Care of your diebetes condition

Diabetes is a disorder of the metabolism caused as a result of the way our bodies use digested food for growth and energy. To maintain our energy levels glucose is moved around the blood stream to the cells and muscles etc. Diabetes stops this energy supply and forces it to remain in the blood creating further problems. If the situation is not dealt with it doesn’t take long for the body to build up high levels of glucose in the blood also known as ‘high blood sugar levels’.

Two main types occur; information on both is looked at briefly here. Juvenile onset diabetes is called type one and usually, but not always, affects children and young adults and is where the body’s production of insulin has ceased; this means insulin must be given to the diabetic on a daily basis for them to live. Insulin is used by the body to regulate the amount of glucose the blood contains. The second form of diabetes usually affects people when they are of mature years; this can be controlled by diet but is caused by problems with the insulin production or its function.

Many of the foods we eat such as bread, potatoes, rice, pasta and fruit are converted into sugar and give us the energy we need to maintain life. High blood glucose levels over a long period of time can cause blindness, heart disease, kidney problems, and amputations. The importance of managing your diabetes condition cannot be underestimated and with a disciplined approached these serious conditions can be improved; these conditions will vary form person to person but most should see improvements with some complaints halted altogether.

Managing your condition means you must take control of certain areas of your life by ensuring you take your medication regularly; but this means sticking to your medication, watching your blood sugar, cholesterol and to stop smoking!

In addition, weight and blood pressure will need to be routinely monitored and kept stable. Diabetes cannot be cured and once diagnosed it is a lifelong complaint; currently approx 2.6 percent of the U.S. population or about 5.5 million Americans, are known to have this health problem.

The sad part is there may be another 5.5 million people who have this condition but have not been diagnosed yet; around 600,000 US citizens develop this condition each year, so you can see the problem is severe. It is believed that as many as 320,000 diabetics die each year in America. Whilst only 34,000 of those who die, are connected directly with the condition itself. about.