Free Diabetes Supplies for Diabetic People

We live in a throw away society. Anything we don’t want any more, or if it doesn’t make us happy, or suite our purpose we can throw it away. The biggest throw away of all being marriage.

Diabetics have a lot to deal with at the best of times. Not every married couple has the perfect partner, but something brought them together in the first place. If it was love shouldn’t that be the strong glue that binds them together no matter what they have to face? Unfortunately, there is a school of thought out there that suggests if your partner doesn’t give you the support you need, why no problem, you can dispose of him or her by walking away. All I can say to an attitude like that is how sad for both.

Whatever happened to couples being encouraged to sit down and talk about what they feel is the problem? Sometimes it is a case of educating the partner. Diabetics need to educate themselves and their partner when it comes to the type of diabetes they have. Diabetes is no respecter of age or the problems that can come with it. It can be fear of the unknown that can be a real negative for the partner. True, some don’t handle new situations very well, so they want to run, hide, or deny any thing is different. They may even want to strike out and hurt the other partner. The striking out part can be the hardest for couples, as it usually becomes very emotional on both sides, with each one becoming defensive, opening the door to saying things that in that moment of time can not be taken back. Soon barriers are between them and neither one is willing to make the first move to break them down. In time the wounds fester and keep growing. One day one of them decides to leave, and away they go.

Wouldn’t it be much easier to speak kind words to each other? Talk openly about the problem? Look for solutions? If the glue that binds two people together is indeed love then I know this is possible. Solutions, and yes sometimes compromising enters into the picture in order to find solutions, but through it all there is usually common ground to build on.

As mentioned earlier education on the subject is vital to both. It is not just for the person that has been newly diagnosed with diabetes. If both make it a positive challenge that they participate in together, the stronger their foundation will be. It takes time, and patience, and most of all the right kind of love two people can have for each other. Believe me that kind of love will stand the test of time. Mine has for 54 years now and still counting. Ours has had most of what life is all about and at times it has come in pretty big doses, but through it all we can say love brought us through it all.

Diabetic complications can include: Diabetic eye problems, foot problems, thyroid problems, and other short and long term complications of diabetes that can have serious impact on the health of any diabetic. It is therefore in your best interest to control these health issues to the best of your ability.

Here are 3 ways to minimize the complications associated with diabetes:

1. Keep on learning! It’s quite possible for someone who is diabetic to be considered healthy, overall. If you talk with ten diabetics, you’ll be astonished to find nine of them very poorly informed about their disease. The tenth person may have more information because he/she has decided never to stop learning. That’s one of the signs of a “healthy” diabetic. The most important thing you can do for yourself is to educate yourself continually about your diabetes and the complications that can arise.

Diabetes is a major focus of scientific study because it is so prevalent in our country. New advances, new technology, and new information are constantly being made available to the public. Keeping up with what’s happening in the field of diabetes is the best way to ensure you remain complication free so that you’ll have a healthier lifestyle and a longer life.

2. Remember that your diet is your best friend. As soon as you are diagnosed with diabetes, you need to begin educating yourself about nutrition and following a correct diet. If you have diabetes, it’s likely that up to now, your diet hasn’t been especially healthful. You may be obese, or at least significantly overweight. If you want to prevent complications of the disease, and if you want to do your best to save your life — now is the time to say goodbye to junk foods and start eating better.

Treat your new best friend — your diet — with respect. You need to be aware of everything you eat, every single bite. Each bite of food will either help you, or harm you by depleting your body of what it needs. A true diabetic diet is actually a good diet for anyone to follow. Only about 50% of the diet is carbohydrates (starch, fruit, and milk) — enough to keep your energy going, but not enough to put on excess weight. You might consider meeting with a dietitian or nutritionist to help you plan your own diabetic diet.

3. Include some exercise in your daily routine.

Diet is half the equation that will keep you free of complications from diabetes. The other half of the equation is exercise. If you are diabetic, you’ll need to learn how to balance your food intake with your physical activity, to keep your insulin at the proper level.

It’s not easy to start exercising daily if you have been a couch potato for years. However, studies have shown that people who have the hardest time coping with their diabetes are generally those who do not exercise. Other research has shown that diabetics who exercise regularly are easily able to balance their insulin and their food intake. You don’t have to run a marathon; just start walking briskly every day, and increase your time gradually.

If a doctor tells you that you have cancer, AIDS or diabetes…your world is going to stop immediately!

From: Diabetes Detection.com
Diabetes is growing at epidemic rates, according to the World Health Organization. DDI is hoping that we can help this growing population detect their illness early, and avoid many of the harsh consequences of allowing this disease to remain undetected as it currently does.

I worked with a fellow for almost ten years at an engineering company, and he was the type of fellow who rarely got a physical examination. Although he was a veteran, and could have do so at the VA for no cost, etc.

One day, he had an injury to his leg, and he had to get a blood test because of possible infection, and that’s when he was told that he had diabetes! His life changed right away, and he was not the person he once was! Fun-loving; humorous; sociable, etc. Instead, he became withdrawn; distant and reclusive, etc. He wouldn’t participate in functions at work; no pot-lucks…and pretty much stayed to himself. He was probably battling depression!

From: edoctors.com
If left untreated, ALL types of diabetes can cause damage to the body. Patients are at risk for blindness; kidney damage; nerve damage; heart-disease; stroke and loss of limbs.

In 2001, I ballooned to 210 pounds in weight, and I was going to have to take off 40 pounds to get back to my normal weight of 170 pounds. It was my fear of getting diabetes, that was one of my motivators, as diabetes strikes many over-weight and obese people. It took me ten months to lose the weight, but I did it~ (See: Here’s the Skinny On How I Lost 40 Pounds)

From: Prevent Blindness America:
Diabetic retinopathy is the leading cause of new cases of blindness among adults 20-74 years old.

Two people I know of died from diabetes in their early 50’s. The neighbor who lived next door to my parents, went blind and a leg was amputated…and my aunt Molly suffered the same fate! She was a heavy woman at about 250 pounds, and she too, went blind and a leg was amputated before she died! Because of my fear of diabetes…this was one of my motivators to lose the weight.

From: American Diabetes Association:
Denial is that voice inside repeating, “Not me!” Most people go through denial when they are first diagnosed with diabetes. “I don’t believe it! There must be some mistake!” they say. Doctors who do not specialize in diabetes may fuel your denial. They may talk about a “mild case” of diabetes or say, “there’s just a touch of sugar” in your blood, etc. Though meaning well…these terms send the wrong message! What you hear is, “your diabetes is not serious enough to hurt you!”

For several years, I have had elevated blood sugar, and I’ve flirted with pre-diabetes and diabetes. (Type 2) And, I’m doing everything I can do to NOT cross the line! A few years ago, I read a short article in the newspaper, which said that cinnamon is an enemy of blood sugar. I started sprinkling cinnamon of cereal and toast a couple of times a week, and my blood sugar as remained high but under the line, etc. (knock on wood) (See your doctor before you do anything)

From Diabetes.com
Pre-diabetes is a serious medical condition, that can be treated before it develops into Type 2 diabetes. People almost always have pre-diabetes…that is…blood glucose levels that are higher than normal, but not yes high enough to be diagnosed as diabetes.

Doing anything worthwhile, takes lots of work; sacrifice and discipline, etc. The things that have helped my stay away from diabetes (knock on wood) are; I quit smoking in 1970; I lost 40 pounds in 2001; I don’t drink and have never done drugs; I’ve been jogging and pumping iron since 1986 and I eliminated most sweets from my life. No wonder I’m so depressed…just kidding!

From: Defeat Diabetes.com
Diabetes is an insidious (to entrap) condition afflicting 21 million American’s, and half of them don’t even know they have the disease! This insidious disease is the 3rd leading killer in the U.S. behind cancer and heart-disease! Diabetes can be life-threatening…but with early detection, can be manageable.

If this article frightens you…IT SHOULD! I showed in this article, that diabetes in nothing to mess around with. There are those, who cannot lose weight for whatever reason, but almost everyone can exercise. Clicking and double-clicking all year, is NOT going to do it! In the year 2008, I celebrate my 22nd year of jogging 15 miles a week since 1986…and that translates to over 17,000 miles! YAHOO…and, it has been worth every step of the way!

Thiamine, also known as vitamin B1, is a water-soluble vitamin that is very important in several different bodily functions. Without thiamine, there are very serious side effects that may result. However, when used appropriately thiamine can be an excellent source of help for those who suffer from diabetes.

Several studies have used thiamine to treat those who have diabetes. Many individuals who suffer from diabetes have various complications with this condition. For one, kidney failure is a very serious issue that doctors are attempting to treat.

Many researchers have worked in the lab with diabetic rats to investigate whether or not thiamine can be a logical treatment for diabetes. They have found that by adding thiamine to the diet, they were able to reduce the development of kidney disease by up to 80 percent.

Kidney failure in diabetics and all people is a very serious condition. People who suffer from kidney failure are forced to go through a lifetime of dialysis treatments, something that is not only inconvenient, but also painful for many people at the same time.

Because thiamine responds to blood glucose, it can be useful to those diabetics who have to watch their blood glucose very carefully. Thiamine, as a diabetes treatment, assists people with diabetics because they do not have to continuously monitor their blood sugar levels. This means that it is an excellent idea for diabetics to take thiamine on a daily basis.

Nutritionists have noted nuts to be an excellent source of thiamine. Thiamine can also be found in fruits and veggies as well, which is what nutritionists would prefer people to eat the most. The issue, however, is that when you cook veggies, most of the thiamine is cooked out. Because of this, it is more beneficial to people to drink the juice of fruits and veggies to get their thiamine. Additionally, you can receive thiamine from pork as well.

Individuals with diabetes will also find that thiamine supplements are an excellent way to ensure that they receive their daily requirement and then some. Thiamine is available as a liquid, as well as a 500 mg capsule. Capsules should be taken twice a day. This is a good dosage for both men and women who suffer from diabetes.

Insulin is a hormone in our body produced by the pancreas that transfers glucose from blood to the cells. When cells do not respond to insulin or the pancreas do not produce enough insulin, the condition is called diabetes. During digestion, food is converted to glucose or sugar, which in turn is converted into energy. This is carried through blood to the cells for growth and energy. It is insulin that allows the body to use the glucose. Due to diabetes, glucose is not used and excreted from the body as urine. The Body is left with no source of growth or energy and ultimately it affects your health adversely.

Type 2 diabetes is the most common and its symptoms include fatigue, thirst and appetite, weight loss or gain, dry mouth, nausea, blurred vision, yeast infections, itchy skin in the groin area and slow healing of cuts or abrasions. If you have any of these symptoms, you must visit a doctor; and he would send you for a glucose fasting test. This test needs to be done on an empty stomach and your blood is drawn to test for glucose levels. If the results of the test indicate increased glucose levels, you will be started on a diabetes treatment plan.

Diabetes if left unchecked can lead to a number of complications. Heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure and nerve disease are some of the issues with diabetes patients. It could lead to loss of vision, kidney disease, limb amputation and gum diseases leading to loss of teeth.

If detected early, you can control diabetes and avoid medication. You must however, change your dietary habits and increase the amount of exercising. You must keep a check on your health with regular check-up from a doctor as well as self-assessment of glucose levels. You must also regularly get eye check-up and take dental care.

Once you’ve finally come to terms with being diagnosed with diabetes, you’ll need to get on with life and learn how to deal with the realities that come with this disease. One thing you’ll need to do is to start keeping track of your blood sugar on a regular basis. Of course the type of diabetes you have will determine how you test the levels. Those who have Type I Diabetes should be sure to test three times daily. Pregnant women dealing with gestational diabetes and taking insulin should test twice each day. Those who have Type II Diabetes don’t have to test, although doing the testing can help with proper blood sugar maintenance.

If you are going to self test, you’ll need the right diabetes supplies. The supplies you need include test strips, a monitor device, and lancets. Also, you’ll need your insulin supplies as well, which can include pens, syringes, and pumps. It is also convenient to have alcohol pads around. There are a variety of different monitors that you can pick from, from simple ones to very high tech and expensive ones. Today companies are working hard to develop a monitor that is pain free. Some of the new test models are almost pain free, since they allow users to get the blood from a place other than the tip of the finger. For those who have vision impairments, there are large screen monitors and even talking monitors.

Usually you’ll find that today’s models use test strips, which are papers coated with special chemicals. Lancets are used to prick the fingers in order to get the blood needed. Some monitors even have a memory on them, which helps you to check tests from the past to compare the numbers.

It can get expensive to test on a daily basis, especially for those who end up testing 5-10 times each day. There are some insurance companies that will cover these supplies, and some companies even provide diabetes supplies to needy people free of charge. Of course you need to make sure you have a prescription for them. Those who have diabetes can often get help from Medicare as well, even if they are not yet 65 years old. So, you may want to check out their site to see if you can get their help.

Diabetes is affecting more persons today than any other afflictions known to mankind. The danger of diabetes is that most people tend to take it lightly, ignoring the numerous warnings by the medical professionals. Diabetes is a silent killer. It remorselessly corrodes and invades the functions of the body’s vital organs like Heart, Liver and Kidneys. It directly affects the vision in a condition known as Diabetic Retinopathy. And it affects most of the neurologic pathways as it advances inside the body.

Diabetes is a lifestyle disease. People who are predominantly engaged in sedentary occupations are the most vulnerable targets. Lack of exercise, intake of carbo-hydrate and protein rich food with a craving for the sweets and many more life-style related reasons are the root cause of the onset of Diabetes. Diabetes is the result of the body’s inability to digest the excessive glucose in the blood. In some cases even while sufficient insulin is produced by the body, this does not reach the target cells to assimilate the blood sugar. The Excess Blood sugar, drains the water content of the cells of the body, thereby causing cell damage. High Blood Sugar levels affect the functioning of the Kidneys, the Liver and the Heart. High uncontrolled Diabetes may lead to blindness because of the condition known as Diabetic Retinopathy. Peripheral Neuropathy is also the consequence of high Diabetes.

Diabetes is a body condition. One can manage diabetes and yet lead a happy life. One must accept the reality that there is no magic cure for Diabetes. It has to be controlled with some dexterous diet control. proper exercise and professional drug management. Low calorie food intake coupled with adequate exercise would definitely help you to overcome acute diabetes. Learn to live with Diabetes by reducing intake of fat-rich, carbohydrate-rich food intake, starting a comprehensive exercises regimen and professionally-advised drug management. Never indulge in self-prescribed drug dosage modifications.Never ever believe that you can change your food habits to eat sugar-rich foods and to compensate , taking increased dosages of the your diabetes drug. There cannot be a greater fallacy.

Good physical activities, controlled food intake, good drug management etc should enable you to learn to live happily with diabetes.

Facts about diabetes that everybody should know

What is Diabetes

Diabetes is one of the commonest but very serious health disorders found all over the world. Approximately one in every 25 person suffers from it and a big population is predisposed to suffer from it. With all the advancements and developments in modern medicine, we have failed to find a cure for it. We do not even know the exact causes of Diabetes. Diabetes today has affected whole world irrespective of peoples’ life styles. Elder or younger, rich or poor, rural or urban; all have equally suffered.

Diabetes is a metabolic disorder. It is associated with a hormone called ‘insulin’ which is secreted by a gland known as ‘pancreas’ situated near the lower border of stomach. Diabetes arises either from ‘deficiency of insulin’ or from ‘inability of cells to utilize the available insulin’. It is basically the ‘lack of action’ of insulin that brings about Diabetes. This disorder affects the whole metabolism of the body. Modern sciences have failed to explain with certainty why pancreas stops the production of insulin or why body cells develop resistance to insulin.

The causes of diabetes are still not known but there are certain predisposing factors that considerably increase the chances of developing diabetes. Some predisposing factors are

Obesity
Sedentary life style with very less physical activity
Family history of diabetes
Old age
Eating habits especially when food contains excessive carbohydrates

What actually happens!

When we eat food, it is digested in digestive tract beginning from mouth. Complex food is broken down to simpler foods such as glucose, amino acids, fatty acids, vitamins etc. which can be absorbed in the blood. In a normal human being, the glucose produced in this way is acted upon by a hormone called insulin which helps in taking this glucose to all body cells for their energy needs and converts the ‘left over’ glucose into glycogen. Thus, the chief role of insulin is to regulate the glucose level in the blood. Sometimes, for unknown reasons, either the Pancreas gland stops producing insulin or the body cells develop inability to utilize the available insulin thereby causing glucose level in the blood to rise which eventually results in diabetes. More than 90% of all diabetics suffer from the diabetes that is caused by inability of body cells to utilize the available insulin to regulate the glucose level.

When body cells do not receive glucose for their energy needs, they begin to starve. To supplement the energy needs, body starts disintegrating the stored fats and proteins leading to loss of weight, fatigue, weakness and several other complications.

Symptoms and their reasons explained

Common symptoms of diabetes include

Frequent and excessive urination

As I explained earlier, glucose level in the blood is very high in diabetes. This glucose circulates in blood and reaches kidneys which filter the blood to form urine. Kidneys ordinarily never let glucose pass into the urine but when glucose level is excessive, this glucose enters the urine and during this, kidneys filter a lot of water also which results in excessive and frequent urination in diabetes.

Excessive thirst and dry mouth

Excessive urination in diabetes leads to shortage of water in the body. This, in turn leads to thirst and dry mouth.

Hunger

Since, the body cells do not get glucose, they begin to starve. Although the glucose is all around yet cells cannot utilize it. This is a case of ’scarcity amidst plenty’. This starvation of body cells leads to more and more hunger.

Weight loss

When body cells cannot utilize glucose, the stored fat in the body is slowly disintegrated to compensate it. This leads to loss of weight.

Fatigue

Along with stored fat, the protein in the muscles is also disintegrated to nourish the starving cells. This results in fatigue and weakness of the body.

Blurred vision

Our eyes have a fluid inside them that helps in focusing. Due to high concentration of glucose in blood, this fluid also changes its concentration thus leading to blurring of vision and frequent changes in power of eye lenses.

Slow healing of cuts and wounds

Since the blood contains abnormal amount of glucose, it provides an ideal medium for the growth of pus forming micro-organisms. This in turn affects the healing of even small cuts and abrasions and delays the recovery.

Itchy skin and fungal infection

The blood of a diabetic is quite rich in glucose which provides favorable conditions for faster growth of micro-organisms that cause diseases. This is more visible on skin which becomes vulnerable to infections. This excessive glucose also causes itching on the skin.

Complications

There are various complications that may take place due to prolonged presence of glucose in bloodstream.

Some commonly occurring complications include

A. Diabetic Coma
B. Coronary Heart Disease
C. Cerebral Hemorrhage
D. Gangrene

These complications are a result of very complex changes that take place in the body due to excess glucose. Almost all parts of the body are affected by Diabetes and in long run, it ruins all body parts.

Hyperglycemic Coma

This is a commonly occurring complication of diabetes. But how does it happen? In diabetics, glucose does not nourish the body cells either due to deficiency of insulin or due to inability of body cells to utilize available insulin. As a result, stored fats in the body start disintegrating and chemical compounds called ‘ketones’ are formed which make the blood ‘acidic’. Now the body tries to reduce the acidity and forms more and more urine. But this in turn reduces the fluid content of the body and further increases the acidity of the blood which eventually affects the brain and Coma sets in.

What to do!

There are some predisposing factors that may cause diabetes as explained earlier. Sedentary life style invites the disease therefore one should cultivate a life style full of physical activities and exercises. People working in the offices usually do not get any opportunity to remain physically active. Such people should try to spend some time out of their chairs and do as much physical activity as possible at their work place. Today’s little workout can ward off tomorrow’s great suffering.

Obesity is another big predisposing condition. More than 70% elder people who develop diabetes are obese. Physical exercises and a check on food intake are best things one can do to avoid adding unwanted weight.

Family history plays a role in causing diabetes. When one is aware of occurrence of diabetes in the family, one should prepare against the disease by avoiding other predisposing factors like obesity, sedentary life style, faulty eating habits etc. Remember, a prepared man has half fought the battle!Foods may also be related to diabetes but it is not known with certainty which foods may cause diabetes or may hamper the activity of pancreas. One should be careful in selecting food. The intake of fast foods and those foods that are quite rich in carbohydrates should be minimized.

Diabetes badly affects all physiological systems of the human body. Majority of the diabetics develops severe complications that shorten the lifespan. Whether there is any history of diabetes in one’s family or not, it is always advisable to take precautions and lead a physically active life. Remember, prevention is always better than cure!

Insulin is coined from the latin word insula which means island. Insulin is a peptide hormone that is found in animals. It is composed of 51 amino acid residues.

Insuline is a naturally produced hormone that converts sugar and starch into energy. As a hormone insulin presence in the body is a proof that the cells are well fed and it helps the liver and muscles to store already processed glucose in the form of glycogen. Insulin carries out some energy building (anabolic) processes in the human body such as causing fat cells to take in blood lipids and turn them into triglycerides

Insulin plays a very important and active role and is highly required for both human and animal life. Its disturbance or deficiency is pathological while its deprivation due to removal could lead to death In humans insulin is formulated in the pancreas within the beta cells of the islets of langerhans. Millions of (pancreatic islets) islets of langerhans forms the endocrine part of the pancreas which is a exocrine gland.

There is a common similarity in the role played by insulin in all mammals. For instance bovine insulin in vertebrates differs from the insulin in humans with about three amino acid residue, of which porcine is one of them.

Insulin as a hormone could be put to several use in the humans body. In the human cell insulin increases potassium uptake glucose and fatty acid sythesis. it decrases the degradation of protein (proteinolysis) and lipolysis ( conversion of fat cell lipids into blood fatty acid) It also decreases the production of glucose from non-sugar substrate (gluconeogenesis) and increases the ability of the adipose tissue to make fat (esterification). Insulin modifies the activities of enzymes and controls the cellular intake of glucose and other minerals into the muscle and adipose tissues. Insulin also controls glycogen synthesis by influencing the storage of glucose in the liver and muscle cells in the form of glycogen. A fall in the level of insulin causes the liver cells to convert glycogen to glucose and passes it into the blood as an excreted material. This single action accounts for insulin been used medically to treat some forms of diabetes mellitus.

The amount of insulin required medically for clinical administration to humans could be derived from animals such as cows pig horse or fish they can also be produce genetically. It is usually administered clinically by the use of syringe with needles or through the use of insulin pumps or by inhalation.

Apart from its medical uses and the key role insulin plays in the human body, it can also be abused and used as a performance enhancing drug by athletes as it is medically alleged to have almost similar effect as steroids.

Past research has focused on the immune system, but new diabetes research information points to the nervous system in the development of this disease. Thus there are exciting new possibilities for the treatment of diabetes. There are two forms of diabetes, type 1 in which the islet cells of the pancreas stop making insulin and the insulin has to be supplied daily by injection. In type 2 there is a loss of insulin sensitivity requiring a lower glycemic diet,and various forms of medication including insulin shots to manage blood sugar levels.

It has long been thought that the immune system attacked the islet cells in the pancreas, and damaged them to the point where they no longer produced insulin. It was thought that there was no way of reversing diabetes. Recent research at the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto, Canada has produced an experimental method that has reversed type 1 diabetes in mice and could result in a cure for diabetes in humans. The scientists were experimenting on mice that were specifically bred to have type 1 diabetes. They began to investigate the function and role of sensory nerves in the pancreas and their effect on the insulin producing islet cells. What they found was that the nerves produced too much of a neurochemical called substance-p which causes inflammation around the islet cells damaging them and preventing them from producing insulin.

They then developed an experimental technique, which involved injecting an anti-inflammatory extract of chili peppers called capsaicin into the nerves, which reduced the level of substance-p. The result was a normalizing of islet cell function and the complete elimination of diabetes in the mice in a 24-hour period.This research is groundbreaking but preliminary. It is important because the scientists have for the first time identified a mechanism involving the nervous system that directly causes the islet cells to stop functioning. They reasoned that the next step is an experimental technique to be used in humans, involving injections of capsicum into the pancreas.

In an interesting side note, capsicum is an extract of chili peppers, called cayenne. Cayenne has been used for centuries as a “folk remedy” for diabetic problems and it is completely harmless and safe for human consumption. It seems that once again modern medicine has validated ancient wisdom.

While much research and testing remains to be done, this technique when perfected could lead to a cure for diabetes in humans, or at the very least revolutionize the treatment of diabetes greatly increasing the quality of life for those who suffer from it.