Important Information on Diabetic Hyperglycemic Hyperosmolar Syndrome(HHS)
Diabetic HHS is a complication to type 2 diabetes, which can occur when high levels of sugar are built up in the blood with lack of ketones. The breakdown of the fat in the cells produces ketones. Dehydration and decreased consciousness as well as extremely high blood sugar levels are the distinguishable symptoms of HHS. The usual cause of the condition is another disease, infection or drugs, which lead to excessive loss of fluid. Usually, the extra glucose built up in the system can be released through urine. However, if the patient does not accept enough fluids or the fluids contain extra amounts of sugar, the kidneys cannot release the glucose and as a result, the blood gets more and more concentrated.
The most important risk factors are as follows: congestive heart failure, stroke or other recent stressful event, diminished function of the kidney, not following the required management of diabetes or not getting the correct dosage of insulin and other medicine needed for the disease.
The beginning symptoms of diabetic HHS are excessive urination, increased thirst, nausea, weakness, loss of weight and later convulsion, confusion and even coma. Symptoms may increase in intensity during the first few days. Additional symptoms include speech impairment and damaged sensation or function in the muscles.
There is a symptomatic treatment for diabetic HHS. The dehydration and high blood sugar should be corrected accordingly. Intravenous insulin is required for the blood sugar levels and enough fluids to keep the body hydrated.
Have a doubt if you are diabetic?
Diabetes is a leading ailment that impacted millions of people around the world. The main symptom for diabetes is the rise in blood sugar levels. This rise can lead to many other complications if it is unattended and sometimes can be life threatening.
It’s important that we get diagnosed regularly for the sugar levels in the blood, which is the primary indicator for determining the existence of diabetes in a person. Once diagnosed and the treatment is started, it’s important that we regularly monitor the blood sugar levels. There are several ways in which we can monitor our sugar levels.
Here are few…
1) Meters
There are several meters available in the market that can be used to test the fasting blood sugar levels. These meters are simple to use and easy to maintain and are very affordable. They always come with instructions and have many options to customize and cater to your specific needs. There are several brands available in the market and many of them are very reliable in the readings. Any meter generally will have the process of placing a blood drop on a strip provided and inserting that strip into the meter to get the reading instantly. This type of testing is fast and is mostly accurate.
2) Blood tests
There are also many diagnostic centres that can test for the blood sugar levels and many of such diagnosis are covered by the insurance.
3) Oral tests
There are also several swabs available that help diagnose the glucose levels.
Symptoms of diabetes
Diabetes is a chronic (lifetime) disease noticeable by elevated levels of glucose in the blood. Symptoms can build up fast in weeks or months in type-1 diabetes while in type 2 diabetes, they generally increase very slowly and can be absent or somewhat tough to find out.
Most common diabetes symptoms:
• Frequent urination
• Excessive thirst
• Hunger
• Blurry vision
• Weight loss
• Fatigue (Tiredness, weariness, exhaustion).
Type 1 diabetes symptoms:
• Long-lasting high blood glucose causes glucose assimilation and causes to modify in the lenses of the eyes, ensuing vision changes. Rapid vision change is a type 1 diabetes symptom.
• Excessive amounts of glucose in the urine causes greater than before urination which causes dehydration. Dehydration causes enlarged need for liquids and water consumption.
• Type 1 diabetes results in weight loss in spite of increased appetite.
• Early symptoms of type 1 are fatigue, nausea and vomiting.
Type 2 diabetes symptoms:
Type 2 diabetes symptoms are often subtle and mostly attributed to aging or obesity. A person may have type 2 diabetes without knowing about it.
Fluctuations in blood glucose levels can lead to blurred vision. Vision changes are generally more gradual in type 2 diabetes and should still be suspected.
It can be identified by stress and steroids.
Higher insulin levels lead to increased hunger and eating; in spite of this, the person with diabetes loses weight or gains little weight. Also increased thirst and urination are symptoms of type 2 diabetes which is common in type 1 also.
Information About Diabetes
Across the world there was a survey that was conducted on the number of diabetic patients in each country. It is found that India has the largest number of diabetic patients when compare to other countries in the world.
There are number of other health problems that are seen due to diabetes. All the international doctors are warning the Indian public about the rise of diabetes in the country. In early 1995, there was a record of 19 million people who were diagnosed of diabetes.
And in 2007, the rate was almost double and around 41 million people were diagnosed with this disease. The international diabetes federation has accounted that in 2025 India will have 69.9 million people who will be suffering from diabetes. India has been given the nick name as the “Diabetic capital of the world”.
Around 11 % of the urban people above the age of 15 are suffering from diabetes whereas around 3% of rural people are suffering from diabetes. Diabetes does not spare any age, race, render or country.
The rate at which diabetes is spreading is becoming worse as the day proceeds. The amount spent today on diabetes is around 210 billion dollars and in the next ten years the amount is expected to increase to around 335 billion dollars. This indicates that India is not in a very good position.
According to a survey, it has been proven that the rise in diabetes and other disease is due to the kind of life style people in India are accustomed to. The main reason for diabetes is that, due to lack of physical activity and obesity.
The perfect food for diabetic patients
Many people who are suffering from diabetes have a lot of confusion regarding their diet. Most of them are unable to decide which food is correct for them and which is not. So let us have a look at some of the most preferred foods for diabetic patients.
Patients should follow a healthy diet which has 40% of carbohydrates, 20% of protein and less than 30% of fat in their daily intake of food.
Carbohydrates are to be taken by diabetic patients. At least 40-60% of the food needs to have carbohydrates. Fruits, vegetables, beans, diary products and foods that have starch are rich in carbohydrates.
Protein is found in meat, fish, poultry, and dairy products and even in some vegetables. Do not go for products like cheese or red meat as they have high content of fat in them.
Fat is also needed but has to be taken in very small quantity. Foods like butter or oil, add fat to the food we eat. Try and avoid fried foods. Dairy products which have some amount of fat can also be taken. Even meat is known to have fat content so have little quantities of fat food.
The person suffering from diabetes can consult a dietician who can assist the patient in a better way. They even make a chart with how many grams of what kind of food has to be taken at what time.
So with a proper diet plan and timely medications one can prevent diabetes from increasing. If you still have any of the symptoms or the symptoms seem to increase it is always advisable to consult a doctor or a check up.
Treatment for diabetes in pregnant women
Diabetes in a pregnant woman can be detected during the early stages also. As soon as the woman confirms her pregnancy and if she has doubts about diabetes she can go for a G.T.T even in the first month, and if the results are positive she can go for the treatment earlier which will be good for her and her baby.
Generally in the gestational diabetes the woman can control her blood sugar level by changing her food habits also. Diabetes is generally controlled by dieting by the pregnant woman, but she should consult her doctor and if necessary should even go to the dietician to know what she should eat, and what the things are that she should avoid are. The dietician if necessary will suggest to her to avoid the intake of excess sugar and in some cases if the blood sugar level is very high they will tell her to stop the intake of sugar. The food containing more amounts of fats and carbohydrates will also be decreased, and instead the food full of proteins and fibers will be suggested.
The dietician will also recommended some light exercise depending upon the health of the mother and the baby. If the mother is overweight before and during pregnancy it is advisable for her to reduce her weight. The woman should eat lots of fresh fruits and leafy green vegetables as they are high in proteins, vitamins, and fibers. The person having diabetes should also avoid fruit juices; they can have fresh fruits but no juices. The woman with gestational diabetes should take 4-5 lighter meals, instead of 2-3 heavy meals.
The woman should also walk, which is the best exercise, but only after consulting her doctor.
Vegetarian food famous for diabetes
We can find different diets to cure different disorders. To maintain proper nutrition and manage diabetes one has to be very careful when they go for vegetarian food to have sufficient proteins needed daily in order to stay healthy.
In order to get rid of diabetes, diabetic patients must be aware of some fundamental diet programs that are designed for special purposes. By knowing, these basic things about different diets people can have a hold over blood sugar levels and their body weight. Getting some clear idea about diabetes will surely help you to treat diabetes.
Difference between Vegetarianism and Veganism
Reports say that people who suffer from diabetes can get advantage by consuming any vegetarian diet or a vegan diet.
A person is said to be a vegetarian when he do not consume meat but can have food made of animal products like milk and eggs. When it comes to vegan diet a person do not eat meat and at the same time do not take any products related to dairy.
Vegan diet makes a person healthy when they are strictly observed and maintained with specific group of food items except meat and milk products. The truth is that a vegan diet is low in cholesterol and saturated fats. The diet contains low calories and has huge quantities of different vegetables and fruits as a result the body gets essential fat and sugar. A person automatically loses weight when he/she is taking a diet program which has low sugar levels. This helps the diabetic patients to take a some degree of sugar in order to stay fit and healthy.
foot care for diabetic patients
Feet and legs are damaged severely because of Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy. The name itself exposes that foot nerves are damaged severely. This damage causes sensation loss in the foot.
This problem occurs because of wearing tight shoes, infections occur in the feet because of fungus. Nerve damage will suffer the ulceration and also decrease the blood circulation to the foot. Oozing of the pus and bacterial infections are also caused due to nerve damage in the foot. Sprain on the leg, warmth condition, feet becoming reddish, buttocks, skin become harder, no hair growth in the lower feet and legs are all symptoms. Two types of drugs are introduced for diabetic foot care anti platelet drug and anti coagulant drugs which are used for foot care treatment. Anti platelet drug helps to prevent clotting of blood.
Antibiotic creams and lotions are also available in the market to reduce infections. Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy is also one of the foot care method used to prevent or cure ulcerations of foot. Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy helps to increase the oxygen in the blood stream. If oxygen content is sufficient to the blood stream then blood circulation will become easy and smooth. Sometimes it is very hard to predict the patient who is having diabetic foot may lead to the confusion that blood glucose levels in the body are either very high or very low. Diabetic people suffer with many types of health related problems based on the type of the diabetes that the particular person is suffering. In case of diabetes prevention is better than cure.
How to control your weight
Controlling weight is a major concern in the part of life of over weighted people, may be because of their food habits or their changed lifestyle. People must concentrate on their diet to control their weight. They must avoid outside food, avoid high fat food, must drink a lot of water, and do a lot of exercises so that they will be able to maintain their weight.
Although there are many ways to control your weight, going for a natural method can prove you more effective than a medication method. It is not very easy task to lose weight as you must be very determined and should take very strong decision.
Some of the herbs like Bitter Orange, Cayenne, green tea, Ephedra and Hypericum can help you in losing your weight. For example if you take bitter orange, it will reduce your appetite. As a result your food intake will be decreased and that helps you to loose weight.
Cayenne is another type of herb which is commonly known as Pepper. This can be used for medicinal purpose as well as it helps you to loose weight. Few adverse drug effects like increase in perspiration, increase in the adrenalin secretions are seen.
Green tea is another herb that can help you to lose your weight, it increases your metabolism and decreases your appetite, but this herb has a large amount of Caffeine which can cause Diarrhea, indigestion and vomiting.
Therefore these herbs will be the best options for you to lose weight.
Types of Gestational diabetes:
There are 2 types of gestational diabetes:
Type A1: Only diet modification is enough to continue regular glucose levels.
Type A2: Insulin or additional medicines with diet are necessary to preserve normal range of blood glucose.
Gestational diabetes is classified into various forms of diabetes which existed previous to pregnancy:
• Type B: start at age 20 or older or with duration of less than 10 years.
• Type C: start at age 10-19 or period of 1-19 years.
• Type D: start before age 10 or period more than 20 years.
• Type F: diabetic nephropathy.
• Type R: diabetic retinopathy.
• Type H: diabetes with ischemic heart disease.
• Type T: diabetes need kidney transplant.
Gestational Diabetes – Risk of diabetes in Future:
Gestational diabetes is just a short-term phase, it disappears after pregnancy. But once you are identified with gestational diabetes, your probability is 2 in 3 that it will resurface in future. It is difficult to tell whether the specific woman has diabetes because of gestational diabetes or type2 diabetes. There appears to be a link between the propensity to get gestational diabetes and type2 diabetes. Gestational diabetes and type 2 diabetes together involve insulin resistance.
Risk factors for gestational diabetes:
• Huge family history of type 2 diabetes
• Mother’s age – a woman is at advanced risk if the women is older at the time of pregnancy
• Obesity
• Fallen victim to gestational diabetes in an earlier pregnancy
• An earlier pregnancy that resulted in a kid with a delivery weight of 9 pounds.
The above are some risk factors of gestational diabetes.
