The Lurking Dangers Of Untreated Diabetes

The Lurking Dangers of Untreated Diabetes

The Lurking Dangers of Untreated Diabetes
Diabetes is an uncomfortable and potentially dangerous disease to live with, even when treated properly.
But what can happen when we don’t look after ourselves when suffering from diabetes?
Diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) is an extremely dangerous short-term condition that progresses rapidly. When insulin levels in the body become too low to treat all the glucose in the body, it results in a buildup of ketones. This can cause symptoms like heavy breathing or wheezing, confusion, nausea and vomiting, dizziness, dehydration, and a fruity smell on the breath. Stress, trauma, and infections increase the risk of DKA.
Another dangerous metabolic emergency is a hyperosmolar hyperglycemic state (HHS). Common symptoms include the feeling of your energy being drained, cramps in the legs and feet, problems with sight, fever, abdominal bloating and dehydration.
One of the biggest effects diabetes has on the body is damaging all kinds of nerves all across the body. Some of the biggest problem areas include the hands, feet, and limbs. Nerve damage can usually be identified by numbness or pain, as well as wounds that take extremely long to heal.
Diabetes comes with a high risk of developing eye disease, as it can damage the small blood vessels in and around the eyes, leading to problems with your vision. This is referred to as diabetic retinopathy, and if left untreated can greatly increase the chance of cataracts and glaucoma.
Even when treated, diabetes increases the risk of developing kidney and heart problems by almost double.
This als Continue reading

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Football player discusses battle with diabetes

Football player discusses battle with diabetes
Senior Jack Yule has battled Type 1 diabetes since his diagnosis the September of his freshman year of high school. Yule uses diabetes to motivate him and teach others about the disease.
At the end of practice for the Ithaca College football team, waves of players jog up the hill from the practice fields to the locker room. Senior tight end Jack Yule has to quickly stop at the sideline to grab his goodie bag before joining the rest of his teammates in the locker room.
Inside this navyblue duffel bag are candy and juice boxes, which are crucial for Yule, who has diabetes.
Along with the actual goodies in the bag, Yule keeps a collection of medical supplies for when he needs to check his blood sugar or take an infusion of insulin. Yule, who was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes early into his freshman year of high school, said there was never a circumstance in which he would not be able to continue playing football, which he has been playing since he was 9 years old.
I never wanted to let having diabetes define me, he said. My parents and doctors thought the best thing for me was to get back to my regular life as quickly as possible, so there was never a point where not playing football was going to be in the question.
Yule said having a routine is the best way for him to manage his diabetes as a collegiate athlete.
If you can eliminate any changes in your everyday life, it helps eliminate changes in your blood sugar, he said. It may sound boring, but if I know exactly how my week is going to look, it makes it really easy f Continue reading

Googles AI Eye Doctor Gets Ready to Go to Work in India

Googles AI Eye Doctor Gets Ready to Go to Work in India
Lily Peng speaks with WIREDs Sarah Fallon.Cole Wilson for WIRED
Google is poised to begin a grand experiment in using machine learning to widen access to healthcare. If it is successful, it could see the company help protect millions of people with diabetes from an eye disease that leads to blindness.
Last year researchers at the search and ads company announced that they had trained image recognition algorithms to detect signs of diabetes-related eye disease roughly as well as human experts. The software examines photos of a patients retina to spot tiny aneurisms indicating the early stages of a condition called diabetic retinopathy, which causes blindness if untreated.
At the 2017 WIRED Business Conference in New York City today, a leader of Googles project said that work has begun on integrating the technology into a chain of eye hospitals in India. The country is one of the many places around the world where a lack of ophthalmologists means many diabetics dont get the recommended annual screening for diabetic retinopathy, said Lily Peng, a product manager with the Google Brain AI research group.
This kind of blindness is completely preventable, but because people cant get screened, half suffer vision loss before theyre detected, she said, describing the current situation in India. One of the promises of this technology is being able to make healthcare more accessible. There are more than 400 million people worldwide with diabetes, including 70 million in India.
Peng, who is an MD, was featured on WIREDs Nex Continue reading

10 Best Breakfasts for Diabetics

Who says you cannot enjoy tasty food when you are a diabetic? Well, you can if you prepare food in the right way using the right type of ingredients and quantity. In this article, we shall discuss some of the healthy, yet delicious breakfast ideas for people who suffer from diabetes.
So, come and join in for the article 10 Best Breakfasts for Diabetics.
Apart from the fresh fruits that you get from this breakfast, you get to fill your stomach which is something that is free of fat and is high in its protein content at the same time. In fact, the Mango-Ginger Smoothie, as explained below, comprise of almost no fat and has around 20 grams of protein. Besides, this drink is also low in sodium which makes it absolutely beneficial for those with diabetes.
You need the following ingredients for making this breakfast:
A half cup of frozen mango chunks, half a banana , 6 Oz of nonfat and plain Greek yogurt , one-fourth cup of skim milk, one teaspoon of honey and maple syrup, one-fourth teaspoon vanilla extract, and one teaspoonof ginger.
When all the above-mentioned ingredients are put together in a blender for a few minutes, you get your healthy Mango-Ginger Smoothie.
This is one of the healthier alternatives to the regular quiches that you usually like to eat. It is full of essential nutrients and has a low amount of carbs and fats for those who have diabetes.
You need the following ingredients for making this breakfast:
One tablespoon of olive oil , fresh mushrooms which are cut roughly, chopped spinach, small orange pepper, three ounces of swiss cheese, low-fat variet Continue reading

Superheroes on a T1D mission! Kids with Type 1 Diabetes conquer the disease's challenges

SUPERHEROES, ON A TYPE 1 DIABETES MISSION
Superheroes on a T1D mission! Kids with Type 1 Diabetes conquer the disease's challenges
A raucous relay ball game was underway in the fellowship hall of the Presbyterian Church in downtown Fredericksburg.
Shouts, beach balls and running kids filled the room. Captain America, Spiderman and Wonder Woman were leading the activities.
A counselor wearing a shirt bearing the Superman logo and the words Power of insulin crossed the room toward a little girl in a pink dress. The counselor checked the screen of a device the girl wore on a flowered belt around her hips.
The device was a continuous glucose monitor, a tool that tracks the childs blood sugar levels all day and night to give an overall picture of how they fluctuate.
It showed that the levels were slightly down but they werent falling. She could keep playing.
Twenty-two children between the ages of 7 and 12 gathered for the event, the 11th annual Kids for a Cure Club summer camp for kids with type 1 diabetes.
KFCC is a local nonprofit organization founded by the Mary Washington Healthcare diabetes management staff and parents of children with type 1 diabetes to provide education and support for families living with the disease.
The summer camp, which had a superhero theme this year, aims to help kids become more proficient in managing their diabetes while letting them have fun with peers who share their daily challenges. It is sponsored by MWH and the Aquia and Fredericksburg Lions Clubs.
The purpose is for children with diabetes to be with others who have the disease Continue reading