Chronic Disease
There is no secret formula to ensure a long life. Scientists have not discovered ways to stop aging, but they do know what speeds up the aging process and shortens life. High blood glucose is one of the accelerators of aging. Normalizing blood glucose, therefore, is one step toward a longer life. There are other factors too. For example, to have ancestors who have lived to very ripe old ages. But since you cannot change your genetic tendencies, the best thing that could have happened to you is to have your doctor telling you”You have developed a chronic disease”.
A famous physician once said that the best way to live a long and healthy life is to develop a chronic disease and then take care of it.
Life is not a matter of having good cards, but of playing a poor hand well. ~ Robert Louis Stevenson
You and your family may well be shocked and upset to discover that you have diabetes, and worry about how it will affect your lives in future. It often takes time to come to terms with the diagnosis, but with the right treatment and a bit of planning, you will soon learn to manage your condition so that it interferes with everyday living as little as possible.
Diabetes mellitus refers to the condition that results in an above-normal level of glucose in the blood, which sometimes spills over through the kidneys into the urine.
There are two major types of diabetes mellitus:
1. Type I diabetes, in which the person does not produce any insulin and thus is dependent on injections of insulin to sustain life and to regulate blood glucose levels.
Type I diabetes usually occurs in children and adolescents but has been known to occur in adults. About 10% of all persons with diabetes have Type I. The onset of Type I diabetes is rapid, has characteristic symptoms, and often is dramatic.
2. Type II diabetes, in which the person may not produce enough insulin or may be resistant to the action of the insulin produced. This person may be able to regulate blood glucose levels by diet and exercise alone; by diet, exercise and an oral antidiabetes drug; or by diet, exercise and insulin injections.
Type II diabetes usually occurs in adults over the age of 40, those who have a family history of diabetes, those who are overweight or obese, and women who have given birth to babies weighing over nine pounds. It is possible that a woman who gives birth to a big baby had diabetes during her pregnancy(gestational diabetes), which may not have been diagnosed.
About 90% of all persons with diabetes have Type II. About 85% of people with Type II are overweight or obese.
Causes of Diabetes
The onset of Type II diabetes is gradual and often without symptoms. A blood test ordered at a the time of a routine physical examination often is the only way for a person to detect that he or she has this disease.
More than half of the people with Type II diabetes don’t even know they have the disease.
History of Diabetes
Symptoms of Type I and Type II Diabetes
How you feel about your diabetes affects how you deal with it. If you feel negative, angry, depressed, overwhelmed, unconcerned, or just rotten, you can take bets that your diabetes control will far from perfect. When diabetes is out of control, lots of bad things can happen to you that will make your life worse.
Immediately after diagnosis, it is normal to feel sad. When you feel down, try to remember that you are having a normal reaction to the diagnosis of a chronic disease. Live with those feelings for a while, but then discard them and get on with your life. You cannot ignore your diabetes or you will suffer the consequences that come from high blood glucose levels( all sorts of complications and disabling occurrences).
Can Diabetes be Prevented?
Treatment of Diabetes
What Makes Blood Glucose Go Up and Down?
When you eat food, your blood glucose levels will go up — at least until insulin helps this glucose get into the cells where it is used for fuel. Glucose levels will go down when you follow a healthy meal plan — one that is designed to help you achieve and maintain your ideal weight.
If you do physical exercise, your cells will burn more fuel and your blood glucose levels will go down (until you replenish them with more food).
Physical activity on a regular schedule, along with reduced calories, will help you to lose weight, improve your physical fitness, and reduce your risks for future heart and circulatory diseases.
If you inject insulin or swallow an antidiabetes pill, your blood glucose levels will go down. But the injection or pill only works when you follow a proper meal and exercise program. If you are under a lot of stress, your blood glucose levels will go up — because that is the way your body fuels up to handle the emergency called stress.
The same reaction takes place when you have an illness. Your body, without your your conscious action, releases stored glucose to fight the illness. If you learn how to cope with stress and how to treat minor illness, you can reduce your blood glucose levels.
If you are carrying excess fat, the fat interferes with your body’s ability to use insulin. Therefore, when you are overweight, your blood glucose levels will be higher. A weight loss of 10-20% in most persons with diabetes will lead to the normalization of insulin action — and a return to normal blood glucose levels.
Why Is High Blood Glucose Bad For You?
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Heart Palpitation
