Health Problems Caused By Drinking Too Much Alcohol
A slew of recent studies are starting to promote alcohol as “healthy”; that is, drinking a few glasses of wine in a week. However, those that consume three or more drinks a day may be damaging their bodies irreparably. Learn what conditions alcohol abuse may be responsible for causing. Alcohol interferes with the transmission of nerve impulses in the brain and nervous system. Chronic alcohol abuse can result in psychological problems, rapid pulse, trembling, anxiety, and the loss of intellectual ability. Be sure to ask your health care provider if it is safe for you to drink alcohol if you are taking certain medications, such as pain medications or sedatives. Heavy drinking, usually over a period of 10 years or more, is the cause of about eight out of 10 cases of chronic pancreatitis. Alcohol disrupts the digestive process by inflaming the pancreas and damaging its cells, often causing severe pain. Alcohol abuse is the leading cause of impotence and other sexual dysfunctions, mainly because of the depressant effect of alcohol on the nervous system. Too much alcohol can cause chronic inflammation of the pancreas (pancreatitis), which can impair its ability to secrete insulin, ultimately leading to diabetes. If you already have diabetes, alcohol is even more dangerous because if your liver (the organ that stores your glucose supply) gets damaged, your glucose levels may become unsteady and put you at risk for hypoglycemia. Most people who consume alcohol do not suffer damage to the liver, but heavy alcohol use over several years can cause chronic injury to the liver. For women, consuming two to three drinks — including beer and wine — per day and for men, three to four drinks per day, can lead to liver damage and cirrhosis. Drinking a lot over a long time or too m Continue reading >>
Health Problems Caused By Type 2 Diabetes
Type 2 diabetes You need to watch your health and have regular check-ups if you have type 2 diabetes because it can lead to: loss of feeling and pain (nerve damage) - causing problems with sex foot problems - sores and infections vision loss and blindness miscarriage and stillbirth problems with your kidneys Controlling your blood sugar level and having regular diabetes check-ups is the best way to lower your risk of complications. Getting your heart checked You should have your blood fats (cholesterol) and blood pressure checked at least once a year. Diabetes increases your risk of heart disease and stroke so it’s important high blood pressure and high cholesterol is spotted and treated early. If you’re already being treated for high cholesterol and high blood pressure, keep taking your medicine. Diabetes also worsens the effects of smoking on your heart. Get help to quit smoking. Loss of feeling You should let your GP or diabetes nurse know if you notice any changes in your body. Diabetes can damage your nerves (neuropathy). This usually affects your feet, but it can affect other parts of your body, causing: numbness pain or tingling problems with sex constipation or diarrhoea Early treatment can prevent nerve damage getting worse. Looking after your feet You should check your feet every day. Diabetes can reduce the blood supply to your feet and cause a loss of feeling. This means: foot injuries don’t heal well you may not notice if your foot is sore or injured These can lead to ulcers and infections. Simple things are important, like: keeping feet clean and dry to avoid infection trying not to go barefoot outside to avoid nicks and cuts wearing shoes that fit well Speak to your GP or diabetes nurse if you notice any changes in your feet, including: cuts, cracks Continue reading >>
Common Diabetes Drug Metformin Could Cause Thyroid And Heart Problems, Experts Warn
A drug widely prescribed to those with diabetes could cause thyroid, heart and a host of other health problems, a study has warned. Metformin is commonly used to treat type 2 diabetes. It lowers blood sugar levels by reducing glucose production in the liver. But new research, published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal, found the drug is linked to having an underactive thyroid. And the increased risk of producing low levels of the thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), can lead to complications, scientists have warned. The condition can cause heart disease, goitre - a lump in the throat caused by a swollen thyroid - pregnancy problems and a life-threatening condition called myxoedema coma. Both men and women can have an underactive thyroid, though the condition is more common in women. In the UK, it affects 15 in every 1,000 women and one in 1,000 men. The condition can also develop in children. The amount of metformin an individual needs to control blood sugar levels is worked out by a person's doctor or diabetes team. However, some previous research has raised concerns that the drug may lower thyroid-stimulating hormone levels. The study, published in Canadian Medical Association Journal, examined data on 74,300 patients who received metformin and sulfonylurea, another common diabetes drug, over a 25-year study period. Of these people, 5,689 were being treated for an underactive thyroid, and 59,937 had normal thyroid function. In the group with an underactive thyroid, there were 495 incidences of low thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) (119.7 per 1000) per year compared with 322 in the normal group (4.5 per 1000). In patients with a treated underactive thyroid, metformin was associated with a 55 per cent increased risk of low TSH levels compared with treatment wit Continue reading >>
Type 2 Diabetes And Other Health Problems
Many elderly people have diabetes. Type 2 diabetes used to be called adult onset diabetes and occurred most frequently in middle-aged and elderly people – this is no longer the case. Many young people today have Type 2 diabetes. But regardless of when its onset is, the fact remains that a growing number of elderly people have diabetes. Most people who have developed diabetic complications have been diabetic for some time. Most diabetics are diagnosed in routine checkups, or when they show some of the other symptoms of diabetes, such as increased thirst, or frequent urination, or inexplicable weight loss or gain. But people who have been diabetic for some time should be on the lookout for any signs of heart trouble, such as chest pain, blurred vision or a tingling sensation in the lower legs and feet. Circulatory problems, high blood pressure and heart problems are particularly prevalent among the elderly. These problems can be compounded by uncontrolled blood glucose levels. It is therefore essential that elderly diabetics should take even greater care of their health. Many elderly people have back problems, which is often confused with kidney pain. Kidney problems could be a sign of diabetic complications. Therefore elderly people should be on the lookout for these signs. This should also be a call to take action and get to a doctor. The following complications can occur in people who have been diabetic for a lengthy period. Diabetes and the eye When left untreated, diabetic retinopathy can cause blindness in diabetics. Diabetes is the leading cause of blindness among adults between the ages of 16 and 74. But not all diabetics will go blind, and much can be done to prevent and treat eye problems. So why does diabetes damage the eyes? At the back of the eye is a light Continue reading >>
Aging & Health A To Z
Diabetes Unique to Older Adults This section provides information to help older adults and their caregivers consider their disease or condition in conjunction with other health issues. As older adults live longer, they may have more than one chronic disease. Or, they may have a health problem that can lead to another condition or injury if not properly managed. The older adult may also experience healthcare in various settings, such as the hospital, assisted living facility or at home. These situations can affect the health and function of the older adult and therefore require careful management to ensure proper care and improve or maintain quality of life. Diabetes and Other Conditions Having high levels of sugar (glucose) in your bloodstream puts you at risk for a variety of other health issues—and that can make diabetes an especially challenging disease for older adults to manage. Having diabetes increases the chances of having heart attacks, strokes, kidney, or eye problems. And if you have diabetes, chances are your healthcare professional is also treating you for other problems, such as high blood pressure or high cholesterol, for example. When you know what to expect, you can often prevent or limit the impact these problems can have on your life. Your healthcare provider will probably ask you about these conditions, or order tests to see if you have any of their signs. Don’t hesitate to discuss any symptoms you may experience, even if they seem minor to you. Drug Interactions If you’re an older adult who has diabetes, chances are your healthcare professional is also treating you for other problems, such as high blood pressure or arthritis, for example. And that means you could be taking several different medications, which can put you at risk for drug inter Continue reading >>
Medical Conditions
It’s important to realize that your dentist sees much more than just your teeth! Some health-related conditions that show up in the mouth include: temporomandibular disorder (TMD) HIV/AIDS thyroid problems iron deficiency/anemia leukemia eating disorders (bulimia and anorexia) Communication with your dentist is vital. During your visit, talk to your dentist about your ongoing health concerns so that he or she may help you. Your dentist may adjust your treatment if you have certain medical conditions, use certain prescription drugs or are currently undergoing medical treatment, such as radiation or chemotherapy. Diabetes Research shows that gum disease and diabetes may affect one another. For instance, gum disease can intensify the complications associated with diabetes by increasing blood sugar levels. High blood sugar levels over an extended period of time are associated with premature degeneration of eyes, kidneys, nerves and blood vessels. Studies have also shown that people with diabetes face a greater risk of developing oral infections and gum disease than those who do not have diabetes. The good news is that the treatment of either gum disease or diabetes can lead to improvements in the other. Your dentist has the training and experience necessary to assess your oral health, and to determine a course of treatment that is best for you. Some of the most common oral health problems associated with diabetes are: tooth decay gum disease dry mouth fungal infections lesions in the mouth taste impairment infection and delayed healing If you are a diabetic, speak to your dentist about the best course of treatment for you. Make sure to let him or her know: if the diabetes is under control if you take insulin and when your last usual dose of insulin was administered if the Continue reading >>
Diabetes
Diabetes - type 1; Diabetes - type 2; Diabetes - gestational; Type 1 diabetes; Type 2 diabetes; Gestational diabetes; Diabetes mellitus Diabetes is a chronic disease in which the body cannot regulate the amount of sugar in the blood. Necrobiosis lipoidica diabeticorum is a chronic skin disease characterized by shiny plaques that vary in color from light yellowish to reddish-tan. It is seen more commonly in women. Although the name implies diabetes and the majority of cases occur in diabetics, this condition can occur in individuals without diabetes. Endocrine glands release hormones (chemical messengers) into the bloodstream to be transported to various organs and tissues throughout the body. For instance, the pancreas secretes insulin, which allows the body to regulate levels of sugar in the blood. The thyroid gets instructions from the pituitary to secrete hormones which determine the pace of chemical activity in the body (the more hormone in the bloodstream, the faster the chemical activity; the less hormone, the slower the activity). Diabetes causes an excessive amount of glucose to remain in the blood stream which may cause damage to the blood vessels. Within the eye the damaged vessels may leak blood and fluid into the surrounding tissues and cause vision problems. Islets of Langerhans contain beta cells and are located within the pancreas. Beta cells produce insulin which is needed to metabolize glucose within the body. The pancreas is located behind the liver and is where the hormone insulin is produced. Insulin is used by the body to store and utilize glucose. The catheter at the end of the insulin pump is inserted through a needle into the abdominal fat of a person with diabetes. Dosage instructions are entered into the pump's small computer and the appropriat Continue reading >>
- American Diabetes Association® Releases 2018 Standards of Medical Care in Diabetes, with Notable New Recommendations for People with Cardiovascular Disease and Diabetes
- Leeds diabetes clinical champion raises awareness of gestational diabetes for World Diabetes Day
- Diabetes doctors: Which specialists treat diabetes?
Long-term Complications Of Diabetes
It is important to keep your blood sugar, blood pressure, and cholesterol in a healthy range. You should learn these basic steps for managing diabetes and staying as healthy as possible. Steps may include: A healthy diet Exercise Medicines You may need to check your blood sugar daily or more often. Your health care provider will also help you by ordering blood tests and other tests. All these may help you keep complications of diabetes away. You will need to check your blood sugar level at home. You will use a special device called a glucose meter to test your blood sugar. Your provider will let you know if you need to check it every day and how many times each day. Your provider will also tell you what blood sugar numbers you are trying to achieve. This is called managing your blood sugar. These goals will be set for different times during the day. To prevent heart disease and stroke, you may be asked to take medicine and change your diet and activity: Your provider may ask you to take a medicine called an ACE inhibitor or a different medicine called an ARB, for high blood pressure or kidney problems. Your provider may ask you to take a medicine called a statin to keep your cholesterol down. Your provider may ask you to take aspirin to prevent heart attacks. Ask your provider if aspirin is right for you. Regular exercise is good for people with diabetes. Talk to your provider first about what exercises are best for you and how much exercise you should do every day. DO NOT smoke. Smoking makes diabetes complications worse. If you do smoke, work with your provider to find a way to quit. To keep your feet healthy, you should: Get a foot exam by your provider at least every 6 to 12 months and learn whether you have nerve damage. Make sure you are wearing the right kinds of Continue reading >>
What Is Diabetes
Diabetes is a chronic disease that occurs when the pancreas is no longer able to make insulin, or when the body cannot make good use of the insulin it produces. Insulin is a hormone made by the pancreas, that acts like a key to let glucose from the food we eat pass from the blood stream into the cells in the body to produce energy. All carbohydrate foods are broken down into glucose in the blood. Insulin helps glucose get into the cells. Not being able to produce insulin or use it effectively leads to raised glucose levels in the blood (known as hyperglycaemia). Over the long-term high glucose levels are associated with damage to the body and failure of various organs and tissues. Continue reading >>
- American Diabetes Association® Releases 2018 Standards of Medical Care in Diabetes, with Notable New Recommendations for People with Cardiovascular Disease and Diabetes
- Leeds diabetes clinical champion raises awareness of gestational diabetes for World Diabetes Day
- Diabetes doctors: Which specialists treat diabetes?
Type 2 Diabetes Complications
With type 2 diabetes (also called type 2 diabetes mellitus), if you don’t work hard to keep your blood glucose level under control, there are short- and long-term complications to contend with. However, by watching the amount and types of food you eat (your meal plan), exercising, and taking any necessary medications, you may be able to prevent these complications. And even if you have some of the long-term, more serious complications discussed below when you’re first diagnosed, getting tight control of your blood glucose will help prevent the complications from becoming worse. (It is possible with type 2 diabetes to already have some of these complications when you’re first diagnosed. That’s because type 2 develops gradually, and you may not realize that you have high blood glucose for quite some time. Over time, high blood glucose can cause serious damage. You can learn more about that in this article on the symptoms of type 2 diabetes.) Short-term Diabetes Complications Hypoglycemia is low blood glucose (blood sugar). It is possible for your blood glucose to drop, especially if you’re taking insulin or a sulfonylurea drug (those make your body produce insulin throughout the day). With these medications, if you eat less than usual or were more active, your blood glucose may dip too much. Other possible causes of hypoglycemia include certain medications (aspirin, for example, lowers the blood glucose level if you take a dose of more than 81mg) and too much alcohol (alcohol keeps the liver from releasing glucose). Rapid heartbeat Sweating Whiteness of skin Anxiety Numbness in fingers, toes, and lips Sleepiness Confusion Headache Slurred speech Mild cases of hypoglycemia can be treated by drinking orange juice or eating a glucose tablet—those will quickly rai Continue reading >>
7 Scary Things That Can Happen When You Don't Treat Your Diabetes
Swallowing pills, checking your blood sugar all the time, or sticking yourself with needles full of insulin probably doesn't sound like your idea of a good time. But taking steps to keep your diabetes under control is your best shot at preventing a slew of frightening complications. If you don't take care of yourself, "diabetes complications typically start within 5 years; within 10 to 15 years, the majority of patients will progress to have multiple health issues," says Betul Hatipoglu, MD, an endocrinologist at Cleveland Clinic. Fortunately, eating a nutritious diet, exercising, and taking your medication may not only stop complications from progressing, but can also reverse them, she says. Need motivation to stick to your treatment plan? Here's what can happen when you slack off. With type 1 diabetes, your body stops producing insulin, a hormone that regulates blood sugar; with type 2 diabetes, your body can't properly use the insulin you do produce. In turn, your HDL (or "good") cholesterol lowers, and your levels of harmful blood fats called triglycerides rise. Insulin resistance also contributes to hardened, narrow arteries, which in turn increases your blood pressure. As a result, about 70% of people with either type of diabetes also have hypertension—a risk factor for stroke, heart disease, and trouble with thinking and memory. (Add these 13 power foods to your diet to help lower blood pressure naturally.) Failing to control high blood pressure and high cholesterol, either with diet and exercise alone or by adding medications, accelerates the rate at which all your other complications progress, says Robert Gabbay, MD, PhD, chief medical officer at Joslin Diabetes Center in Boston. More than 4 million people with diabetes have some degree of retinopathy, or dam Continue reading >>
What Are Some Facts About Sleeping?
Some very useful facts about sleep everyone should know. Not sure if they are mind blowing but if you have sleep problems, read the reference articles. They are really useful. Benefits of quality deep sleep/power naps Deep sleep primes our brains to function at a higher level, letting us come up with better ideas, find solutions to puzzles more quickly, identify patterns faster and recall information more accurately. The cognitive benefit of a nap could last anywhere from one to three hours, depending on what stage of sleep a person reaches before awakening. It also offers our brains the chance to decide what new information to keep and what to toss. - Rethinking Sleep What happens when you don't get enough sleep Getting too little sleep often makes people feel hungrier than normal, leading to overeating and weight gain. Sleep's Surprising Effects on Hunger Lack of sleep can cause depression, sickness, reduces alertness and make mistakes more likely. Sleep deprivation has long been associated with impaired brain function. Research shows it also has a harmful impact on fat cells, reducing by 30 percent their ability to respond to insulin, a hormone that regulates energy. Thus disrupting energy regulation in humans, a process that can lead over time to weight gain, diabetes and other health problems. Even Your Fat Cells Need Sleep, According to New Research Some more interesting facts Continue reading >>
Over-medication Of Diabetes Can Cause Health Problems
En español | The guidelines are clear: If you have well-controlled type 2 diabetes, your doctor should be testing your blood sugar level only once or twice a year. Yet, research from the Mayo Clinic has shown that not only are 61 percent of these patients being tested too frequently — up to five times a year — but that this over-testing has led to medication changes that are both costly and increase the risk of dangerous side effects. A new study, published June 6 in JAMA Internal Medicine, found that older, sicker patients with diabetes, and patients who have other serious chronic illnesses, who are treated with too many diabetes medications are at higher risk of hypoglycemia— a harmful condition in which blood sugar levels dip dangerously low and can lead to falls from dizziness, fainting, seizures and even coma or death. “As we have been trying to improve the quality of diabetes care, we have focused on getting blood sugar as low as possible, and now we are seeing the pendulum swing the other way. Sometimes we are overtreating and causing the patient harm,” said lead author Rozalina McCoy, M.D., an assistant professor of medicine at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn. The study looked at data from insurance claims and linked laboratory test results between 2001 and 2013 for over 31,500 patients who had well-controlled type 2 diabetes and were not being treated with insulin. They found that about a quarter of the patients were being treated with more medications than guidelines warrant. Of those, older patients and those who have serious chronic illnesses were twice as likely to have an episode of dangerously low blood sugar than if they were not treated so aggressively. “Physicians should be very hesitant to treat older and sicker patients intensively ev Continue reading >>
Type 2 Diabetes And The Risk Of Parkinson's Disease
Abstract OBJECTIVE—To evaluate whether type 2 diabetes at baseline is a risk factor for Parkinson's disease. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS—We prospectively followed 51,552 Finnish men and women 25–74 years of age without a history of Parkinson's disease at baseline. History of diabetes and other study parameters were determined at baseline using standardized measurements. Ascertainment of the Parkinson's disease status was based on the nationwide Social Insurance Institution's drug register data. Hazard ratios of incident Parkinson's disease associated with the history of type 2 diabetes were estimated. RESULTS—During a mean follow-up period of 18.0 years, 324 men and 309 women developed incident Parkinson's disease. Age- and study year–adjusted hazard ratios of incident Parkinson's disease among subjects with type 2 diabetes, compared with those without it, were 1.80 (95% CI 1.03–3.15) in men, 1.93 (1.05–3.53) in women, and 1.85 (1.23–2.80) in men and women combined (adjusted also for sex). Further adjustment for BMI, systolic blood pressure, total cholesterol, education, leisure-time physical activity, smoking, alcohol drinking, and coffee and tea consumption affected the results only slightly. The multivariate adjusted association between type 2 diabetes and the risk of Parkinson's disease was also confirmed in stratified subgroup analysis. CONCLUSIONS—These data suggest that type 2 diabetes is associated with an increased risk of Parkinson's disease. Surveillance bias might account for higher rates in diabetes. The mechanism behind this association between diabetes and Parkinson's disease is not known. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS— Six independent cross-sectional population surveys were carried out in five geographic areas of Finland in 1972, 1977, Continue reading >>
- Unprocessed Red and Processed Meats and Risk of Coronary Artery Disease and Type 2 Diabetes An Updated Review of the Evidence
- Poor sleep can increase risk of heart disease, Type 2 diabetes, stroke and more here is why a good nights rest is great for your health
- Are You at Risk for Type 2 Diabetes? Learn Common—and Not So Common—Risk Factors
5 Common Type 1 Diabetes Complications
3 0 Type 1 diabetes carries with it a much higher risk of developing some associated serious health problems. While in the past, getting diabetes-related health complications was almost a certainty, with modern blood glucose monitoring, control, and treatment, the risks have decreased significantly. Even a few decades ago, life expectancy for people with diabetes was regularly considered to be 10 years shorter than for people without the disorder. In 2012, however, a large-scale study found that life-expectancy was now only about 6 years less than average. For comparison, a lifetime of smoking will reduce life expectancy by 10 years. So what are the diabetes complications that you need to be looking out for? Largely, they fall into either cardiovascular or neuropathic categories. To make diabetes complications even more complicated, they tend to affect people of different sexes and different ethnicities differently. One more wild card is that recent studies have found that some people with Type 1 diabetes actually never develop most of the complications associated with diabetes. The good news is that with proper blood glucose control and a healthy lifestyle, the risks for developing Type 1 diabetes complications are drastically reduced. Some studies have actually found that careful monitoring and management can reduce the chances of developing any of these by as much as 50%. Still, everyone with Type 1 diabetes should keep a careful eye out for the five most common diabetes complications. Diabetic Ketoacidosis Diabetic Ketoacidosis (or DKA), is a condition caused by severe hyperglycemia (high blood sugar) which causes rapid fat breakdown in the body. As the fat breaks down, they release fatty acids which are then converted into chemicals called ketones, which are highly Continue reading >>
- Are You at Risk for Type 2 Diabetes? Learn Common—and Not So Common—Risk Factors
- Association of Glycemic Variability in Type 1 Diabetes With Progression of Microvascular Outcomes in the Diabetes Control and Complications Trial
- Type 2 diabetes, once considered a disease for adults, is increasingly common in tweens and teens
