managing your Continue reading >>
New Report Provides A Plan For Living With Type 2 Diabetes
These days, when I must give one of my patients the bad news that he or she has type 2 diabetes, the response is sometimes along the lines of “Well, I figured it was just a matter of time before that happened.” Many people suspect they are on a collision course with type 2 diabetes, but don’t know how to steer clear of it. Many others have diabetes but don’t know how to control it. Before going any farther, let me clarify that I am talking about type 2 diabetes, what used to be called adult-onset and non-insulin-dependent diabetes. It begins when muscle cells have trouble responding to insulin, a hormone that ushers glucose (blood sugar) into cells. Type 1 diabetes (formerly called juvenile-onset and insulin-dependent diabetes) is a different story. It occurs when the body’s immune system mistakenly attacks and damages insulin-making cells in the pancreas. Type 2 diabetes accounts for about 90% of all cases of diabetes. It is also on the rise. Fifty years ago, about 1.6 million Americans had type 2 diabetes. Today, nearly 20 million have been diagnosed with it, and almost half again as many have type 2 diabetes but don’t know it. Living with a chronic condition like type 2 diabetes can be confusing. We have created Diabetes: A plan you can live with to provide a clear road map for people with this condition. This updated Special Health Report from Harvard Health Publications covers the basics of living with type 2 diabetes, from monitoring blood sugar and managing medications to losing weight and working with health-care providers. A separate report, Healthy Eating for Type 2 Diabetes, covers strategies for eating well with type 2 diabetes, and offers 40 recipes that follow the healthy eating guidelines the report describes. As my colleague Dr. David M. Nath Continue reading >>
Type 2 Diabetes - Living With Type 2 Diabetes
Making healthy choices is a big part of managing type 2 diabetes. The more you learn about the disease, the more motivated you may be to make good choices and follow your treatment plan. Eat a balanced diet, and try to manage the amount of carbohydrate you eat by spreading it out over the day. The dietary guidelines for good health can help everyone form healthy eating habits, including people who have type 2 diabetes. It is especially important for people with type 2 diabetes to: Shift from eating unhealthy saturated fats to eating healthier unsaturated fats. Avoid foods that contain trans fat. Be careful with alcohol, which affects your blood sugar. It can make problems from nerve damage, blood pressure, cholesterol, and weight even worse. Adult women should limit alcohol to 1 drink a day with a meal. Adult men should limit alcohol to 2 drinks a day with a meal. And women who are pregnant should not drink at all. You don't have to join a gym to get fit or be active. There are many things you can do, such as walking or even vacuuming. The American Diabetes Association (ADA) recommends that you keep your blood sugar levels at:1 80 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL) to 130 mg/dL before meals, when using a home blood sugar test. If you are pregnant, aim for a blood sugar level from 60 mg/dL to 99 mg/dL. Less than 180 mg/dL 1 to 2 hours after meals, using the home blood sugar test. If you are pregnant, aim for 100 mg/dL to 129 mg/dL for your highest blood sugar level 1 to 2 hours after meals. Continue reading >>
Understanding Type 2 Diabetes
Diabetes is a chronic medical condition in which sugar, or glucose, levels build up in your bloodstream. The hormone insulin helps move the sugar from your blood into your cells, which are where the sugar is used for energy. In type 2 diabetes, your body’s cells aren’t able to respond to insulin as well as they should. In later stages of the disease your body may also not produce enough insulin. Uncontrolled type 2 diabetes can lead to chronically high blood sugar levels, causing several symptoms and potentially leading to serious complications. In type 2 diabetes your body isn’t able to effectively use insulin to bring glucose into your cells. This causes your body to rely on alternative energy sources in your tissues, muscles, and organs. This is a chain reaction that can cause a variety of symptoms. Type 2 diabetes can develop slowly. The symptoms may be mild and easy to dismiss at first. The early symptoms may include: constant hunger a lack of energy fatigue weight loss excessive thirst frequent urination dry mouth itchy skin blurry vision As the disease progresses, the symptoms become more severe and potentially dangerous. If your blood sugar levels have been high for a long time, the symptoms can include: yeast infections slow-healing cuts or sores dark patches on your skin foot pain feelings of numbness in your extremities, or neuropathy If you have two or more of these symptoms, you should see your doctor. Without treatment, diabetes can become life-threatening. Diabetes has a powerful effect on your heart. Women with diabetes are twice as likely to have another heart attack after the first one. They’re at quadruple the risk of heart failure when compared to women without diabetes. Diabetes can also lead to complications during pregnancy. Diet is an imp Continue reading >>
Q&a: What It’s Like To Live With Type 2 Diabetes
A "Do you have diabetes?" poster hung next to an elevator in Premera Manager Kelly Jones's office. By the time the elevator arrived and she stepped in, she had read the poster a couple times — and thought the warning signs sounded familiar. Months earlier, her doctor advised that she was considered "pre-diabetic." He was monitoring her A1c, which measures average blood sugar level over a three-month period, and he recommended she get more exercise and improve her diet. Jones made an effort, but was diagnosed as a type 2 diabetic at her next visit. We asked Jones to share her experience as a diabetic, and offer tips to help others manage this condition, experienced by 30 million Americans. Q: What symptoms of diabetes were listed on the poster? A: Excessive thirst, frequent urination, increased hunger, tiredness, blurred vision or tingling in your hands and feet. It was around Halloween, and I was eating too much candy at the office. So what I was calling "fuzzy brain" was actually a symptom of diabetes. And I was really thirsty. Q: Simply stated, what is diabetes? A: There are two types of diabetes: type 1, where your body is unable to make insulin; and type 2, where your body is unable to properly use the insulin it makes. When your body doesn't have enough insulin, you can't move glucose from your blood to the cells, and then you don't get the nutrients your body needs for energy. Type 2 diabetes is also often genetic, as in my case. Q: What risk factors did you have? A: The extra weight I was carrying was one factor, but not the only one — many people with type 2 diabetes are a normal weight or only moderately overweight. In my case, both my dad and sister have diabetes, so it was in my family history. Q: What have you found is the best approach to managing diabe 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 >>
