help with diabetes!?

Question

ok i'm doing this project on diabetes for biology II advanced.. does anyone know anything about how you discover that you have it? i have everything else.. if you want, you can list general info i might not have.. thanks!

Answer 1

Mine was discovered during a routine physical and blood test. Here's some general info for you....

For type I and type II diabetics (and those who are overweight and could potentially become diabetic). Copy and bookmark the webpages I‘ve listed below… they are invaluable for those with diabetes and/or weight problems...

I've found a wonderful book that will help you control your diabetes and minimize or even eliminate the complications. Some folks who became diabetic due to poor diet and obesity are effectively cured by following the advice in this book. I'm a type II (inherited), but it helps all types, especially those who became diabetic due to poor eating habits. It's by an author who has really done his homework, Patrick Quillin, Phd. It's called, "The Diabetes Improvement Program". I have tried his suggestions and found them to be very helpful. I have no complications whatsoever and my blood sugar levels are quite stable. Yes, I still have to take Metformin (Glucophage) daily, but it's the minimum dosage (500mg) and I only have to take it twice a day. I have been off Metformin for as much as a week, but this was with vigorous exercise. Many, what I call, non-hereditary type IIs (those that don't have a close relative who had it) have gotten off medication completely, just with diet, exercise, and supplements. So, in some instances, it most certainly can be 'effectively' cured. Read more about it here:
http://www.diabetesimprovement.com/

The book explains what's going on in our system and what to do about it. It's really easy and inexpensive. It's basically diet, supplements, and exercise. For example, did you know that cinnamon helps blood sugar absorption? It also controls cholesterol and triglycerides. This is according to the USDA:
http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/np/fnrb/fnrb0104.htm#pinch

Here are just a few of the things I’ve learned to help my diabetes:
http://www.geocities.com/seabulls69/Type_II_Diabetes.html

Remarkable supplement improves circulation and can help prevent neuropathy and macular degeneration:
http://www.quantumhealth.com/news/pycnogenol_about.html

Great calorie enlightenment:
http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/changingshape5.htm

Sugar does not cause diabetes:
http://www.drmcdougall.com/misc/2006nl/sept/sugar.htm

Lots of information on diabetes:
http://www.endocrineweb.com/index.html

Type 1 diabetes info:
http://www.sciencenews.org/pages/sn_arc99/6_26_99/fob2.htm
http://articles.animalconcerns.org/ar-voices/archive/milk_problems.html
http://www.nealhendrickson.com/mcdougall/020700puthepancreas.htm

Recommended reading for anyone trying to control weight, especially diabetics:
http://rheumatic.org/insulin.htm

Some psychology behind overeating:
http://www.geocities.com/seabulls69/weightloss.html

Insulin and the brain:
http://www.boston.com/yourlife/health/diseases/articles/2006/01/30/insulin_in_the_brain/

Why the British are healthier than Americans:
http://www.geocities.com/seabulls69/UKvsUSAdocs.html

Some great health sites with all kinds of general health information:
http://www.chetday.com
http://www.drmcdougall.com
http://phifoundation.org

Answer 2

1

Answer 3

2

Answer 4

Diabetes is really two diseases. Type 1 is an autoimmune disease which usually hits early in life, while Type 2 is more usually first found in people who are middle-aged or older. If either kind has been found in other family members, it is sensible to have a simple blood test taken at least once a year so the disease can be caught before symptoms develop, as permanent damage may be done by the time thirst, etc becomes a problem. So regular blood tests reveal the disease in many people. Sometimes an optomitrist will spot early daibetic changes in the retina and send the patient in to be tested.

In some people an extreme craving for sweets is a symptom that they should be tested.

Answer 5

Symptoms of type 1 diabetes usually come on suddenly; in contrast, type 2 diabetes typically develops more gradually and symptoms may be subtle, increasing gradually over months and even years. But the symptoms are basically the same, and they are related to high blood glucose, or hyperglycemia. The classic symptoms people have with diabetes are:

* Increased frequency of urination (polyuria)
* Increased thirst (polydipsia)
* Weight loss despite increased appetite (polyphagia)

Less commonly, hyperglycemia can cause:

* Blurred vision
* Weakness and fatigue
* Infections, especially yeast infections

Sometimes early symptoms of type 1 diabetes are overlooked, and by the time the first symptoms are noticed, a person is already in a state of diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA). Sometimes referred to as diabetic coma, DKA is a potentially deadly complication of type 1 diabetes. DKA occurs when a deficiency of insulin is coupled with an excess of other hormones known as stress or counter-regulatory hormones. DKA is a medical emergency that requires immediate treatment. Symptoms of DKA, in addition to the symptoms of hyperglycemia, may include:

* Nausea
* Vomiting
* Fatigue and lethargy
* Fruity breath odor
* Dehydration
* Hyperventilation
* Abdominal pain

Answer 6

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 the complications of diabetes.

Some diabetes symptoms include:
* Frequent urination
* Excessive thirst
* Extreme hunger
* Unusual weight loss
* Increased fatigue
* Irritability
* Blurry vision

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.

With the FPG test, a fasting blood glucose level between 100 and 125 mg/dl signals pre-diabetes. A person with a fasting blood glucose level of 126 mg/dl or higher has diabetes.

In the OGTT test, a person's blood glucose level is measured after a fast and two hours after drinking a glucose-rich beverage. If the two-hour blood glucose level is between 140 and 199 mg/dl, the person tested has pre-diabetes. If the two-hour blood glucose level is at 200 mg/dl or higher, the person tested has diabetes.

Answer 7

There are several tests to check for diabetes, all of them involve checking to see the level of glucose in your blood. A Fasting blood test is done after not having anyting to eat or drink for 10-12 hours. If it's 126 or more on two different occassions, you're diagnosed with diabetes. Another test is called the Glucose Tolerance Test. Again you fast, then you drink a sugary drink. This is done at a lab. They test your blood sugar before the drink, and then several times after. After two hours if your blood glucose level is 200 or over, and you have had another test with an elevated glucose level, you're diagnosed. A random glucose test over 200 along with symptoms is also a diagnosing criteria. Sometimes it's not clear which type of diabetes a person has so tests to measure how much insulin is being produced are ordered. C-peptide is one of them. It measures an amino acid that is produced with insulin in the same amounts..lows levels would suggest type 1....high levels=type 2. There are also antibody tests that verify there's an autoimmune response that would suggest type 1 in someone who's still producing insulin, in early stages or "honeymooning" or when it's Latent Autoimmune Diabetes in Adults (LADA) type 1 diabetes that happens later in life.

Answer 8

Joe D seems to have the list down. I discovered it after having pretty much all the same symptoms listed; Heavy thirst, urinating all the itme, blurry vision, sudden weight gain, shaky. Thats personal experience there. It was the blurry vision that finally got me in to the doctor. 900 blood sugar count.

Answer 9

Most people find out they have diabetes because they are very thirsty all the time, they lose weight, and they are urinating constantly. It also makes you feel bad - like a flu. And sometimes people find out they have diabetes because it attacks their kidneys, or eyes, or skin, and they are diagnosed secondarily with the diabetes.

Answer 10

I found out when I went for a physical and had labwork done.

Check out the diabetes section of WedMD.It has a lot of good information.