Diabetes
What is Diabetes?
Diabetes, also called “having sugar”, is a condition in which you are either insulin deficient (Type 1) or a combination of insulin resistant and insulin deficiency (Type 2). Insulin occurs naturally in the body and is produced in the pancreas. The purpose of insulin is to control or regulate the glucose in the blood.
Diagnosis of diabetes is determined by four criteria: (1) fasting plasma glucose > 126mg/dL (which means your blood is drawn usually after you have not had a meal for at least 6 hours and the value comes back > 126mg/dL); (2) a 2 hour value derived from a 75 gram oral glucose tolerance test (you are given a drink that is usually flavored and it contains a sugar and two hours later your blood is drawn to see if your glucose level is > 140mg/dL but < 200mg/dL), (3) a casual plasma glucose level of > 200mg/dL with symptoms of diabetes ( symptoms of diabetes are excessive thirst even if you are drinking, excessive hunger even if you are eating, weight loss, blurry vision, fatigue, tingling/numbness in hands/feet, cuts or bruises that are slow to heal) or (4) a HbA1C > 6.5% ( is a blood test that detects the average blood sugar concentrations for the preceding two to three months)
There are unfortunately complications from diabetes which are termed macrovascular and microvascular events. These complications affect your heart, can lead to a stoke, cause blindness, cause tingling and pain in your hands and feet, impotence, coolness of extremities, pain in calves, and visions issues to name a few.
What diabetics need to be aware of is it what is called the metabolic syndrome. This syndrome occurs in some diabetics where there is a tendency for the diabetic to be insulin resistant, hypertensive, have abdominal obesity and high lipids.
Diabetic Symptoms
(see your physician if you have four or more of these symptoms)
(1) Excessive thirst even if you are drinking
(2) Excessive hunger even if you are eating
(3) Weight loss
(4) Blurry vision
(5) Fatigue
(6) Tingling/numbness in hands/feet
(7) Cuts or bruises that are slow to heal
American Diabetes Association (ADA) (www.diabetes.org)
Disclaimer
This article is for informational purposes ONLY. It is not to suggest nor diagnose any disease state. ALWAYS seek professional help from a medically licensed professional.