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The Lowdown on High Blood Sugar by Jerry Ryan, Ph.d

Diabetes. High blood sugar. Isn’t that an ‘old people’ disease? Doesn’t that only cause problems for your grandparents or other elderly relatives and friends? Is that the disease where you have to give yourself shots every day? That’s the disease that you get from eating too much sugar, right? Isn’t it true that only fat people get that illness?

Before we go much further, let’s go over some basics about diabetes. First, about 5.5 million Americans are currently being treated for diabetes. Studies imply that 5 million more Americans have undetected diabetes and another 20 million have an impaired glucose tolerance that may lead to diabetes. That’s a significant amount of people. The National Institutes of Health state that millions of people lose their vision each year due to undetected diabetes. Most important to note is that the third leading cause of death in the United States is the complications of diabetes.

There are two different forms of diabetes and it’s not the Type I and Type II that you always hear about. The first form is called Diabetes Insipidus. This kind of diabetes is very rare and has two causes. There may be a low level of a hormone called vasopressin or the kidneys cannot effectively respond to the vasopressin. The key symptoms of this metabolic malfunction are an extreme thirst and high urine output.

The more common form of diabetes is called Diabetes Mellitus. It is the result of a problem with the pancreas and its production of insulin. The body’s blood sugar level is dependent on the proper amounts of insulin produced to breakdown the glucose (sugar) in our diet. Diabetes mellitus is a chronic disease of carbohydrate metabolism. Genetics certainly plays a part in developing diabetes but a diet of highly processed, low-fiber foods has been seen as a major contributor in most cases. This type of diet leads to obesity resulting in overweight individuals having a higher risk of diabetes.

Diabetes mellitus is the Type I and Type II diabetes that you’ve heard about. Type I, known as insulin-dependent or juvenile diabetes. This form of diabetes involves the destruction of the beta cells in the pancreas that produce insulin. It is most common in children.

Individuals with Type I diabetes show the following symptoms:

• Irritability

• Frequent urination
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• Abnormal thirst

• Nausea/Vomiting

• Weight loss

• Fatigue

• Weakness

• Unusual hunger

• Frequent bedwetting (in children)

Type I diabetics are also susceptible to episodes of high blood sugar (hyperglycemia) and low blood sugar (hypoglycemia). Either of these conditions can cause serious medical problems.

Hyperglycemia can sneak up slowly over a period of hours or days and it is most common during an illness. A chief warning sign is the inability to keep down fluids. Possible complications include stroke, coma, blindness, kidney failure, and nerve damage. Hypoglycemia, on the other hand, comes on rapidly and can be caused by skipping meals or exercising too much. The signs of hypoglycemia include dizziness, hunger, confusion, sweating, and tingling lips. Complications can be double vision, trembling, disorientation, and coma.

Type II diabetes is most likely to happen in individuals with a family history of diabetes. This form of diabetes is slightly different. The pancreas produces insulin but it doesn’t work properly. As a result, the blood sugar level remains high because the glucose cannot get into the body’s cells as quickly as it should.

Folks with Type II diabetes exhibit the following symptoms:

• Blurred vision

• Itching

• Unusual thirst

• Fatigue

• Slow wound healing

• Numbness in hands and feet

• Skin infections

• Lingering flu symptoms

• Loss of hair on legs

• Increased facial hair

• Small, yellow bumps on the body

A common first indicator of diabetes in men is a condition known as balanoposthitis. This condition is an inflammation of the penis and foreskin and usually accompanies frequent urination.

There is a wide range of natural health options that are available to diabetics. Maintaining a proper diet and participating in an exercise program are two of the most important ways to control diabetes. Your physician and dietician will be most helpful in developing a food plan that will be best for you. A rule of thumb for a diabetic diet is to eat foods that contain complex carbohydrates, low fat, and high fiber. That means plenty of fruits and vegetables, including juices.

Type 1 Diabetes

Type 1 Diabetes is a common condition that numerous individuals suffer from every single day and it is also the most dangerous form of diabetes that a person can have. This well known condition develops in individuals whose pancreas beta cells do not make any insulin, or very little amounts of insulin that the body needs. What happens is the immune system will actually turn on a persons own organs and it will then attack the insulin that is being produced by the pancreas. When a person does not have a sufficient amount of insulin in their blood stream, sugar is unable to properly get in the cells and it stays in the blood. This form of diabetes will generally begin in young children and even in the adolescent age group. Adults are also able to start noticing signs of Type 1 Diabetes, but it is a condition that is much more common for occurring in children.

Unfortunately there has not been a cure established as of yet for this well known condition that so many people suffer from, but there are a few helpful ways that a person can do to help slow down this conditions progression. Therefore, a person who has this type of diabetes will need to rely on insulin injections that will help their body then be able to disperse the needed insulin to the cells that do not have enough, and without these necessary injections they simply would not be able to stay alive.

Sugar levels that are in the blood will need to continuously be checked. This is done with a special meter that you put a drop of blood into that will then be able to determine the amounts of sugar that are in the blood. A large number of people will have to check their blood sugars several times every single day when they suffer from Type 1 Diabetes.

This form of diabetes can be controlled a great deal simply by making sure to eat a well balanced diet, and by making sure that you stay away from foods that are high in sugar content.

Continuous advancements in medical technology have provided individuals suffering from Type 1 Diabetes with insulin that can be taken by injection, in pill form, and with pumps that numerous children commonly use. Although there are a few lifestyle changes that will need to made, such as with diet, a person suffering from diabetes can perform many of the same activities that everyone else can.

Two questions came for today’s Medical Edge Weekend program on kidney disease, too late to be answered on the air. Dr. James McCarthy took a few moments to answer the questions in the studio. See here for details on the program bit.ly and to download the radio program (starting Mar. 30, 2010)
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Causes of Diabetes – What Cause Diabetes in Man

People who chronically over indulge in sugar risk developing is type 11 diabetes. Diabetes is the exact opposite of hypoglycemia, and it is amazing how widespread this condition is. We can now see it in children, where previously it has been a disease of the middle aged and older generations.

Diabetes is caused by the insufficient supply of insulin, too much sugar in the blood, improper cell utilization of insulin, or a combination of these factors. When the pancreas becomes exhausted by the constant demand of manufacturing insulin to convert all that sugar into heat and energy,the pancreas finally malfunctions and the excess sugar then pollutes the bloodstream. Without insufficient insulin to produce glucose, the body is deprived of an essential food and the diabetic remains hungry no matter how much he or she eats. Sugar accumulates in the bloodstream faster than the body can excrete it through the urine, and the victim is literally poisoned. The diabetic becomes tired, weak, nauseated and depressed.

With lifestyle changes, some type 2 diabetics can reduce or eliminate their insulin requirements altogether. Component of this are exercise, weight control, eating healthful complex carbohydrates and quality protein.

Although both type 1 diabetes and type 2 diabetes deal with insulin, they work differently. In type 1 diabetes, the pancreas no longer produces insulin. While in type 2 diabetes, the pancreas makes insulin, but the body does not make use of it properly.

Why Most People Suffer from Diabetes

. Weight: If one is 20% over a healthy weight or obese, there is the risk of diabetes and possible heart attack. The choice of food you eat has a way of affecting your blood weight. Oversize portions are one of the reasons more and more people are overweight – and increasingly at risk of diabetes. Too many bites equal too many calories.

. Sugar consumption: Consuming sugar is going to adversely affect blood sugar level, which in turn elevate your insulin level and your stress hormones.

. Sedentary Lifestyle: The combination of a healthy diet and regular physical activity such as walking, exercise can help you slim down. This is an important benefit since overweight is a major risk factor for diabetes. But exercise fights diabetes in ways other than weight loss. Studies are just starting to show the preventive power of fitness. The Famed Nurses’ Health study for