Diabetes is a disorder of metabolism—the digestion system of our body for growth and energy. Almost every food we eat broken down to glucose, the form or sugar which is the fuel for our body.

Glucose passes into the bloodstream, after digestion, where it is used by cells for growth and energy. For glucose to get into cells, insulin must be present. Insulin is a hormone produced by the pancreas, a large gland behind the stomach.

Types of diabetes: The three main types of diabetes are :

Type 1 Diabetes ( insulin-dependent diabetes)

Type 1 diabetes, sometimes referred to as insulin dependent or juvenile on-set diabetes. As the name implies, the sufferer will need to take insulin once or several times a day to survive. Is is an autoimmune disease that actually turns against the body and instead of attacking cells that cause infection, it actually attacks the cells in the pancreas that are responsible for producing insulin, namely, the beta cells. Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease. An autoimmune disease results when the body’s system for fighting infection stops in a part of body.

The cause of type I diabetes is caused by pancreatic inability to produce insulin. It is responsible for 5-10% of cases of diabetes. The pancreatic Islet of Langerhans cells, which secrete the hormone, are destroyed by the body’s own immune system, probably because it mistakes them for a virus.

Type 2 diabetes

Type 2 diabetes is increasingly being diagnosed in children and adolescents. However, type 2 diabetes in youth are not in common.When type 2 diabetes is diagnosed, the pancreas is usually producing enough insulin, but for unknown reasons, the body cannot use the insulin effectively, a condition called insulin resistance. After several years, insulin production decreases.

Type 2 diabetes, often known as non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus or adult-onset diabetes. This is the most common form of diabetes, and is diagnosed in 90 to 95 percent of all diabetes sufferers, and mainly those in older age.

This diabetes is a result of body tissues becoming resistant to insulin. It accounts for 90-95% of cases. Often the pancreas is producing more than average amounts of insulin, but the cells of the body have become unresponsive to its effect due to the chronically high level of the hormone. Eventually the pancreas may exhaust its over-active secretion of the hormone, and insulin levels fall to below normal.

Type II diabetes should be preventable and manageable by dietary changes alone, but in practice many diabetics (and many obese people without diabetes) find it personally impossible to lose weight or adhere to a healthy diet. Therefore they are frequently treated with drugs which restore the body’s response to insulin, and in some cases injections of insulin.

Gestational Diabetes

Gestational diabetes develops only during pregnancy. Like type 2 diabetes, it occurs more often in African Americans, American Indians, Hispanic Americans, and among women with a family history of diabetes. Women who have had gestational diabetes have a 20 to 50 percent chance of developing type 2 diabetes within 5 to 10 years.

Gestational diabetes is caused by pregnancy-related hormones or low levels of insulin production. It is not uncommon for women to not present with any symptoms. Often women who are overweight and have a history of diabetes in their family. It also more frequently occurs in African, Hispanic, Latino and Native Americans. There is a close link between symptoms of gestational diabetes and those with type 2 diabetes.

Their blood sugar level will go back to normal after the baby was delivered. Women who acquired Gestational Diabetes during pregnancy should be monitored because it can sometimes lead to the development of Type 2 Diabetes with in a span of 5 to 10 years. Although this seems to be the lightest among the diabetes types, it should not be taken for granted.

Article You Maybe Interested In Reading : Diabetic Neuropathy or Diabetes Children

Diabetes can be prevented or, in some cases, delay the start of diabetes by taking charge before it advances from what is known as the pre-diabetic stage to being a full-blown illness. Diabetes is a chronic disease affecting as many as 16 million Americans, half of whom do not know they have it. It is the 5th leading cause of death in the United States. Diabetes is the leading cause of blindness, renal failure, and amputation in the U. S., and is associated with a range of complications, including heart attacks, strokes, amputations and loss of vision.

Controlling your health is dependent on the changes you make in your daily way of life. While avoiding serious illness is one motivation  to having a physical lifestyle, in general good health and long-lasting mobility are two other good incentives.

It is also the leading cause of new cases of blindness among adults 20-74 years old. Diabetics have up to a 400% greater chance of  heart attack or stroke.

Exercise can return blood sugar levels to normal ranges. Preventing or delaying the onset of diabetes is your responsibility; make the lifestyle changes needed  to improve your health today.

Diabetes mellitus is a nutritional disorder, and is characterized by an  abnormally high level of blood glucose and the excretion of the excess glucose into the urine. Diabetes is known to cause swelling of the ankles and feet by damaging small blood vessels (microangiopathy). Any one of these could be the next natural health remedy for diabetes.

Millions have discovered the healing power of natural remedies and supplements and are turning to vitamins, minerals and herbs as a natural health remedy for diabetes. When considering using any of these natural diabetes remedies, it would be wise for you to consult with your primary care provider.

It is very important to create a more health conscious individuals in the populace. A people who practically believe that it is better and cheaper to prevent an illness than to treat it, when it has become stronger. Moreover, preventive health cannot be divorced from  regular medical checks, as this two go hand in hand.

There is no way to detect several non-communicable diseases without undergoing regular medical checks. The importance of these checks cannot be over emphasized. It is required by the body to convert sugar, starches and  other foods into energy.

Insulin resistance is understood to be a major contributor to the onset of diabetes. Resistance to insulin appears to have a major effect on heart disease. To be a natural health remedy for diabetes, a supplement must be shown to reduce blood sugar levels.

Article You Maybe Interested In Reading : Diabetes Treatment or Diabetes Research

Diabetes management and glucose control can be a tough, challenging and painful ordeal. If you are a diabetic that must take several insulin shots on a daily basis, you probably know how unpleasant and inconvenient this task can become. Over the past few years, a high tech device called an insulin pump has revolutionized the way diabetics get their insulin. Easier to use, convenient and more effective, many are now using insulin pumps and are keeping their blood glucose levels under control.

One of the key improvements on this is the insulin pump, which allows a diabetic to put a pre-measured dose of insulin in their system without messing around with syringes.

Insulin Pumps take away the hassles and pain of having to inject insulin several times a day. They are also much more accurate and effective in the delivery of insulin than regular shots. If you are having trouble controlling your blood glucose levels with shots, you should consider using a pump. Consult with your healthcare professional and find out if a pump is right for you.

A pump usually has a 2-3 day supply of rapid acting insulin in its reservoir; the reservoir connects to the body through a thin tube, which plugs into a cannula in your body, which acts like a lodged input port. Like the reservoir, the cannula has to be changed every two to three days to maintain sterility and avoid infections.

The insulin pump facilitates continuous insulin infusion by injecting a continuous (basal) dose of insulin round the clock and supplemental (bolus) doses just before meal time. The insulin pump comprises of a pump and an infusion set (a syringe, equipped with a microprocessor and a catheter placed subcutaneously in the layer of fat just under the skin in the abdominal area).

However, the insulin pump involves a lot of maintenance issues such as change of batteries, infusion sets, insulin vials, etc to prevent the onset of infection at the site of insertion. Daily monitoring of blood sugars levels and urine testing is compulsory in order to regulate the insulin dosage according to the reading obtained.

The insulin used in insulin pumps is fast acting insulin so it is believed to be a better alternative to most syringe administered insulin, that is slow acting, and is generally an approximation of the amount of insulin that will be needed by the body.

On the negative side, an insulin pump has to be worn all the time so it might be inconvenient for some people that play sport or swim. Strategies have to be developed as a work around for these situations. Insulin pumps are more expensive than the normal syringe method of insulin therapy. Changing from slow to fast acting insulin may cause diabetic ketoacidosis if the fast acting insulin is stopped for some reason, like the supply runs out for example or the cannula gets detached.

The leading pump manufacturers are Animas, Disetronic, Medtronic Minimed and Cozmo. Every manufacturer offer different features, it is recommended to do a little research before deciding which one to get, and determining which insulin pump offers the features that are right for you. Because insulin pumps are expensive devices, ranging from $4000 to $6000, make sure you find out if your insurance company will cover the costs of the pump and the supplies.

Article You Maybe Interested In Reading : Diabetes Insulin or Sugar Diabetes

Diabetes Insipidus is a disease that is linked to the pituitary gland in the brain. When the word diabetes is mentioned most people will assume that we are speaking of Diabetes Mellitus (Sugar Diabetes). Diabetes Insipidus though is not caused by a lack of insulin or the lack of insulin regulation. Diabetes Insipidus happens when the pituitary gland does not make enough of the hormone ADH.

It is often confused with diabetes mellitus because a symptom that both diseases have in common is frequent and excessive urination.

Diabetes insipidus is sometimes called water diabetes and is completely different to diabetes mellitus (sugar diabetes) which has just been discussed. Diabetes insipidus occurs when the pineal gland in the brain is not producing enough of the chemical ADH (anti-diuretic hormone). This chemical is produced by the pineal gland in the brain and is carried by the blood stream to the kidneys where it stimulates the kidneys to reabsorb water in the process of producing urine. Water is a precious commodity for the body and thus the water in the body is constantly being purified and recycled by the kidneys.

The ADH is produced by the pineal gland in the brain which acts like a control centre for regulating the amount of water in the body. The ADH is simply a messenger chemical which is produced by this control centre (the pineal gland) to tell the water-recycling factory (the kidneys) how much water should be recycled and reabsorbed. If the body has too much water (over hydrated) less ADH is sent to the kidneys which then produce more urine and thus the excess water is expelled. If the body needs to conserve water or is starting to dehydrate then more ADH is sent to the kidneys which then produce less urine and water is conserved.

The symptoms of diabetes insipidus are simply drinking more and peeing more. The affected dog will feel fine and act normally. The primary problem is that the kidneys are producing too much urine because the body wants to avoid becoming dehydrated and thus needs to replace the lost water, this will increase the patient’s thirst levels. Some dogs may even seem to become incontinent and start wetting indoors and even start wetting their beds.

There are many medicines available today which function to decrease the quantity of urine produced in the body. They include injections, inhalations, antidiuretic drugs and so on. Some patients will also need to stick to a certain diet, as advised by the physician.

Taking in enough water and fluids can easily control the simplest, most uncomplicated form of diabetes insipidus. But if this particular diabetes symptom is neglected, it can lead to several serious complications at a later time and may even turn fatal if left unattended to.

There are four types of DI. These are :

1. Neurogenic diabetes insipidus – also called central diabetes insipidus.This is caused when the anti-diuretic hormone or vasopressin produced by the hypothalamus and stored in the pituitary gland is not produced in sufficient quantity. Vasopressin causes the kidneys to preserve water but excrete the same amount of waste products.
2. Nephrogenic diabetes insipidus (NDI) also known as vasopressin resistance because the kidneys are unaffected by the secretion of vasopressin. NDI is believed to by genetically passed on or caused by kidney diseases or as a side-effect of using drugs like lithium for other illnesses.
3. Gestagenic and occurs during pregnancy.
4. Dipsogenic DI and is characterized by excessive fluid consumption. The excess fluids cause vasopressin to be supressed.

Diabetes insipidus testing involves a fluid deprivation test. As the name suggests the patient avoids drinking any fluids for a prescribed time period. The urine is then analyzed to determine it’s concentration and composition. Diabetes insipidus treatment involves having a good and plentiful source of fluid. In the case of neurogenic DI the drug desmopressin is taken to control the frequent thirst and urination.

Article You Maybe Interested In Reading : Insulin Diabetes or Diabetic Neuropathy

Diabetes UK is the largest organisation in the UK working for people with diabetes. They stand up for the interests of people with diabetes by campaigning for better standards of care and funding research to improve the treatment of diabetes and to find a cure. They also provide practical information and safety-net services to help people to manage their diabetes better.

This organization aims to improve the lives of people with diabetes and to work towards a future without diabetes. Their vision is: To set people free from the restrictions of diabetes; The highest quality care and information for all; An end to discrimination and ignorance; Universal understanding of diabetes and of Diabetes UK and; A world without diabetes.

Diabetes UK is a patient, healthcare professional and research charity dedicated to improving the lives of people with diabetes and to working towards a future without the chronic condition diabetes.

Diabetes UK is an organisation has since had two name changes – in 1954 to The British Diabetic Association and again in 2000 to Diabetes UK.  Founded in 1934 as The Diabetic Association.

It also has a website that includes information about diabetes for healthcare professionals and people living with diabetes. The membership of over 180.000 comprises people with diabetes, their carers and healthcare professionals.

Diabetes UK invites applications for this Fellowship from allied health professionals, nurses and midwives who would like to pursue a PhD in diabetes research.The Fellowship is for a period of up to three years, however it may be held on a part-time basis over a longer period.

The salary will be paid pro-rata and commensurate with the candidate’s salary at the time of appointment and fees for the PhD will be provided at a UK Higher Education rate.Applicants may apply for up to £14,000 per annum for justifiable research costs and up to £1,500 for relevant training over the period of the award.

In 1993, a counselling line for patients, family and friends was launched with recorded diabetes information available 24 hours a day.The charity also has an internal library and provides a science enquiry service. Diabetes UK funds UK based research into the causes and treatment of diabetes and its complications. The first research grant was made in 1936.

Article You Maybe Interested In Reading : Diabetes Research or Diabetes Management