Keep Your Feet Dry To Reduce The Risk Of Infection
Make sure that drying your feet is part of your hygiene routine. The space between the toes is very airtight, says Tillett. Skin gets moist and breaks down, leading to infection. Prevent this by toweling off thoroughly after washing your feet and by removing wet or sweaty socks or shoes immediately. As mentioned previously, you can still use moisturizer to prevent dry, cracked skin just avoid putting it between your toes.
Can Symptoms Appear Suddenly
In people with type 1 diabetes, the onset of symptoms can be very sudden, while in type 2 diabetes, they tend to come about more gradually, and sometimes there are no signs at all.
Symptoms sometimes occur after a viral illness. In some cases, a person may reach the point of diabetic ketoacidosis before a type 1 diagnosis is made. DKA occurs when blood glucose is dangerously high and the body can’t get nutrients into the cells because of the absence of insulin. The body then breaks down muscle and fat for energy, causing an accumulation of ketones in the blood and urine. Symptoms of DKA include a fruity odor on the breath, heavy, taxed breathing and vomiting. If left untreated, DKA can result in stupor, unconsciousness, and even death.
People who have symptomsof type 1 or of DKAshould contact their health care provider immediately for an accurate diagnosis. Keep in mind that these symptoms could signal other problems, too.
Some people with type 1 have a “honeymoon” period, a brief remission of symptoms while the pancreas is still secreting some insulin. The honeymoon phase usually occurs after someone has started taking insulin. A honeymoon can last as little as a week or even up to a year. But its important to know that the absence of symptoms doesn’t mean the diabetes is gone. The pancreas will eventually be unable to secrete insulin, and, if untreated, the symptoms will return.
What Causes These Symptoms
These symptoms occur because some or all of the glucose stays in the blood, and isnt being used as fuel for energy. The body tries to reduce blood glucose levels by flushing the excess glucose out of the body in the urine, making you more thirsty. High levels of glucose being passed in the urine are a perfect breeding ground for the fungal infection which causes thrush. But not everyone gets symptoms. In fact, 6 out of 10 people have no symptoms when theyre diagnosed with type 2 diabetes.
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Signs That May Indicate You Are At Risk For Diabetes
**This article is a repost of an earlier written article. We are reposting because we believe the information is valuable and pertinent to many.**
According to the CDC, over 9% of Americans are living with diabetes. This illness is becoming increasingly common, with 1.5 million Americans being diagnosed with diabetes every year.
There are some serious complications that can come with having high blood sugar such as heart failure and stroke. However, diabetes can be managed with prescription medication, diet, and exercise to help you live a normal, healthy life.
What Are Symptoms Of Diabetes
Symptoms of type 1 diabetes often escalate quickly, within in a matter of weeks, while symptoms of type 2 diabetes usually develop slowly over several years. People who have type 2 diabetes may have no symptoms or only mild symptoms.
The three most common symptoms of undiagnosed diabetes include:
- Increased thirst
- High blood sugar levels cause increased thirst
Because diabetes makes it more difficult for the body to convert the glucose from foods into energy, people with high blood sugar levels are often more hungry
Other symptoms of diabetes include:
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Early Signs Of Diabetes
Both types of diabetes have some of the same telltale warning signs.
- Hunger and fatigue. Your body converts the food you eat into glucose that your cells use for energy. But your cells need insulin to take in glucose. If your body doesn’t make enough or any insulin, or if your cells resist the insulin your body makes, the glucose can’t get into them and you have no energy. This can make you hungrier and more tired than usual.
- Peeing more often and being thirstier. The average person usually has to pee between four and seven times in 24 hours, but people with diabetes may go a lot more. Why? Normally, your body reabsorbs glucose as it passes through your kidneys. But when diabetes pushes your blood sugar up, your kidneys may not be able to bring it all back in. This causes the body to make more urine, and that takes fluids. The result: You’ll have to go more often. You might pee out more, too. Because you’re peeing so much, you can get very thirsty. When you drink more, you’ll also pee more.
- Dry mouth and itchy skin. Because your body is using fluids to make pee, there’s less moisture for other things. You could get dehydrated, and your mouth may feel dry. Dry skin can make you itchy.
- Blurred vision. Changing fluid levels in your body could make the lenses in your eyes swell up. They change shape and canââ¬â¢t focus.
What Is Diabetes Fatigue
As it was mentioned above, diabetes fatigue is an extreme tiredness that individuals with diabetes can experience. It is a tiredness that disrupts a persons life and makes it difficult to function. It is very common, and studies have shown that 85% of those with diabetes experience fatigue.
Some signs of fatigue include:
- Dizziness
Reactive hypoglycemia, a term used to define the crash that a person gets after eating a lot of sugar and carbs, can be an early sign of diabetes. In order for the body to use the sugars and carbs that are consumed for fuel, each molecule must be paired with insulin to get into the cell. If there isnt enough insulin available, then the sugar molecules stay in the bloodstream and cause high blood sugar.
What happens is that over time, eating a lot of sugar and carbs causes your body to have to produce a lot of insulin. Eventually, you develop insulin resistance and the insulin stops working as well which causes your body to make even more to keep the blood sugar under control. So after eating a large meal of sugar and carbs, the body starts producing a lot of insulin to try to use the food for energy. The problem is that after the food is digested, there is still insulin floating around and it causes the sugar to drop.
Signs of reactive hypoglycemia are:
- Difficulty concentration
- Dizziness
- Palpitations
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Relationship Between Diabetes And Feeling Cold
Experts all over the world believe that there is a strong connection between diabetes and feeling cold. When you are a patient of diabetes, you not only tend to feel numb in your hands and feet, you also tend to feel cold more than those who do not have diabetes. There could be several reasons for the same. The following are some important reasons and explanation:
Because of the above-mentioned reasons, there is a huge possibility that you will feel the cold a lot more when you compare it to your colleagues, friends, and family.
How Is Type 2 Diabetes Treated
The goal in treating type 2 diabetes is to control blood sugar levels by keeping them in your target range. Lifestyle changes, such as losing weight and being more active, are the first steps to get blood sugar under control. But you may also need to take a diabetes medicine , which helps decrease the body’s resistance to insulin and help insulin work better in the body.
Diabetes often gets worse over time. And when it does, diabetes medicines don’t work as well. Insulin can help people with type 2 diabetes keep their blood sugar under control. Sometimes your doctor may recommend insulin because of other health problems, such as kidney complications.
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Quit Smoking To Improve Circulation In Your Feet
The dangers of smoking run from your head to your feet. The chemicals in cigarette smoke damage and constrict your blood vessels, which means that if you smoke, you’re depriving your feet of the nutrient- and oxygen-rich blood that fights infection and keeps them healthy. Diabetic patients already have risk factors that compromise their blood vessels. Its never too late to stop smoking, says Tillett.
Treatment For Low Blood Glucose
If you have type 2 diabetes that’s controlled using insulin or certain types of tablets , you may experience episodes of hypoglycaemia.
Hypoglycaemia is where your blood glucose levels become very low.
Mild hypoglycaemia can make you feel shaky, weak and hungry, but it can usually be controlled by eating or drinking something sugary.
If you have a hypo, you should initially have a form of carbohydrate that will act quickly, such as a sugary drink or glucose tablets.
This should be followed by a longer-acting carbohydrate, such as a cereal bar, sandwich or piece of fruit.
In most cases, these measures will be enough to raise your blood glucose level to normal. You should aim for a hypo to be treated and to recheck your blood glucose level within 15 minutes.
If blood glucose still less than 4mmol/l then repeat the treatment using a fast acting carbohydrate. When your blood glucose returns to normal then have your longer acting carbohydrate.
If you develop severe hypoglycaemia, you may become drowsy and confused, and you may even lose consciousness.
If this occurs, you may need to have an injection of glucagon into your muscle or glucose into a vein. Glucagon is a hormone that quickly increases your blood glucose levels.
You may require input from a health care professional. If the glucagon is not successful, you may require an injection of dextrose into your vein.
Your diabetes care team can advise you on how to avoid a hypo and what to do if you have one.
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Regular Testing Can Put You In The Know
Often what happens is people minimize the symptoms or rationalize them and they get worse until they become severe enough that they have to see someone, Dr. Pantalone says. They have excessive weight loss or are really tired of peeing all night.
Because symptoms of diabetes are often subtle or nonexistent, especially around the onset, its important to see your doctor regularly for a checkup and testing. This is particularly vital if you are overweight or have risk factors if diabetes runs in your family, for instance.
The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommends screening for type 2 diabetes if you are between the ages of 40 and 70. If results are normal, you should repeat the testing every three years. If you have a risk factor, the task force recommends beginning screening at a younger age and testing more frequently.
Darker Area Of Skin That Feels Like Velvet
A dark patch of velvety skin on the back of your neck, armpit, groin, or elsewhere could mean that you have too much insulin in your blood. This is often a sign of prediabetes.The medical name for this skin condition is acanthosis nigricans.
Acanthosis Nigricans
Often causing darker skin in the creases of the neck, AN may be the first sign that someone has diabetes.
Take action
- Get tested for diabetes
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Maybe It’s A Different Type
If you or someone you know is diagnosed with type 2 diabetes but isnt responding well to the typical treatments for type 2 diabetes, it may be worth a visit to an endocrinologist to determine what type of diabetes is happening. Generally, this requires antibody tests and possibly the measurement of a C-peptide level.
Who Gets Type 2 Diabetes
There are people who are healthy and get type 2 diabetes and there are people who are unhealthy and get type 2 diabetes, says Dr. Christofides. Its a bit like lung cancer in that not everyone who smokes gets lung cancer, and some people get lung cancer who have never smoked.
Type 2 diabetes is multifactorial, explains Sharon Bergquist MD, meaning that a persons genes, environment, and lifestyle work together to lead to the disease. Some of the increased risk may be attributed to genetic susceptibility, but a higher percentage is likely due to environment and lifestyle, which can be influenced by culture and socioeconomics.
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Do Blood Sugar Levels Make A Person With Diabetes Tired
Blood sugar levels can definitely make someone tired. If blood sugar levels are too high or too low, the body is not able to operate 100% like it should and it can wear the body down. Also, having to chase blood sugar with insulin and battle to keep it under control is very tiring. One study found that 29% of people with diabetes said fatigue was caused by adjusting insulin dosages and 23% percent said that it was caused by stress from managing their disease.
Hypoglycemia, which is low blood sugar, can cause fatigue because it deprives the brain and other organs of fuel and oxygen to work properly. If blood sugar gets too low, then it can cause major problems such as confusion or even seizures.
Hyperglycemia, which is blood sugar that is too high, can cause fatigue because the blood carrying the fuel to the organs is like maple syrup instead of water. When it takes longer for the cells to reach their destination, the body is tired and worn out.
Think of Goldilocks and the Three Bears. She didnt like the porridge too cold or too hot, it had to be just right in the middle. Blood sugar is the same way. The body operates best when it stays in the target range.
What Are Early Signs Of Diabetes
Both type 1 and type 2 diabetes can generate different physical symptoms. However, those afflicted with either type may experience these common occurrences:
Be on the lookout for any of these symptoms of type 1 or 2 diabetes and dont hesitate to consult with a healthcare professional. When left unattended, certain symptoms of diabetes can cause lifelong issues, even when type 1 or type 2 diabetes gets under control.
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Causes Symptoms Diagnosis And Treatments
Never mind the second-place namemore than 90 percent of people with diabetes have Type 2. And a substantial number dont even know they have it. So, what are its giveaway symptoms? How do you avoid complications? Will the right diet help you reverse it? Were here to empower you with clear answers to all your pressing Qs.
In This Article:
Elena Christofides MD, Caroline Apovian MD, and Sharon Bergquist MD
Monitoring Blood Glucose Levels
If you have type 2 diabetes, your GP or diabetes care team will need to take a reading of your blood glucose level about every two to six months.
This will show how stable your glucose levels have been in the recent past and how well your treatment plan is working.
The HbA1c test is used to measure blood glucose levels over the previous two to three months.
HbA1c is a form of haemoglobin, the chemical that carries oxygen in red blood cells, which also has glucose attached to it.
A high HbA1c level means that your blood glucose level has been consistently high over recent weeks, and your diabetes treatment plan may need to be changed.
Your diabetes care team can help you set a target HbA1c level to aim for. This will usually be less than 53 mmol/mol or individualised as agreed with your diabetes team.
Read more about the HbA1c test
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What Are The Types Of Diabetes
Diabetes refers to a collection of diseases in which the human body has some sort of issue with insulin. In some instances of diabetes, the body doesnt make enough of the crucial hormone whereas, in other situations, the body cant appropriately use whatever insulin is created. In other cases, a combination of both occurs. Each of these situations inhibits the body from drawing sugar out of the bloodstream and distributing it to the cells. This results in high blood sugar levels that require medical attention and management.
We draw a majority of our energy from glucose, which is found in the bloodstream. Insulin helps manage this and, when unavailable, sugar continues to build up in the bloodstream, creating a wide variety of health problems and issues.
Diabetes Dizziness: Have You Experienced Dizziness Related To Your Diabetes
Dizziness is not a pleasant feeling. It can strike unexpectedly anytime, anywhere, leaving you unable to carry on with everyday tasks.
This lightheaded sensation is typically accompanied by a sudden flush of heat and often seems to occur at the most inconvenient time possible, which can be embarrassing.
As awkward as sudden dizziness can be, you should always alert someone nearby to the fact that you have diabetes. Feeling lightheaded can be the first warning that your blood glucose levels are awry, and you want someone close knowing how to help you.
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