What is stress?

Stress is something that everyone experiences from time to time. Work, school and family obligations are some of the most common sources of stress. It is completely normal to feel overwhelmed at times. However, the effects of stress can be detrimental, especially in those who have medical conditions such as diabetes. Studies have shown that chronic stress can lead to elevated blood sugar.

How does stress effect diabetes?

There are two ways that stress can raise a person’s glucose levels. People who are stressed are less likely to take care of themselves. They may eat foods that are very high in sugar or they may forget to take their medication. Studies have also shown that the hormones that are produced when a person’s is stressed can directly raise blood sugar. By adding another source of high blood pressure could have negative ramifications for a person with diabetes. Individuals with diabetes can monitor their blood sugar levels easily by using a talking glucose meter.

How can stress be managed?

Fortunately, there are several things that can be done to manage stress. Exercising can help manage stress and improve overall wellness. Endorphins, which are hormones that have been shown to have a calming effect on the body, are produced during exercise. Getting at least 30 minutes of physical activity a day will go a long way in helping with stress management. Please read our previous blog, How to Control Diabetes Through Exercise for more information.

One of the reasons that so many people feel stressed is because they keep their feelings bottled up inside. That is why it is important to take the time to talk to a family member or close friend. People who prefer not to talk to a friend or relative should consider talking to a counselor or minister.

It’s also make sure that you take a few minutes of your day to relax. Meditating and performing deep breathing exercises are just two of the many ways that one can relax. Additionally, it is very important to keep a positive attitude and accept the things that cannot be changed.

Stress can take a toll on anyone’s health, but the effects can be even greater for a person with diabetes. That is why it is important for people to exercise, talk to another trusted person, relax, stay positive, monitor your blood glucose level by using a blood glucose meter, talking and accept the things that cannot be changed when they are feeling stressed.

Tests Performed to diagnose pre-diabetes

• Fasting blood sugar test:  Your doctor will gather a blood sample after you fast for a minimum of eight hours or overnight. By conducting this test, a blood sugar level lower than 100 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dl) is considered normal. A blood sugar level anywhere from 100 – 125 mg/dl is considered pre-diabetic. If the blood glucose level is 126 mg/dl or higher can indicate diabetes.
• Oral glucose tolerance test; A blood sample will be taken after you fast  for a minimum of eight hours or overnight, similar to the fasting blood sugar test. You will be given a sugary solution to drink and your blood glucose levels will be measured again following a two hour wait. A blood sugar level of 140 mg/dl is determined normal. If the blood sugar level is anywhere from 140 to 199 mg/dl is considered pre-diabetes. If the blood sugar level is higher than 200 can indicate diabetes.

If your blood sugar level is normal, your doctor may recommend a screening test every three years.

What are the concerns of pre-diabetes?

The biggest concern with becoming pre-diabetic, is, of course, becoming diabetic. Pre-diabetes affects nearly 60 million people in America. Diabetes can cause serious damage to the nerves, blood vessels, kidney and eyes. Diabetics can suffer strokes and heart attacks and can slip into diabetic comas. Learn more about diabetes by reading The Importance of Getting Tested for Diabetes.

Those that have moved into the gray area must now look at themselves differently. Everything they do will determine whether or not they remain in the gray area, move back down to the normal range, or, sadly, pass into the diabetic zone.

People with pre-diabetes need to be concerned about what they eat, how often they exercise and how much weight they put on. (Read How to Control Diabetes Through Exercise)Their blood sugar levels must be monitored, where as before they could just ignore them. A reckless or unconcerned person must now become aware and vigilant. For monitoring your blood sugar levels, the audible talking glucose meter works well helping people with diabetes maintain a healthy, active lifestyle.

How can pre-diabetes be prevented or reversed?

Being diagnosed with pre-diabetes, luckily, is not the same thing as being diagnosed with diabetes. Those that have been officially diagnosed as “pre” can now take a stand to prevent themselves from falling victim to a disease that touches the lives of almost 300 million people around the world.

People with pre-diabetes are recipients of one of the biggest “wake up” calls a person can have. It is now time to make serious life changes.

The first thing that should be addressed is nutrition. Food directly influences blood sugar levels in the body. By eating healthy, life-sustaining foods, you can prevent being diagnosed with full blown diabetes.

Fitness should also be incorporated. By working out a little bit every day, 15-30 minutes, pre-diabetics can control their blood glucose levels. (How to Control Diabetes Through Exercise)

The biggest challenge with combating pre-diabetes is convincing would-be sufferers that they need to address an issue they don’t yet have. By being proactive, you can stop or avoid a disease that costs over $100 billion a year to treat.

After all, large changes are made by small adjustments.

Gum Disease

Gum disease occurs when the bacteria in the mouth become drastically overgrown as a result of the high sugar levels in saliva. Men and women with diabetes often have a much higher level of sugar in the saliva due to the ups and downs in blood glucose levels. This results in more bacteria production and ultimately inflammation of the gums leading to gum disease. Gum disease symptoms are the first sign that something is wrong. This helps provide dentists with the appropriate measures to eliminate gum disease.

Symptoms of Gum Disease

The following symptoms are usually the first sign of gum disease.

• Bleeding gums is one of the first signs. While brushing or flossing, blood is not normal.
• Swollen or tender gums.
• Gums that are starting to pull away from the teeth. One way to tell if the gums are pulling away is that the teeth seem longer or the roots of the teeth begin to show.
• Pus between the teeth and gums or pus of any kind in the mouth. The gums should never have any pus.

Preventing Gum Disease

People with diabetes need to take measures to prevent gum disease. Preventing the disease is much easier than battling gum disease after it has taken root as a result of uncontrolled diabetes and improper hygiene methods.

The first way to prevent gum disease is brushing at least twice a day with a soft bristle brush. A soft bristle brush will not cause bleeding with normal brushing, though a hard bristle brush might in some cases.

• Flossing at least once a day helps prevent plaque build up and is thus important to the process.
• Controlling blood sugar levels will help by limiting the amount of sugar in the saliva and thus lowering bacterial build up in the mouth. Monitor your levels by using a talking glucose meter.
• Checking with a dentist twice a year is also helpful. For those who are showing signs of developing gum disease, a dentist might suggest more regular checkups to catch any problems early.
• Diabetes can cause oral health problems. Fortunately, with proper care is it possible to control or even eliminate the risk of developing gum disease.

There are many resources that will help you manage your diabetes so that you can live a healthy and independent lifestyle. There are talking blood meters that narrate the entire testing process. They provide clear, easy-to-follow instructions to walk through the meter setup, the testing process and the readout.

Any parent knows that it can be particularly hard to enforce healthy food choices in children. Nevertheless, healthy snacks are important for children with either type of diabetes to fuel their bodies and to help stabilize their blood sugar levels. There are many healthy options available that, with a little creativity, are not only fun for children to eat, but also keep their diabetes under control. Snacks should be offered from a variety of food groups, including fruits, vegetables, and dairy, and offered at a time that will not interfere with the next meal. You can find some useful websites offering healthy diabetic recipes for the whole family by reading our previous blog “Finding Good Diabetic Recipes.”

Fruits and vegetables need not be boring! Although many fruits should be consumed in moderation, both fruits and vegetables are high in vitamins and minerals and are an essential part of any child’s diet. Low-fat, sugar free dips can add excitement to many fruits and vegetables for even the pickiest eaters. Strawberries, blueberries, and blackberries make an excellent snack; these can also be added to low-fat plain yogurt for extra flavor. Parents can also add peanut butter for extra protein. For example, half an apple dipped in peanut butter is an excellent choice for diabetic children. Celery sticks can also be covered with peanut butter, and for a fun modification, parents can add raisins to create “ants on a log.” Vegetables such as carrots, celery, broccoli, and cauliflower are great with ranch dip and are perfect for packing in portable containers for school lunches.

Dairy products add protein and calcium to a child’s diet. Parents can choose snack options such as low fat, sugar free ice cream and yogurt that are a sure bet for any child. Additionally, cheese is an excellent choice, particularly string cheese, which is also portable and great for school lunches. Sugar free instant pudding is a great sweet treat that can be served with sugar free toppings or frozen with graham crackers.

Clearly, snacking can be fun, delicious and healthful for diabetic children.

Biosense Medical Devices, the makers of the Solo V2 – the world’s first fully audible talking blood glucose meter to speak English, Spanish, and Mandarin, is dedicated to helping people with diabetes maintain a healthy, active lifestyle.

When it comes to trying to manage your diet, being able to properly read and interpret nutritional labels on food packaging becomes important. Almost all food packages have a rectangular label called “Nutrition Facts.” It is here that manufacturers break down the nutritional value of their food as well as the ingredients used to make the product. Will a little help from learning how to read food labels and the use of the talking glucose meter, you will be able to manage your diabetes more precisely.

The first thing to identify on the Nutrition Facts label is the serving size. The amounts of each food component listed on the label will correspond to the serving size. If the serving size for a package of bread is one slice then all of the nutritional information listed will be based on one slice. If you were to eat two slices then you would need to double the amounts of nutritional components listed to know how much you are truly consuming.

When people hear the term “diabetes” they immediately think about sugar intake. While it is important to monitor and control sugar intake, sugar alone is not the only food diabetics should be cautious of. Carbohydrates that we consume are converted into glucose in our blood. This means foods rich in sugar or starch, like potato or pasta, may cause glucose levels to increase. Diabetics, therefore, have to closely monitor their carbohydrate intake. On the nutritional label, aim for foods with lower amounts of carbohydrates and sugar in a single serving. To help monitor your carbohydrate and glucose consumption, we have provided you with the Solo Diabetes Management Software, allowing to you to take control of your diabetes.

The nutritional facts on a package’s label are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Some doctors may recommend a smaller caloric diet for diabetics based on their age, weight and physical activity levels. So it becomes important to consult a doctor or dietitian about how to properly interpret a nutritional label for different caloric diets. These professionals can also recommend which ingredients should be avoided like sorbitol, mannitol or xylitol which may affect the carbohydrate or calorie levels.

Once you know how to read food labels, you are better prepared to make healthier decisions about what you eat. When you’re consciously choosing food more carefully, then you will be in more control of your diabetes.  The talking glucose meter can help provide quick and accurate results in controlling your diabetes.

The American Diabetes Association includes more additional information on food labels; Taking a Closer Look at Labels.

The American Diabetes Association is asking individuals to to take the pledge to Stop Diabetes. Starting November 1, you can take action by taking the pledge on their Facebook page or below are other ways that get involved.

1. Attend an American Diabetes Month event in your area
2. Visit www.stopdiabetes.com
3. Call 1-800-DIABETES
4. Text JOIN to 69866 (standard data and message rates apply)

At Biosense, we encourage you to take action and help stop diabetes. Diabetes often goes undiagnosed because many of its symptoms seem so harmless. Recent studies indicate that the early detection of diabetes symptoms and treatment can decrease the chance of developing  complications.

Overeating or indulging in foods that can raise blood glucose levels can lead to severe health problems. Planning your meals ahead and choosing diabetic friendly foods will help you maintain a balanced diet of protein, fat, and carbohydrates during the holiday season.  While some holiday foods are essential, others can be easily replaced with using sugar substitutes,  fruits, nuts, and vegetables. Whether you are having your own party or being a guest, you can enjoy your favorite foods in small portions.

Starting the day with exercise is a great way to prevent subversive overeating and manage food intake. Exercise suppresses your appetite and helps you resist the high-calorie food you will be surrounded by during the holiday season. (Read our Blog “How to Control Diabetes Through Exercise”)

Recreate traditional recipes by substituting certain ingredients with healthier alternatives. Eat apple pie instead of cake or other desserts packed with processed sugar and saturated fat. Opt for turkey meat, whole grains, nuts, and foods rich in fiber. Follow the diabetic guidelines regarding food and you will have a great time during the holidays. Eating one big meal instead of several small meals can lead to uncontrolled glucose levels.

If you are having your own holiday party, plan in advance what you are going to eat. If you are invited to a party, ask what foods will be available. Offer to bring a dish low in calories for those who are on a diet and wanting to manage their blood sugar levels. Before going  to the party, eat something at home, this will help craving other foods while attending gathering. Try to drink more water or diet soda cut back your alcohol intake. When choosing what to eat, attempt to keep fat to a minimum and make sure your meals are balanced and nutritious. Choose lean meat like chicken, turkey, and fish. Last but not least, focus on the fun, not the feast.

Staying in control and planning your meals may be difficult during the holidays, but there are plenty of healthy options to help maintain your blood glucose levels. Don’t sacrifice good nutrition and focus on spending time with your loved ones. Stick with small portions (Read our Blog “Managing Diabetes – Portion Control”) of simple foods rich in fiber and complex carbohydrates.

Nature and Prognosis of Diabetes

Diabetes is a disease which impairs the body’s use and control of blood sugar, which is the basic source of energy for all cells within the body. The key hormone utilized by the body to process blood sugar is insulin. Diabetics suffer either from a deficiency in insulin production or from inefficient utilization of insulin in processing blood sugar. The resultant high blood sugar levels can lead to a host of health problems, ranging from heart disease, stroke, poor circulation, kidney, and vision problems.

Links Between Diabetes and Cancer

There have been a number of studies suggesting a link between diabetes and cancer. This may be in part to the decreased immunity levels suffered by diabetics, which can promote the development and progress of some forms of cancer. Moreover, high blood sugar levels in diabetics may provide the fuel for uncontrolled growth of cancer cells.

A study published in 1999 by the National Cancer Institute showed that diabetics suffered from an increased risk of colorectal cancer. This could partially be due to the fact that both diseases have similar risk factors, including obesity, poor diets and lack of exercise. Nevertheless, after correcting for these and other indicators, diabetes itself was found to be a risk factor for colon cancer.

Another study that same year found that men with diabetes likewise showed an increased risk for prostrate cancer. Diabetes has also been associated with pancreatic cancer, which may not be surprising, since it is the pancreas that produces insulin. Multiple studies have shown that diabetes led to an increased risk of this deadly form of cancer.

An intriguing recent finding is that cancer can even be a risk factor for diabetes. The Archives of Internal Medicine published a study in 2009, which reported that survivors of childhood cancer were nearly twice as likely to develop type 2 diabetes by adulthood. One theory explaining this link is that the radiation therapy used to treat cancer damaged the pancreas or other organs in some subtle way.

Chemotherapy used in cancer treatment may similarly lead to an increased risk of diabetes. A recent study associated the breast cancer drug tamoxifen with a higher incidence of diabetes, possibly due to its role in inhibiting estrogen, which may play a role in blood sugar regulation.

Mesothelioma patients may also be at increased risk of diabetes due to their treatment. One of the key drugs to increase mesothelioma life expectancy is cisplatin, which has been linked to the onset of diabetes.

Preventive Measures

Diabetes and cancer patients are strongly advised to watch their diets carefully. They should limit their consumption of sugar and simple carbohydrates and instead consume a diet rich in vegetables and lean proteins to effectively regulate their blood sugar levels. Moreover, since obesity and a sedentary lifestyle are risk factors common to both diabetes and certain cancers, it is also recommended that patients with either disease engage in light to moderate physical activity.

By: Jackie Clark

It was also noted that the medical examiners found no medical records that showed Brown was ever diagnosed for diabetes. It’s not clear on how long Brown has had diabetes, but the records showed high levels of glucose in his body.

There are 23.6 million children and adults in the United States, or 7.8% of the population, who have diabetes. While an estimated 17.9 million have been diagnosed with diabetes, unfortunately, 5.7 million people (or nearly one quarter) are unaware that they have the disease.

Early stages of diabetes seldom show signs of having any symptoms. By not knowing, it could have already caused significant damage to your eyesight, kidneys and your cardiovascular system. Common symptoms are listed below.

Symptoms of Diabetes

• Frequent urination
• Excessive thirst
• Extreme hunger
• Unusual weight loss
• Increased fatigue
• Irritability
• Blurry vision

The cause of diabetes continues to be a mystery, although both genetics and environmental factors such as obesity and lack of exercise appear to play roles. If you have one or more of these diabetes symptoms, see your doctor right away. You can also take the Diabetes Risk Test through the American Diabetes Association’s website.

Diabetes Testing

In order to determine whether or not a patient has pre-diabetes or diabetes, health care providers conduct a Fasting Plasma Glucose Test (FPG) or an Oral Glucose Tolerance Test (OGTT). Either test can be used to diagnose pre-diabetes or diabetes. The American Diabetes Association recommends the FPG because it is easier, faster, and less expensive to perform. There are four major types of diabetes, take time and learn more about each specific type.

Once Being Diagnosed

Once being diagnosed, diabetes can be treated by individuals managing what they eat, portion control and through exercise. Exercise helps individuals with diabetes by increasing sensitivity to insulin which regulates blood sugar levels. Read more on the benefits of exercise from our previous blog “How to Control Diabetes Through Exercise.”  Before beginning an exercise program, a physician should be consulted.

There are 23.6 million children and adults in the United States, or 7.8% of the population, who have diabetes. While an estimated 17.9 million have been diagnosed with diabetes, unfortunately, 5.7 million people (or nearly one quarter) are unaware that they have the disease.

Diabetes is an insidious disease, largely because in its early stages it doesn’t have symptoms, or its symptoms are vague. By the time the symptoms of diabetes have become pronounced, much damage could already have been done to the body.

Classic Symptoms

Still, the classic symptoms of diabetes are increased thirst, increased hunger and increased urination. Other symptoms are weight loss, and increased infections, including yeast infections. Since most people don’t take these symptoms seriously, millions of people have diabetes and don’t know it.

There are two main types of diabetes. Type I Diabetes is insulin dependent. Though no one can pinpoint what causes it, it’s thought that the immune system attacks the pancreas, which produces insulin. Type 2 Diabetes is the most common type of diabetes. This happens when insulin levels are high but the body is no longer sensitive to them, and insulin can’t work to get blood sugar into the cells.

Symptoms of Diabetes Complications

Ketoacidosis is a condition that happens when the lack of insulin allows ketoacids to build up. Ketoacidosis is a medical emergency that can lead to coma after days of frequent urination, intense thirst, exhaustion, nausea and vomiting.

There’s also a syndrome called non-ketogenic hyperosmolar syndrome. It’s caused by dehydration caused by some drugs diabetics are prescribed. The symptoms here can also be subtle, including weakness, increased thirst and urination. Worsening symptoms include weight loss, dry skin and mucus membranes, tachycardia and low blood pressure.

Diabetics also have a much higher chance of dying of atherosclerosis than non-diabetics. Atherosclerosis is caused by bits of fat that collect in the artery walls and damage them. Like diabetes, the symptoms of atherosclerosis are sometimes silent until the disease is advanced. Then the symptoms are muscle cramps in the legs, angina or heart attack, or stroke or mini-stroke.

Diabetic neuropathy is also a complication and its symptoms are numbness, tingling sensations, loss of function, pain, and weakness in the muscles. Sometimes the neuropathy can affect vital organs like the heart and digestive tract. Diabetic neuropathy can also lead to ulcers in the legs and feet.

Diabetic retinopathy can result in blindness. The symptoms can be flashes of light, floaters and blurred vision. Loss of vision can be so subtle that the patient might not realize they’re losing their sight till it’s too late.

The kidneys are also adversely affected by diabetes. Diabetic nephropathy is a leading cause of death in people whose diabetes isn’t controlled. Symptoms can be itching skin, anemia, pain in the lower back, or blood or protein in the urine.

The cause of diabetes continues to be a mystery, although both genetics and environmental factors such as obesity and lack of exercise appear to play roles. If you have one or more of these diabetes symptoms, see your doctor right away. You can also take the Diabetes Risk Test through the American Diabetes Association’s website.