The Relationship Between Diabetes And Thyroid Disorder

At the clinic today, a patient came in for an initial assessment for Diabetes Self-Management Education. She was taking thyroid medication along with her diabetes and other medications. She was not the first patient that I have seen lately who is taking thyroid medication. I was aware of the link between diabetes and thyroid disease, and had some basic information. I thought it would be interesting to look into the dynamics a little further. After all, the pancreas and the thyroid both fall within the endocrine system. Now let’s take a look at why people with diabetes often seem to have thyroid disorder, and the reasons behind it.
What is thyroid disease?
In order to understand the relationship between diabetes and thyroid disease, it is helpful to understand what thyroid disease is.
At the front of your neck, just under your Adam’s apple is where you will find the thyroid gland. Thyroid disease is a problem that happens when the thyroid gland either under produces or over produces the thyroid hormones. Thyroid hormones are responsible for regulating the body’s metabolism.
From research, the percent of the population that will develop thyroid disease is 7 percent. The percentage of people with diabetes who have thyroid disease is greater than the general population. We will dig in a little deeper to find the reasons why, and examine the link between the two.
Note from Kirk and Health Institute:
A high percentage of low thyroid is “Hashimoto’s”, which like Graves disease is an auto-immune in origin and most often creates low thyroid symptoms. To address Hashimoto Continue reading

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How Does Diabetes Affect Your Teeth?

It is important to take good care of your teeth when you have diabetes. Did you know that people with diabetes are more likely to have problems with their teeth and gums? The good news is that you can take steps to help keep your teeth healthy.
By reading through the information and tips in this blog, you will be well on your way to understanding more about Diabetes and Oral Health Problems and why Healthy Teeth Matter!
Oral Diseases
Oral diseases such as dental decay (cavities), gingivitis (bleeding gums), and periodontal disease (gum disease) are all contagious diseases. Each of them are caused by a certain germ just like the
common cold and flu and can be passed from person to person. The germs that cause dental diseases can be spread from person to person via affectionate contact such as kissing, or sharing of toothbrushes, food, eating utensils or drinks.
Plaque is the main cause of gum disease, but diabetes can also be a culprit because it may weaken your mouth’s germ-fighting powers. High blood glucose levels can make gum disease worse, and at the same time, gum disease can make diabetes harder to control.
Often gum disease is painless. You may not even know you have it until it causes serious damage. Regular dentist visits are the best option for prevention.
While gum disease may not hurt, there are warning signs to watch for.
Bleeding gums when you brush or floss. This bleeding is not normal. Even if your gums don’t hurt, get them checked.
Red, swollen or tender gums
Gums that have pulled away from teeth. Part of the tooth’s root may show, or your teeth may l Continue reading

Diabetes-Thyroid Alert: Is There a Connection?

Undiagnosed disorders can cause one to experience severe health problems and debilitating symptoms. Two stealthy conditions that can cause serious damage if not properly looked for are diabetes and thyroid dysfunction. However, being difficult to diagnose is not the only thing these two conditions have in common.
There are various mutually impactful effects that thyroid malfunction and diabetes share between each other. Because of this, it is not surprising that many studies have found that prevalence of thyroid conditions among diabetics is notably higher than that of the general populace. Different study populations have shown percentages ranging from roughly 5% to about 30% with an overall prevalence of 13.4%. This is a significant rate of thyroid dysfunction among diabetics that should not be taken lightly. Furthermore, because both thyroid conditions and diabetes interact with the endocrine system, mutual damage can occur that promotes both conditions. Understanding the influence of each condition on the other is an important means of acquiring quality treatment.
Diabetes Breakdown
There are two primary forms of diabetes, type 1 and type 2. Thyroid conditions are more commonly associated with type 1 diabetes. However, it is important to recognize that those with type 2 are still at increased risk of developing a thyroid condition when compared to the general population.
Type 1 diabetes is classified as an autoimmune condition. Diseases in this category cause the body to turn on itself and attack its own systems. In the case of diabetes, the immune system attacks the pa Continue reading

Lancets & Lancing Devices For Diabetes: Read This Before You Buy

Lancets are small needles that are used to prick the skin to obtain a blood sample. Many lancets can be used with a lancing device that helps to make it more effective and less painful, however they can be used without one by just sticking the skin with the needle. Once a small blood sample is available, it can easily be put into a machine to run a test. As you can see from the image above, there are many different brands of lancets available.
There are a few tests that can be done using a small drop of blood that the lancet provides. For people with diabetes, they can easily check their blood sugar levels. Using a glucometer, which is the machine that tests the blood sugar, they can quickly find out if their sugar is at a good number or not.
How do the lancet and the lancing device work together
Although the lancet can be used alone to get a sample, it is much easier to use the lancing device along with it. The device provides a quick “punch” of the needle into the skin to make an effective and less painful stick. OneTouch, which is a popular brand of diabetic supplies, has a device that is easy to use. Each brand’s device will be a little different, but the general idea is the same. The following steps demonstrate how to use the OneTouch device.
Step 1. Always wash your hands before checking your blood sugar. If there is bacteria on your hands and it enters into your blood, it can cause a major infection! First, take the cap off of the device and insert a new lancet with the safety cap still on. (If it is removed first, you can poke yourself!) When you insert the la Continue reading

Asthma and Diabetes: What’s the Link?

So, what’s it like to have diabetes and asthma?
Well, diabetes is a condition where the blood has high levels of sugar in it. It is normally caused by the body producing insufficient insulin. Symptoms of diabetes include excessive thirst, increased urination and blurred vision.
Asthma is a condition that causes patients to have trouble breathing, because of the swelling of the lungs airways. Symptoms of asthma include shortness of breath, tightening of the chest, wheezing and coughing.
So, mix these two together and that is what it’s like to have both diabetes and asthma. However, there is some good news if you have one of them, because there is some light at the end of this tunnel.
Is There a Link Between Asthma and Diabetes?
When it comes to asthma and diabetes, is there a link between the two? Well, we discussed what the two are and their symptoms above, so now let’s look in to the connection between the two. The answer is that people who have diabetes do have higher rates of having asthma. These patients do tend to have a hard time maintaining their blood glucose levels and keeping their asthma under control.
Further reading:
Throughout the years, various studies have shown that people who have diabetes that is not under control or is poorly maintained, are the ones who are at a higher risk of developing asthma, because their lung functioning seems to be weaker than those that have diabetes that is properly controlled or maintained.
On the reverse side, these studies also concluded that people who suffer from asthma are at a higher risk of developing diabetes and Continue reading