What Causes Diabetes?
Causes of diabetes
The New York Times article dated October 16, 2007 gives a lengthy and provocative look at potential causes of diabetes looking more closely at the signals our body cells send and receive. Intriguing is the possible involvement of bone hormones in the handling of glucose by the body, especially important in type 2 diabetes. Wow, first we learned about the pancreas, then the liver and muscle and until recently fat tissue directing body function and glucose management. Now bone. The closer we think we are getting to a cure the more complicated the picture gets. Rightly so.
Facts About Diabetes
Diabetes Mellitus is a disease that requires continual monitoring and management. Every person with Type 1 Diabetes, Type 2 Diabetes, and Gestational Diabetes must understand the importance of sugar, lifestyle changes, medication, and exercise in his or her life. Diabetics must use their knowledge of the disease to make daily efforts to manage their Diabetes. For some, constantly having to monitor and treat their condition is taxing. For others, caring for their condition becomes a standard way of life.
Standards of Care
Diabetes Mellitus is a disease that requires continual monitoring and management.
Every person with Type 1 Diabetes, Type 2 Diabetes, and Gestational
Diabetes must understand the importance of sugar, lifestyle changes,
medication, and exercise in his or her life. Diabetics must use their
knowledge of the disease to make daily efforts to manage their
Diabetes. For some, constantly having to monitor and treat their
condition is taxing. For others, caring for their condition becomes a
standard way of life.
- Education
-
The Diabetes standard of care first involves education and action.
In order to treat the disease, it is important to understand how
everyday actions can impact the body, such as eating, exercising, and
doing simple chores. Click here
for more information about how Diabetes affects the body. As you will
see, the basic difference between a Diabetic and a person without the
disease is that Diabetics must closely monitor the sugar levels in
their bodies in order to ensure that they stay normal. Diabetics are at
risk of having a dangerously high or low blood sugar level based simply on the foods that they eat and the steps they take to control blood sugar.
- Nutrition
-
Diabetics need to maintain healthy nutrition by:
- Limiting their sugar in-take
- Avoiding saturated fats (most animal fats except fish)
- Eating high fiber foods
- Eating more mono and poly unstaturated fats (from fish and plants)
This calls for monitoring the foods that diabetics eat. Diabetics
will speak with their doctor or a nutritionist to get on a diet plan
that works for them. Therefore, education plays a huge role in Diabetic
staying healthy by making good food choices.
- Physical Activity
- Exercise is one of the best ways to keep a Diabetics blood sugar levels low. Exercise can also help to prevent obesity. Exercising just 30 minutes a day can help to prevent many of the common complications associated with Diabetes.
- Medication
-
A final standard of care for the majority of Diabetics involves the regular use of medication . Different medications are used to treat different types of Diabetes. For example, insulin is used to treat Type 1 Diabetes while oral medications
are generally used to treat Type 2 Diabetes. Depending on the severity
and type of Diabetes that you have, your doctor will prescribe a
specific type of insulin or oral medication.
If you or someone you know has recently been diagnosed with Diabetes,
keep in mind that education is the first step in helping to avoid
complications and other side effects of the disease. Yet, education
alone is not effective without taking action in order to regain
control. If you have a loved one with Diabetes, You may also want to visit our chat rooms or browse through our frequently asked questions for more information about how others address their own Diabetes concerns.
