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  • HEALTHY LIVING

    Managing diabetes

    2 min read

    Management is quite different for type 1 and type 2 diabetes, but trying to maintain blood sugar levels as close to normal as possible is the common thread.

  • HEALTHY LIVING

    Monitoring blood glucose levels

    4 min read

    With blood glucose meters, you can monitor your blood sugar yourself and determine if it is within the target range - all without leaving your home.

  • HEALTHY LIVING

    Diabetes: when to call my health care provider

    4 min read

    Monitoring your blood sugar, maintaining a healthy diet, getting physical activity, following your treatment plan, and checking your feet are all important steps in taking care of your diabetes. Bu...

  • LIFESTYLE

    Why exercise?

    1 min read

    Being active can help you maintain a healthy body weight and reduce your risk of certain conditions such as heart disease, high blood pressure, and diabetes.

  • LIFESTYLE

    Exercise more

    4 min read

    Ten minutes here and ten minutes there of even just moderate exercise can add up to considerable health benefits.

  • HEALTHY LIVING

    Diabetes: caring for your eyes

    6 min read

    Diabetes can wreak havoc on the body. A diabetic may see energy level, weight, or skin changes. One change they may not foresee is how it can affect vision.

  • LIFESTYLE

    Caring for your feet when you have diabetes

    8 min read

    Diabetics need to know their feet like the back of their hand. High blood glucose levels can lead to two types of damage that spell trouble for the feet.

  • HEALTHY LIVING

    Diabetes and foot care

    5 min read

    The high blood sugar levels common in diabetes may spell trouble down the road with the patient’s feet.

  • LIFESTYLE

    Diabetes and caring for your skin

    4 min read

    At some point in their lives, about 1 in 3 people with diabetes will develop a skin disorder related to their diabetes.

  • HEALTHY LIVING

    All about diabetes

    4 min read

    Diabetes is a condition where people don't produce enough insulin, or their cells don't respond properly to insulin. Insulin is an important hormone produced by the pancreas that moves glucose, a t...

  • HEALTHY LIVING

    Diabetes

    3 min read

    Diabetes is a condition where people don't produce enough insulin to meet their body's needs and/or their cells don't respond properly to insulin.

  • Helpful Resources

    • Nutrition and exercise to control diabetes

      3 min read

      Controlling diabetes means smart food choices to help keep blood sugar, weight, and cholesterol in better control and exercise usually lowers blood sugar.

    • Staying positive with diabetes

      5-minute read

      As with any medical diagnosis, receiving a diagnosis of diabetes can trigger a wide-ranging torrent of emotions.

    • Eating out when you have diabetes

      3 min read

      Our busy lives often prevent home food preparation. Dining at a restaurant or getting lunch from a take-out counter, it’s important to make healthy choices.

    FAQs

    • Controlling diabetes through exercise

      Featuring content from MediResource Inc.

      Controlling diabetes is closely linked to diet and lifestyle.

      • Exercise usually lowers blood sugar. It can help insulin work more effectively and improve your health and energy.
      • Ask your doctor about the right kind of exercise for you. Get a check-up if you're starting out, and avoid overdoing it. Gradually increasing your levels of physical activity helps prevent injuries while maintaining your enthusiasm to continue exercising.
      • Check blood sugar levels before and after you exercise. This helps avoid low blood sugar. Monitoring your blood sugar can help determine how different types of activities affect sugar levels.
      • Try walking, swimming, and light weight-lifting exercises for physical activity.


      All material copyright MediResource Inc. 1996 – 2021. 
      Terms and conditions of use. The contents herein are for informational purposes only. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.

      Source:
      www.medbroadcast.com/healthfeature/gethealthfeature/Diabetes-Managing-Your-Condition

    • Diabetic Ketoacidosis

      Alternate Names: Ketoacidosis, DKA

      Featuring content from MRI Clinic

      The Facts

      Diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) is a potentially life-threatening complication that may occur in people who have diabetes, most often in those who have type 1 (insulin-dependent) diabetes. It involves the buildup of toxic substances called ketones that make the blood too acidic. High ketone levels can be readily managed, but if they aren't detected and treated in time, a person can eventually slip into a fatal coma.
      DKA often leads to people being newly diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. It can also occur in people already diagnosed with type 1 diabetes who have missed an insulin dose, have an infection, or have suffered a traumatic event or injury.

      Although much less common, DKA can occasionally occur in people with type 2 diabetes under extreme physiologic stress.

      Symptoms and Complications

      High levels of ketones usually build up in the blood and urine, causing the symptoms of DKA:

      • abdominal pain (especially in children)
      • confusion
      • decreased perspiration
      • deep and laboured breathing (a later symptom)
      • dry, cool skin
      • excessive thirst and urination
      • fatigue
      • high blood glucose
      • nausea and vomiting
      • presence of ketones in the blood or urine
      • rapid weight loss
      • sweet, fruity odour on the breath (it may smell like nail polish remover)

      As ketones accumulate in the blood, more ketones will be passed in the urine, taking sodium and potassium salts out with them. Over time, levels of sodium and potassium salts in the body become depleted, which can cause nausea and vomiting. The result is a vicious cycle.

      Dehydration is another complication of DKA. High levels of ketones are associated with high sugar levels in the blood and urine. More water is drawn into the urine, resulting in frequent urination. Combined with vomiting – from an upset stomach, or possibly due to a bout of flu or illness – the body quickly loses too much water and electrolytes. Dehydration can occur rapidly (within hours) and is very serious.

      All material © 1996-2021 MediResource Inc. Terms and conditions of use. The contents herein are for informational purposes only. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.

    • Retinopathy

      Alternate Names:

      Featuring content from MRI Clinic

       

      The Facts

      Retinopathy, as it relates to the conditions covered in this article, refers to damage to the blood vessels of the retina. The retina, at the back of the eye, provides a window to the circulatory system. By examining it, a doctor can inspect a sample of the body's blood vessels and detect early signs of complications of diabetes or high blood pressure, as well as many other diseases (e.g., sickle cell disease, anemia, lupus). Retinopathy can also be seen in premature newborns.

      Some of the kinds of damage that your doctor may see in your retina are hypertensive retinopathy, a complication of high blood pressure (hypertension), and diabetic retinopathy, a complication of long-term diabetes.

      It's unusual for hypertension to impair vision, but hypertensive retinopathy can lead to blockage of retinal arteries or veins, which in turn may eventually result in the loss of vision. A combination of both hypertensive and diabetic retinopathy puts people at a higher risk of vision loss. Smoking and diabetes increase the risk of developing hypertensive retinopathy.

      Diabetic retinopathy is a deterioration of the blood vessels in the retina that usually affects both eyes. It is the leading cause of blindness in North America. Almost all people with diabetes show signs of retinal damage after about 20 years of living with the condition.

      The key to treating retinopathy is managing the underlying causes of this condition.

      Controlling blood sugar levels in diabetes is critical in delaying the onset of diabetic retinopathy. Proper management of diabetes involves taking the prescribed treatments, such as insulin or other diabetes medications, as well as following a healthy diet and exercise program.

      Keeping blood pressure under control will help prevent hypertensive retinopathy. Reducing high blood pressure with appropriate medications will help prevent complications. Regular exercise, proper diet, and other lifestyle changes such as quitting smoking will go a long way toward reducing the risk of retinopathy.

      All material copyright MediResource Inc. 1996 – 2021. Terms and conditions of use. The contents herein are for informational purposes only. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Source: www.medbroadcast.com/condition/getcondition/Retinopathy
    • Neuropathy

      Alternate Names: Nerve Pain, Peripheral Neuropathy

      Featuring content from MRI Clinic

       

      The facts

      Peripheral neuropathy refers to damage to the peripheral nerves – nerves that carry information between the central nervous system (the brain and spinal cord) and the rest of the body. Peripheral neuropathy occurs in about 2% to 8% of people and is more common as we age.

      Peripheral neuropathy may be caused by a number of different medical conditions, such as diabetes, cancer, and nutritional deficiencies. Peripheral neuropathy can also be caused by medications and chemicals. It can interfere with the senses, with movement, or with the function of internal organs.

      Damage to one nerve is called mononeuropathy, while damage to many nerves all at once is called polyneuropathy.

       

      Symptoms and Complications

       

      The symptoms of neuropathy depend on the location and seriousness of the nerve damage.

      Mononeuropathy appears as pain, weakness, or immobilization in the localized area of the affected nerve. If the affected nerve is purely a sensory nerve, there will be numbness but no weakness; if a motor nerve is involved, there will be weakness but no numbness.

      Symptoms of polyneuropathy may develop suddenly or gradually. The first symptom of polyneuropathy is often mild tingling, which gets worse over time until the area becomes numb. People with diabetes often have neuropathy of the feet. This is a serious condition because they could get an infection or injure a foot and not be able to feel it.

      Along with the tingling and numbness, people with chronic polyneuropathy may feel burning or shooting pain. Since they can't sense changes in temperature or feel pain caused by injuries, they often burn themselves or develop open sores from injuries they don't realize they have. They may also have trouble walking and standing because they can't tell what position their joints are in.

      Neuropathy can also cause muscle weakness.

      Sometimes the nerves controlling automatic functions of the body such as bowel and bladder contraction or blood pressure control are affected by neuropathy. When this happens, a person can have constipation, diarrhea, erectile dysfunction, bladder dysfunction, and high or low blood pressure.

      All material © 1996-2021 MediResource Inc. Terms and conditions of use. The contents herein are for informational purposes only. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.