Diabetes

10 Early Warning Signs Of Diabetes

1. Unexplained Weight Loss

High blood sugar levels can also cause rapid and unexpected weight loss because your body is not absorbing glucose properly. When the glucose (sugars) are excreted by excessive urinating, it is not stored in the cells for energy. This decreases the amount of calories and can lead to sudden unhealthy loss of weight. This constant excretion of sugar through urinating can also cause increased hunger. So if you are always hungry and eating, why do you lose weight? That’s because you can’t compensate for the calories that you lose.
Once you start controlling your blood sugar and making it more balanced, you could put weight back on. So it’s important if you lose 10 to 20 pounds unexpectantly over a few months that you should contact your doctor. A blood test can determine if you have diabetes and treatment can begin to balance your insulin levels.


2. Excessive Thirst and Frequent Urination - A warning sign of Type 2 diabetes is an overwhelming urge to urinate. So if you frequently need to empty your bladder, particularly during the night, it could be a red flag. When someone has diabetes, their body is less efficient at breaking food down into sugar and as a result they have extra sugar in their blood. This makes their kidneys work harder to rid the blood of that sugar.

The kidneys can’t keep up with filtering the sugar from the body and the extra sugar (glucose) is flushed out in the urine. The harder the kidneys have to work, the more a person will need to urinate. Excessive thirst goes hand in hand with this because as you urinate more, you lose more fluids and this leads to dehydration. The body will try to replace that lost fluid and you will want to drink more.

3. Increased Hunger

It’s estimated than an incredible one in four people in the world has diabetes and don’t know they do. Another subtle sign of the condition is feeling shaky or unsteady and craving carbs or sugar. This is because your high blood sugar makes it difficult for your body to regulate glucose. Your cells need glucose to provide fuel and energy for your body. Your body needs to use insulin, the pancreatic hormone, to get glucose into your cells to make them function.
If you don’t have enough insulin or your cells don’t respond to it, your body doesn’t get enough glucose and you crave it. Sharp peaks and lows in blood sugar levels lead to feeling excessively hungry all the time. Your cells lack essential energy and you still feel hungry even after eating a meal. If you have excessive hunger pangs over a prolonged period, it could be wise to make an appointment for a check up.

4. Tired All The Time

People can get sluggish and tired now and again. It’s only natural in today’s fast-paced world as we all try to pack so much in. But a feeling of excessive fatigue and weakness could be a subtle sign that you have Type 2 diabetes. Tiredness on its own may not seem significant but coupled with several of the other symptoms, it is definitely worth getting a medical check up. When your cells are robbed of glucose and don’t have the necessary fuel to energise the body as they’re supposed to do, exhaustion and weakness result.
This is because your body is forever expending itself to compensate for its glucose deficiency. Fatigue is caused by the extra work the kidneys have to do, also not being able to sleep because of a constant urge to urinate. It can also be due to your blood vessels being inflamed.

5. Vision Problems

Another early sign of diabetes is blurred vision because the eyes are sensitive to high blood sugar levels. When glucose levels spike, dehydration results as fluid is pulled from the tissues. Glucose builds up in the eye causing the lenses to swell and temporarily change shape resulting in distorted vision. People with undiagnosed diabetes may also see floaters or occasional flashes of light. If not controlled, diabetes can cause serious vision problems.
Regular eye exams are important because they can detect early signs of problems. If treatment is received, blood sugar levels can be stabalised in around eight weeks and the eyes can return to normal. But if sugar levels remain high for a long time, the damage could be irreversible and could result in partial vision or complete eyesight loss. It's also a fact that people with diabetes have a higher risk of other complications including glaucoma and cataracts.

6. More Prone to Infections

Diabetes has been branded “the silent killer” because symptoms that can lead to early diagnosis can be easily overlooked. Unchecked, diabetes can lead to serious complications. One of the common cues to early detection is developing frequent infections. This is because diabetes creates a slowed immune system, which affects the body’s ability to fight off infections. This means that someone with diabetes may be ill more often than a person with normal blood sugar levels.
Patients are at risk of a variety of infections. The most common are yeast (candida) and fungal infections. Sugary environments are a breeding ground for fungi and bacteria, so women with diabetes are likely to be more prone to suffer from infections such as urinary tract and vaginal infections. If you keep getting these infections, ask for a diabetes test.

7. Slow Healing Cuts and Bruises

Type 2 diabetes has lots of early signs, but they can seem to be minor medical annoyances rather than a huge alert that something serious is going on. If in doubt, it is best to ask your doctor to carry out a few tests. One of the symptoms that may go unheeded is the fact that cuts and bruises are taking longer to heal.
Kids are always falling down and their legs are covered in bright coloured plasters. Their wounds seem to heal up in no time. But if your sores are taking more than a few weeks to go away, it could be due to high glucose levels weakening your immune system. An excessive amount of glucose harms the veins and arteries making it hard for fresh blood, which is needed for skin healing, to move around the body. And if they go unhealed for a long time, serious infections can develop.

8. Tingling and Numbness

When a person has too much sugar in their blood, it causes complications, which could be an early warning sign that they are suffering from diabetes. One of these is a prickly tingling and numbness in the extremities, such as the feet and hands, a condition known as Diabetic Neuropathy. This happens because the elevated blood glucose levels interfere with signals transmitted by nerves. The walls of small blood vessels are weakened and the blood supply is cut off in the extremities. Another hallmark of possible nerve damage is a burning pain in the hands, fingers, arms, feet, toes and legs.
If someone suffers tingling, numbness and burning for extended periods, they should see a doctor because the nerve damage is not reversible and can become permanent causing muscle wasting and in some cases amputation if sugar levels are not brought down quickly. However, if the symptoms are recent, it may be reversible.

9. Skin Problems

We’ve already said that a good way to be diagnosed early is to look out for multiple symptoms that could prevent serious health complications developing. Type 2 diabetes has a wide reach and can affect every part of the body. Our bodies are made up of around 50% to 70% of water and the urge to empty our bladders frequently can lead to the skin drying out. Diabetes affects blood circulation and this can also lead to dehydration.
The result can leave skin feeling itchy. Other skin problems can include boils and blisters, infections around the nails and acanthosis nigricans, a darkening of the skin around the neck, groin or armpit area. That’s why unusual skin changes can be among the first indications that something is wrong. The good news is that the problems can clear up once caught and managed.

10. Irritability

Who doesn’t get moody or grumpy from time to time? However, prolonged irritability is another common sign of underlying health issues, which again can go unnoticed. If you have the urge to urinate a lot, are plagued by infections, are always hungry, are constantly tired, then you are bound to be short tempered or depressed. It’s all down to your blood sugar being out of balance and losing energy that should be stored in your cells.
It you are suffering from excessive irritability and there’s no issues in your life that you can attribute it to, like a nasty boss or feeling underpaid and overworked, then it could be the onset of Type 2 Diabetes. Go get yourself a health check. Once your blood sugar is normalised, your moodiness should improve.

Symptoms and Signs of Diabetes

Monday, August 04, 2014 By Clara Schneider MS, RD, RN, CDE, LDN

Read more: http://www.diabetescare.net/authors/clara-schneider/signs-and-symptoms-of-diabetes?utm_source=Outbrain#ixzz3hfwylpTe

Detecting diabetes early is essential to starting a person on the path to better health. Many of the signs and symptoms of type 1 diabetes are the same as type 2 diabetes even though the reasons the person develops the diabetes are different. 

This is due to the ultimate effect of having extra glucose or sugar in the blood stream. 

Both type one and type 2 diabetes can be diagnosed in all age groups. Type 1 diabetes is usually detected in children and young adults and type 2 diabetes usually is diagnosed at an older age. (1) This essay is to help you understand the signs and symptoms of diabetes and why they occur.

As mentioned above, many of the signs and symptoms of type 1 and type 2 diabetes are the same but it is relevant to itemize them in two separate lists. Some of the entries will be duplicated due to the effect of extra glucose in the blood steam. 

In type 1 diabetes, in some people, extremely life threatening symptoms may be detected very early. This is due to the fact that it is an autoimmune disease and destroys the beta cells which produce insulin needed to keep blood glucose stabilized. 

Due to the lack of insulin, the person must learn the skills to replace insulin the rest of their life. The onset of type 2 diabetes usually takes more time and is insidious. It may sneak up slowly with a gradual elevation of blood glucose over a longer period of time.

What are the symptoms of type 1 diabetes?

The symptoms of diabetes that are learned by most professionals include polydipsia (increased extreme thirst), polyphagia (increased hunger), and polyuria (increased urination). 

Glucose or sugar in the blood stream needs insulin for uptake into many of the cells of the body. When insulin is not available, glucose builds up in the blood. 

The kidneys which usually function to prevent glucose from leaving the body through urination will not be able to work properly due to the increase concentration of glucose. 

Excess sugar or glucose draws fluid out from body tissues and is excreted in the urine. 

This causes a dramatic increase in urination (polyuria) which causes dehydration. The body tries to compensate with extreme thirst (polydipsia). 

The body’s cells also need to be fed which causes extreme hunger (polyphagia). This cycle is known by some as “starving in the land of plenty”. 

The glucose is in the body but it can’t get into the cells to be used for energy. This is an urgent dangerous situation!

It is important to know that approximately 90 percent of children diagnosed with type 1 diabetes do not have a family history of the disease. 

(2)
Signs and Symptoms of Type 1 Diabetes for quick reference

According to the JDRF (formerly called the Juvenile Diabetes Research Fund), the signs and symptoms of type 1 diabetes must be taken very seriously. 

Many times the signs and symptoms are similar to having a severe cold or the flu. Call your doctor immediately if these are displayed. The signs and symptoms are referenced from the JDRF 

(3) If you do not have a doctor or can’t get ahold of yours, call an urgent care center or go to the hospital to get care.
Extreme thirst
Frequent urination
Sudden vision changes (increased blood glucose causes the lens of the eye to change in shape and swell. This causes vision changes) 

(4)
Glucose or sugar in the urine
An odor found on the breath that is sweet and fruity (this is a sign that the body is using fat as energy since the glucose is not available for the cells. The term for this is diabetes ketoacidosis and can be life threatening. 

(5)
Increased appetite with sudden weight loss
Sleepy, drowsy and lethargic (the body is not getting enough glucose in the cells which may lead to this symptom)

(6)
Breathing that is heavy and labored and going into a stupor, lethargic and perhaps unconsciousness (these are signs of ketoacidosis. See number 5). (3)

What are the symptoms of type 2 diabetes?

Type 2 diabetes is different than type 1 diabetes. It is not an autoimmune disease and usually develops slowly. The body still produces insulin but the insulin may not be effectively used or is “resisted” by the cells of the body. This is why many people with Type 2 diabetes are told they’re “insulin resistant”. 

Medications may be needed to decrease this resistance. Over time in many people with type 2 diabetes, insulin may be needed. The body may not be able to make enough insulin or the insulin that is made by the body is not effective. 

As mentioned above, many of the signs and symptoms of type 2 diabetes are the same as type 1 diabetes because the net result is having excessive glucose in the blood.

Signs and Symptoms of Type 2 Diabetes for quick reference

As type 2 diabetes develops gradually, many people with type 2 diabetes do not have any symptoms. It is important to go to your physician on a regular basis to be evaluated for diabetes. 

The Canadian Diabetes Association lists the following symptoms for type 2 diabetes. 

(7)
If these occur, call your doctor for an evaluation. Refer to the type 1 diabetes list of signs and symptoms for the reasoning of some of the symptoms. In some cases, they are the same because of the net result of increased glucose in the blood.

• Extreme thirst
• Frequent Urination
• Weight change (for type 2 this could be a weight loss as in type 1 or a weight gain. People with type 2 diabetes increase their resistance to insulin when they gain weight. This will decrease the ability of cells in the body to use insulin and the result is an increased blood glucose.)
• Fatigue 
• Vision changes and blurring of vision
• Frequent infections (bacteria tends to thrive when blood glucose is high, this may include urinary tract infections and yeast infections)
• Wounds and cuts that take a long time to heal 
• Tingling and numbness in the extremities (fingers and feet) High blood glucose over time can lead to damage to the nerves. This is a type of neuropathy common in diabetes.
• In men, trouble with erections. See my past blogs on erectile dysfunction and diabetes. 

As you can see, it is important to know the signs and symptoms of diabetes. Do not delay in calling your physician if you think you may have diabetes. The only way to be sure is to be tested. Talk to your health care team and get further guidance about this very important issue. If there are signs and symptoms of type 1 diabetes, treat this as a medical emergency. Get help immediately!
Read more: http://www.diabetescare.net/authors/clara-schneider/signs-and-symptoms-of-diabetes?utm_source=Outbrain#ixzz3hfdwaTLZ

Diabetes Drugs May Promote Heart Failure
Washington: A new study has examined that glucose or sugar-lowering medications prescribed to patients with diabetes may pose an increased risk for the development of heart failure in these patients.





Patients who manage type 2 diabetes with drugs that lower glucose or blood sugar may be at higher risk for heart failure.

The study conducted at American College of Cardiology examined clinical trials of more than 95,000 patients and found that for every one kilogram of weight gain attributed to a sugar-lowering diabetes medication or strategy, there was an associated seven per cent increased risk of heart failure directly linked to that medication or strategy.

Dr. Jacob Udell, the study’s principal investigator, and cardiologist at the Peter Munk Cardiac Centre, University Health Network (UHN) and Women’s College Hospital (WCH), said that patients randomized to new or more intensive blood sugar-lowering drugs or strategies to manage diabetes showed an overall 14 per cent increased risk for heart failure and this increased risk was directly associated with the type of diabetes therapy that was chosen, with some drugs more likely to cause heart failure than others, compared with placebo or standard care.

Dr Barry Rubin, Medical Director, Peter Munk Cardiac Centre, University Health Network (UHN), asserted that the results of this study could prove to be the catalyst for how diabetes patients at risk for heart disease were managed moving forward and as the number one global killer, and the second leading cause of death in Canada, the growing burden of heart disease was in many respects impacting patients, families and the health-care system in ways that were unsustainable.

Heart failure is a common occurrence for patients with type 2 diabetes and has a major impact on one’s life expectancy and quality of life as well as representing a major driver of healthcare costs.

The study is published in the current issue of The Lancet Diabetes and Endocrinology.
ANIhttp://www.tkbsen.in/2015/03/diabetes-drugs-may-promote-heart-failure/

Metformin causes vitamin B12 deficiency

Sunday, October 31, 2010 by: David Gutierrez, staff writer
Tags: Metformin, vitamin B12, health news

(NaturalNews) Long-term use of the popular diabetes drug metformin (originally marketed as Glucophage) may cause patients to develop a steadily worsening vitamin B12 deficiency, Dutch scientists have found.

"Our study shows that this decrease is not a transitory phenomenon, but persists and grows over time," wrote the Maastricht University Medical Center researchers in theBritish Medical Journal.

This is an issue of particular concern given the prevalence of diabetes and the popularity of metformin as a treatment.

"Metformin is considered a cornerstone in the treatment of diabetes and is the most frequently prescribed first line therapy for individuals with type 2 diabetes," the researchers wrote. "In addition, it is one of a few ... associated with improvements in cardiovascular morbidity and mortality, which is a major cause of death in patients with type 2 diabetes."

Earlier, short-term studies had found that use of the drug might lead to insufficient levels of the vitamin in the body. The new study confirmed this trend over the long term.

"Metformin does ... induce vitamin B12 malabsorption, which may increase the risk of developing vitamin B12 deficiency -- a clinically important and treatable condition," the researchers wrote.

The researchers assigned 390 Type 2 diabetes patients at the outpatient clinics of three nonacademic hospitals to take either metformin or a placebo pill three times per day for more than four years. The average study participant had been diagnosed with diabetes 13 years prior and had been undergoing insulin treatment for seven years. Average participant age was 61.

Among those taking metformin, vitamin B12 levels began to steadily drop relative to those who were taking a placebo pill. The biggest drop occurred in the first few months, but the decrease continued over the course of the study.

After four years, participants in the metformin group had undergone a 19 percent relative reduction in their levels of the nutrient. They were 11.2 percent more likely than placebo participants to suffer from B12 insufficiency and 7.2 percent more likely to suffer from deficiency.

For every 8.9 patients treated with metformin, one would develop insufficient vitamin B12 levels. This increased risk remained after researchers adjusted for other risk factors including age, duration of diabetes, insulin dose, sex, smoking status and previous treatment with metformin.

"Our study shows that it is reasonable to assume harm will eventually occur in some patients with metformin-induced low vitamin B12 levels," the researchers wrote.

The researchers found that metformin seems to inhibit the intestine's absorption of vitamin B12. Fortunately, calcium supplements appear to reverse this effect.

Vitamin B12 is critical for maintaining nerve and red blood cell health. It can be found in animal products, nutritional yeast and fortified breakfast cereals. Symptoms of deficiency include anemia, fatigue, nerve damage and cognitive changes. Because similar symptoms often occur in diabetics and the elderly, deficiency may be hard to detect in such populations. Yet while B12 deficiency can carry severe consequences, it is relatively easy to correct with supplementation.

The researchers suggested that all patients taking metformin have their vitamin B12 levels tested regularly to avoid potentially severe consequences.

"Vitamin B-12 deficiency is preventable; therefore, our findings suggest that regular measurement of vitamin B-12 concentrations during long-term metformin treatment should be strongly considered." the researchers wrote.

Nearly 11 percent of the U.S. population, or 24 million people, suffer from diabetes. Of these 5.7 million are undiagnosed. In addition, 57 million people in the United States alone are estimated to be pre-diabetic, or at imminent risk of developing the disease.

Worldwide, an estimated 246 million people suffer from the disease. Prevalence is only expected to increase as the spreading Western diet and lifestyle lead to increasing rates of obesity.

Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/030234_Metformin_vitamin_B12.html#ixzz43zNFh2os

Why Okra Is Good For You and How to Use It to Treat Diabetes

By Alex Jordon

Posted Friday, October 9, 2015 at 01:52pm EDT

Okra, this green vegetable is believed to possess lots of health benefits, and several studies have shown that okra can help treat diabetes.

One study found that the seeds and peel of okra have anti-diabetic properties which led the rats to stabilized blood glucose levels—the prime concern in all diabetic animals, including humans.

Another study found that okra extract had anti-diabetic effects on rabbits. Over a ten-day time span, the okra level gradually reduced blood glucose levels among the experimental group of rabbits, comparable to the reduction caused by the popular diabetes drug, Metformin.

How to use okra to treat diabetes

It has been confirmed that consumption of okra water daily can help stave off disease of diabetes and keep the blood sugar levels normal. Here is the direction to make okra water:

• Wash 4 medium size okra pods and clip off both ends of the pods.
• Poke the pods with a fork on opposite sides or split them in half
• Place the pods into a glass and cover them with clean, room-temperature water, leave it for a whole night.
• Give the pods a good squeeze before removing from the water.
• Discard the pods and gulp down the water.

Okra is used in many recipes as it is packed with nutrients and can give you many other amazing benefits:

• It’s super low in calories and contains a number of vitamins and minerals. Okra seeds and pulp are high in the antioxidants catechin, epicatechin, procyanidin B1 and B2, quercetin and rutin that can fight the damage caused to cells by stress and other environmental factors.
• Okra is rich in folate, which is considered as an important natural compound for the pregnant women to help grow and maintain new cells.
• A study found that regular consumption of okra can help prevent kidney disease. It has been proven that those who ate okra daily can reduce the medical signs of kidney damage.
• Okra contains a good amount of Vitamin C, which is a crucial compound for healthy skin. It promotes growing skin and rejuvenate damaged skin.
• Okra is high in fiber, so it’s a good choice to add this high fiber vegetable to your diet to promote a healthy digestion.
• Have dandruff problem? Okra helps! Okra improves the overall scalp condition by moisturizing your scalp and keeping dandruff away.
• Okra contains healthy amounts of Vitamin A, which is essential for maintaining a healthy vision.
• Okra helps prevent and improve constipation, this is the fiber absorbs water and ensures bulk in stools.