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:: Health Conditions
- Diabetes | | |
 What is Diabetes
Throughout history, diabetes has been a leading cause of
death by disease. Today, even with the availability of insulin,
it is estimated that approximately one-half million North
Americans die as a result of diabetes and its complications
like heart and kidney disease, stroke, blindness and amputation
each year. Diabetes is a disease that touches millions in
one way or another, whether it's those with the disease, friends
or family members who are suffering the implications.
Simply put, diabetes is a serious disease that impairs the
body's ability to use food properly.
Normally, glucose, a form of sugar produced when starches
and sugars are digested, is burned as fuel to supply the body
with energy. This process - turning food into energy - is
called metabolism. But in order to metabolise glucose properly, the body requires
another substance: insulin. Insulin is a hormone produced
by the pancreas, a gland located just beneath the stomach;
its job is to regulate the body's use of glucose. Insulin
is essential to the metabolic process. Trying to burn glucose without insulin is like trying to
cook food without heat. It can't be done. And that's the problem
for people with diabetes: they either don't produce enough
insulin to properly metabolise glucose, or the insulin they
have works inefficiently. Without insulin to turn glucose into energy the glucose piles
up in the bloodstream and spills into the urine. Excessively
high levels of sugar in the blood and the urine are the hallmarks
of untreated diabetes. The main goal of diabetes treatment is to control blood sugar
levels and keep them in the normal range to avoid the complications
such as heart and kidney disease, stroke, blindness and amputation.
The specific kind of treatment used to control
blood sugars depends on the type of diabetes a person
has. Allergists also recommend several non-drug treatments such
as breathing in hot, moist air, applying hot packs to the
face and washing the nasal cavities with buffered salt water.
In certain cases, Endoscopic surgery to correct structural
problems of the nose may be needed in more serious cases of
chronic sinusitis. If there is the possibility of surgery
to correct the sinusitis, your allergist will be able to make
the proper referral to a surgeon. Diabetes affects an estimated 18.2 million Americans, and
the number rises each year. Find in-depth information here
about diabetes prevention, diet, treatments, and research.
Plus, find daily support and nutritional tips in our online
message boards. You've gotten the diagnosis - diabetes type 1
or 2. Now it's time to understand
the conditions, complications, and concerns associated with
these chronic diseases. Let our resident expert give you tips
and support. Living with diabetes requires a new way of life. And no one
understands that better than other diabetics. So come here
to discuss everything from symptoms to treatments, from diet
to insulin pumps. Folks here will know exactly how you feel. Diabetes may raise the risk of developing colon cancer, the
nation's second-leading cancer killer, new research shows.
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