Facts On Type 1 Diabetes

Information on type 1 Diabetes isn’t hard to come by nowadays with an entire world of information available on the internet with just a few strokes of the keyboard and clicks of the mouse. Not only is information on type 1 diabetes easier to obtain than ever before, but it also could not have come at a better time as the incidence of both type 1 and type 2 diabetes are certainly on the rise.

Diabetes affects almost 30 million people in the United States alone. Type 2 diabetes accounts for approximately 90% to 95% of the diagnosed cases of diabetes and type 1 diabetes accounts for approximately 5% of the diagnosed cases.

Over the last 20 years or so, the number of diagnosed cases of diabetes in adults has actually doubled as the population in America ages and unfortunately becomes more and more overweight.

So What Causes Type 1 Diabetes?

First of all, diabetes type 1 is not a lifestyle disease. The cause of Type 1 diabetes is unknown and so as a result, it’s not considered preventable.

Some researchers believe that type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease and is characterized by the pancreas not producing insulin, producing it in insufficient quantities, or the cells of the body not responding to the insulin that is produced – the pancreas by the body’s own immune system.

Facts on type 1 diabetesType 1 diabetes usually manifests itself during childhood or early adulthood, and if not properly cared for, can be quite devastating. Since the body either does not produce or does not respond to insulin, the glucose that is taken in as food can rapidly build in the bloodstream to dangerous levels.

Even though glucose is required by every cell in the body as fuel at higher levels it begins to damage organs and tissues and can cause a variety of negative health effects including coma and even death.

Because of this, the key to the proper management of diabetes is glucose control. Glucose levels are controlled either by dietary means or through the use of medications, or both.

It is therefore a real blessing that organizations like the American Diabetic Association exist, where a person can get actual and factual information on type 1 diabetes and also on type 2 diabetes.

If you think you or someone you know may have signs or symptoms of type 1 diabetes the best place to start is at your personal physician.

How are you diagnosed with diabetes type 1?

  1.  The main screening test for type 1 diabetes is a random blood sugar test. This test measures glucose levels at any point during the day and can indicate the result quite quickly – especially important for those who are diagnosed with type 1 diabetes and need urgent supplementary insulin.

2.  The AC1 test gives a reading of the patient’s average blood glucose levels over a period of 2 or 3 months.

3.  Fasting Blood sugar test. This is when a sample of blood is taken and tested after your child has been fasting overnight.

4.  You may have your blood tested for autoantibodies which are substances that indicate your body may be attacking itself. Another indication of diabetes type 1 is the production of ketones which are produced when your body burns fat for energy. Your doctor may recommend this test also if he suspects diabetes type 1.

Your personal physician can do these tests for the disease quickly and easily.

information on type 1 diabetesHow long can you live with diabetes type 1?

Research has shown that people with type 1 diabetes have a life expectancy of around 11 years less than average, most people who have type 1 diabetes will eventually die from the complications of the disease such as heart disease.

If you can look after your body, follow a healthy lifestyle that helps prevent heart disease, and keep control of your blood sugar levels,  these figures above may certainly change.

Is diabetes type 1 a genetic disease? (Can it be inherited)

Yes, there are strong genetic links with diabetes type 1. The risk is certainly higher with one’s first-degree relatives ie parents, child, or sibling.

Best food for diabetes type 1What is the best food for type 1 diabetes?

If you have diabetes type 1, you should eat a lot of fresh vegetables, fruits, lentils, beans, brown rice, quinoa, oatmeal, and whole wheat. You should also include protein-packed foods such as legumes, eggs, dairy, tofu, seafood, lean meat, and chicken in your healthy meal plan.

Food for diabetes

Tips for when you eat out, with diabetes type 1

Always ask for sauces to be served on the side – so then you have a choice as to whether you add it, how much to add, or leave it off altogether.

  • Opt for broiled, baked grilled, or roasted dishes and avoid fried dishes altogether.
  • Go for the ‘broth-based soups’ as opposed to rich creamy soups.
  • Try and avoid too much cheese – If you can go without it, even better.
  • Go for fruit sorbets or fresh fruits for dessert.
  • Have vegetable or tomato toppings on your pasta.

Read more about Juvenile Diabetes Here!

Diabetic Complications

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The Ascensia Elite Glucose Meter

The Ascenisa Elite Glucose Meter is a new glucometer on the market that features a small and compact design. The lancets and test strips are stored in the same little pouch that can be easily stowed in a purse or pocket for easy travelling.

The Ascenisa Elite Glucometer is a miniature compared to the glucose meters that were considered the best on the market just a few years ago. Technological advancements have made this glucometer so small yet very powerful and fast.

Ascensia elite Glucose MeterOne of the main advantages of the Ascenisa glucose meter that have made it so popular is that it takes a very small amount of blood to provide accurate glucose level readings in just a few seconds. Less blood means that the lancets used are thinner and users experience minimal discomfort. Moreover, the Ascenisa Elite Meter is very fast.

A few years ago, the best glucose meters on the market used to take at least a minute to read the blood glucose. However, now it’s possible to have accurate glucose readings in a matter of seconds, in fact experienced users can accomplish the entire process in less than a minute, including cleaning the fingertip, checking blood glucose, and putting on a band-aid.

In days past, diabetics on the go had to carry a booklet to record glucose readings. However, modern glucose monitors feature built-in memories for storing up to 100 readings, making it easy for diabetics to track and observe trends of their glucose levels wherever they go.

Therefore, newly diagnosed diabetics who are about to buy their first glucose meters or diabetics who are thinking of getting a new glucose meter, this new breed of quick, tiny and almost painless devices like the Ascenisa Elite Glucometer can make the process of tracking their glucose less of a hassle.

Key features of the new Ascenisa Elite Glucose meter

  • Professionally recommended
  • Offers confidence and security
  • Proven reliability and accuracy
  • One button memory for easy PC download

Bloodless glucose meter Pros

  • The one button access allows users to access up to 100 tests
  • No button testing
  • No cleaning or wiping
  • Requires a very small blood sample of only 2 micro liters
  • Cleared for multiple site testing
  • Serum Plasma Referenced
  • Touchable Ascenisa Elite blood glucose test strips
  • Features automatic strip filling action
  • Less pain

Bloodless glucose monitor appCons

  • This glucometer cannot hold a large number of test results (holds up to 100 tests)

What is included in the test kit?

  • XL blood glucose meter
  • Check strip
  • 5 test strips
  • Normal control
  • Automatic lancing device
  • 5 lancets
  • Record diary
  • User manual
  • Carrying guide

Statistics for Ascensia Elite Glucose Meter

  • Requires a very small sample compared to other glucometers on the market
  • Lower overall costs for blood glucose level testing because the testing strips are significantly less expensive than other brands
  • Holds up to 100 tests
  • Testing strips are designed to draw blood directly into the strip creating anxiety relief and a sense of convenience to patients
  • Unit is automatically activated once the test strip is correctly inserted
  • Compatible with Glucofacts PC software
  • Provides a 30 and 14-day average for easy comparison

The Ascenisa Elite Glucose Meter has gained immense popularity largely because it is designed as ‘no-frilled’. Users don’t have to sort through any menu options or endure complicated procedures prior to testing.

The unit turns on automatically once you insert the testing strip. After administering the lance, you simply allow the Ascensia testing strip to extract the amount of blood needed for testing.

The low cost of Ascensia elite testing supplies makes it a very popular model. Moreover, this glucometer is approved for testing on multiple sites, making it appealing to many users, including people who have sensitive hands.

Bottom line

Although there are other glucometers that feature additional features that can be helpful to users, the Ascenisa Elite Glucose Meter has been proven to be remarkably reliable and accurate in testing. Moreover, the low cost of operation makes this unit worth considering especially if money is a major consideration.

For people who have children who are diabetic, this unit may be a solid option mainly because it’s easy to operate and less expensive to replace.

Moreover, the Ascenisa Elite Glucose Meter allows for multiple site testing so the fingers or hands will not always be a primary requirement for accurate testing. The sip-in sample testing makes this unit virtually error-proof for taking accurate blood tests.

Read about diabetic watches HERE!

Low level laser irradiation diabetes

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Does Your Cat Have Feline Diabetic Neuropathy?

Feline diabetic neuropathy is the loss of nerves particularly in the legs due to hypoglycemia. This is from damage caused by high levels of glucose in the blood that damages nerves over time. The symptoms include weakness, pain, tingling, and paralysis.

These can be seen in a cats hind legs becoming weak or the cat not moving as much as before. The nerves in the legs become more and more damaged and this leads to numbness, tingliness, pain and weakness, even paralysis.

Often this is ignored by the owner as a symptom of an aging cat. The loss of the feeling (or the pain) in the legs will make the cat limp along, often not able to stand on his toes, so walks on his hocks (heels) taking frequent rests.  Jumping will be quite difficult and in time, impossible.

Feline Diabetic Neuropathy can be Reversed

Diabetic neuropathy in dogs is less common but does happen and is seen by the dog’s legs becoming weaker or becoming unusable. But the good news is, it can be reversed with the right treatment in the early stages of its attacks on the nerves. With the proper diet and exercise with methyl-b12 a cats diabetic symptoms can be reversed.

diabetes in catsThis condition destroys the nerves by blocking the capillaries that carry the nutrients to the nerve cells starving them to death.  The supplement methyl b-12 works by rebuilding the nerve cells in the nerves, restoring the signal between your cat’s brain and the weakened muscles.

Feline diabetes neuopathy

It is a very safe vitamin to give your cat,  it’s water soluble, which means your cat will pee out what they don’t need and it has no side effects.  Studies have shown that other B-12 vitamins don’t work as effectively.

Though feline diabetic neuropathy is reversible it must be caught in the early stages of its damage. The time usually that it takes is 6-12 months to fully reverse any damage done to the cells. If your cat begins to limp and never gets better, a trip to the vet is needed to protect your cat and improve its comfort and quality of life, giving you many more playful years with your favorite animal. Plenty of exercise and a healthy eating plan is best for you animals as well, to manage feline diabetes.

Liffeline diabetic neuropathye Expectancy of Cats with Diabetes

Every cat is different – but very often, your pet can have a happy and healthy life as there are treatment options for Diabetic cats. We have heard of lots of diabetic cats reaching the age of 18 years or more and are still happy and healthy!

Feline diabetic neuopathy

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The Dangers of Extremely High Blood Sugar Levels

There are many dangers of having an extremely high blood sugar level. When the insulin levels are low the glucose skyrockets, which can permanently damage the body. The damage that the body can sustain includes heart damage and the increased chance of getting:

extremely high blood sugarwhich can be life threatening in the end. Extremely high blood sugar symptoms include tiredness, dehydration, a very dry mouth, vomiting and nausea, excessive urination, stomach pain and other side effects.  Hypoglycemia, or extremely low blood sugar, is also very dangerous and can lead to fainting, dizziness, confusion, hunger, feeling sweaty or clammy, increased heartbeat and other serious life threatening problems that can be dealt with by adding some simple sugar to the system.

If your blood glucose levels remain too low, or too high, for a long period of time, this can cause what is called a diabetic coma.

So what happens when a person goes into a Diabetic Coma?

It is a life-threatening complication of diabetes that causes unconsciousness – if you don’t seek medical help immediately, this can be fatal. All people with diabetes are at risk of diabetic coma. The very first this you would do if faced with this situation is to call 911. This is an emergency situation.

Treatment for a diabetic coma

Hyperglycemic diabetic coma:  Which is if you have extremely high blood sugar levels, the medical professional will administer insulin and rehydrate the patient.

Hypoglycemic diabetic coma:  The patient would be injected with glucagon and give glucose.

How to Care for Extremely High Blood Sugar.

extremely high blood sugar

Monitoring your blood glucose levels constantly: helps diabetics to avoid the complications that can arise. This is done with a blood glucose meter. There are many different kinds of meters to choose from. Many of the meters available today are quite small and easy to use.

Most of the meters available have fast test times, only really require a tiny blood sample and you are able to download the results to keep good records of your levels.

Here’s some of the popular, portable and preferred pocket-sized meters you may want to look into:

  • Lifescan One Touch Ultraeasy
  • Abbott Diabetes Care Freestyle
  • Accu-Chek Mobile
  • Accu-Chek Aviva Nano
  • Truone by Home Diagnostics
  • Bayer’s contour Next USB

 Diets can easily help with your extremely high blood sugar.

The correct diet for diabetes, will certainly help to lower your high blood glucose levels and maintain them. The foods you choose to eat can be so important to your overall health and wellbeing. What you eat can make an enormous difference to your blood sugar levels,  to your cholesterol and also your blood pressure levels.

These days we are advised by our diabetes health care professionals to focus more on creating healthy eating patterns, lower in saturated fats and higher in fiber, and our overall weight control.

extremely high blood sugarHigh Fiber Foods:

High fiber foods are beneficial as they have a low glycemic index. They regulate blood sugar metabolism and improve the health of the digestive system. A fiber-rich diet is generally lower in fat and sugar and makes you feel “fuller” for longer! You can find soluble fibers in oat bran, barley, fruits, vegetables, legumes, seed husks and flaxseed.

diabetic comaPlant Foods:

All fresh, whole, unprocessed plant foods are beneficial. Below are a few of these listed, that have been shown to improve blood sugar management.

  • Green tea
  • coffee
  • cocoa
  • black rice
  • Pumpkin, beans, eggplant
  • Blueberries, black currants, raspberries and strawberries

hyperglycemia treatmentProtein Foods:

Animal proteins that contain very little carbohydrates will reduce the glycemic index of foods they are eaten with and help to stabilize your blood sugar levels. Lamb is a great option. Free range preferably organic chicken is a good source of protein – but the best you could  probably get would be fish! Make sure it’s wild fish though, as fish farming is becoming an increasing problem with all the chemicals and the antibiotics used in the farming processes.

Exercise is Vital for Extremely High Blood sugar

I’m sure we could probably all gain from a few lifestyle changes – one of the main one being exercise! Some of these changes can certainly be challenging, but if you have diabetes, you really do need to make them a priority in your life. It’s no secret that losing those extra kilos and keeping them off, will definitely help to control your blood sugar levels. Apart form losing  weight, regular exercise also increases insulin  sensitivity. It’s recommended that a diabetic perform at least two and a half hours of medium to vigorous intensity exercise in a week. some examples would be fast walking, swimming, jogging, water aerobics.

 So talk to your doctor about lowering your dangerously high blood sugar levels!.

what to do when blood sugar is high

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1200 calorie diabetic plan

1200 Calorie Diabetic PlanWhat is a good 1200 calorie diabetic plan? For diabetics a good diet means everything to them. If they eat wrong types of food their blood sugar explodes. If they eat too little food they can suffer hypoglycemia. So the right diabetic diet is everything.

Diabetes is a condition where the body produces too little of a chemical called insulin. (The pancreas organ is responsible) They chemical called insulin is responsible for changing the blood sugar in your blood into fuel that the body can use.

When too little of the insulin is in the blood the blood glucose levels begin to rise. Once they reach a certain high level they begin to cause severe damage to some of the body’s main components. The common damage that is done includes heart damage, nerve damage, kidney damage, and eye damage. This makes doing a 1200 calorie diabetic plan a must.

When the diabetics body has to little of the insulin it needs to consume foods that are low in sugar. First talk to your doctor and see what the kind of calorie diabetic plan he gives you. He may be able to give you a very good diabetic diet plan. Then talk to others who diabetics and see what their suggestions they can make. The main diabetic diet of a diabetic should consist of low sugar foods.

This means no large amounts of fruit or candy and the like. Also it should consist of high dietary fiber foods. Also when you talk to your doctor ask about some exercise. Exercise is needed when it comes to helping maintain a proper blood sugar. But only do as your doctor says it may become very dangerous if you over do it. So see about a 1200 calorie diabetic plan and what will fit your lifestyle and make controlling your diabetes better.

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