According to the American Diabetes Association:

• 24 million children and adults in the United States live with diabetes
• 57 million Americans are at risk for type 2 diabetes
• 1 out of every 3 children born today will face a future with diabetes if current trends continue

Unfortunately, not everyone who is diagnosed with diabetes takes it seriously. Diabetes is a disease that is more than just high blood sugar (glucose) levels. It’s a chronic illness that can cause blindness, kidney disease, nerve problems, even sores on the feet that may become bad enough to need amputation.

Diabetes is a very serious illness.

Type 1 Diabetes

Type 1 diabetes used to be called juvenile diabetes or insulin-dependent diabetes. Both these names didn’t describe the disease properly and now it is called type 1.

This type of diabetes is not caused by bad eating habits or lifestyles. Usually, it shows up only in children but young adults may be diagnosed with type 1 diabetes as well.

People with type 1 diabetes cannot make insulin, which is needed to help break down the sugar in your body. Without the insulin, the blood sugar level rises dangerously and can cause death.

You can’t take insulin by mouth; it must be injected into the body. Someone with type 1 diabetes must take daily injections for the rest of their life.

Type 2 Diabetes

Type 2 diabetes used to be called adult-onset or non insulin-dependent diabetes. As with type 1 diabetes, neither of these names adequately described the disease, so now it is known as type 2.

It used to be that only adults developed type 2 diabetes. For some, it is inevitable and they develop it because of their body make up. However, a huge number of people with type 2 diabetes developed it because of poor lifestyle choices. These include unhealthy diets, sedentary lifestyles, and generally not caring for their health.

Usually, type 2 diabetes can be controlled with oral medications (pills) because the body is still making insulin, it just can’t use it properly. However, many people with type 2 diabetes do end up taking insulin eventually.

Gestational Diabetes

Sometimes, pregnant women develop diabetes during their pregnancy. Although this is true diabetes (not enough insulin to care for the blood sugar), it usually goes away after the baby is delivered.

There is some research that shows women who had gestational diabetes may be at higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes later on in life.

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Images: MorgueFile.com and iStock.com

Post from: Blisstree

November Is Diabetes Month

Type 1 Diabetes

Type 1 diabetes is different from type 2 – it’s caused by the pancreas’ inability to produce insulin. On the other hand, in type 2 diabetes, the pancreas does produce insulin but either not enough or the body can’t properly use the insulin that’s being produced.

It used to be that type 1 diabetes was called juvenile diabetes and then the name changed to insulin-dependent diabetes. Originally, it was thought that only children developed type 1 diabetes but now we know that people as old as their late 20s can develop it. Then, it was insulin-dependent because insulin is the only treatment for type 1 diabetes. This was changed eventually too, because insulin is sometimes used to treat type 2 diabetes.

Type 2 Diabetes

Type 2 diabetes used to be called adult-onset diabetes and then that name changed to non-insulin dependent. While it was true that mostly adults developed type 2 diabetes, people who were being diagnosed were getting younger and younger. In fact, now teens are developing type 2 diabetes. Non-insulin dependent was also a misnomer. Although people with type 2 diabetes usually start off by taking oral hypoglycemics, or pills to lower blood glucose levels, many end up taking insulin at some point because the medications stop being effective.

Insulin

Insulin is a life saver for people with diabetes. Without it, type 1 diabetics would die. It’s also considered the last resort for people with type 2 diabetes. Many people with type 2 fight being put on insulin because they feel that it means that they’re “really” diabetic, that they’ve failed, or that they’re getting worse.

Now, researchers are saying that insulin may not be a good idea for last resort for type 2 diabetes but, rather, as a first line treatment. Researchers wanted to know if using insulin early in type 2 diabetes could improve blood glucose levels, so they studied patients with type 2 diabetes who had not yet begun treatment for up to three years. The results of the study were published in the most recent onlin issue of Diabetes Care.

The researchers found that although the results (lower blood glucose) were similar between the two groups, more patients (83%) in the insulin group stayed with the treatment than the ones who took only pills (72%).

If the results are similar in terms of blood sugar control, but compliance is better with insulin, researchers suggest that insulin may be the best way to begin managing type 2 diabetes, rather than waiting to use it.

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Image: StockXchng

Post from: Blisstree

Insulin 1st-Line for Type 2 Diabetes?

The Raynor School allegedly denied requests to permit children with diabetes to attend the camp and denied requests for the school to supervise the children in daily monitoring of their diabetes, including personal testing by the children of blood glucose levels and administering insulin to themselves using a personal insulin pump.

Craziness! I honestly can not believe that a school in this day and age would attempt to deny admission based on anything medical or otherwise. I do give credit to the Raynor School for working cooperatively with the Department of Justice to rectify their original decision and ensure that children with diabetes will have the opportunity to attend the school.

To read more  

Post from: Blisstree

School in Long Island NY makes right of a poor decision to not admit diabetic students

Knowing if an obese child might develop diabetes in later years could prompt parents to make the necessary lifestyle changes for their child to lose weight. That’s the rationale behind a pre-diabetes screening recommended by the American Diabetes Association.

This comes from Kids Health Notes. Grace has some really good info on her site about diabetes and children. Go check her out and search the site all you want. Yet another resource available to you!

Would you screen your child if they fell into this category? Do you think it would do the child good or cause issues down the road? I know I want all the knowledge I can get when it comes to my children’s health!

Post from: Blisstree

Pre-screening for obese kids to help prevent diabetes

“You feed your kids rubbish – that’s what most people think. It’s ignorance and it’s understandable, but it’s quite hurtful. Having Type-1 diabetes has got nothing to do with diet. We don’t have a family history of diabetes – there’s no rhyme or reason why he got it.”

That is right out of the mouth of a mommy that has dealt with diabetes first hand. Little Ivan Bentley was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes when he was 5 years old. Obviously we all want what’s best for our children and will fight any battle we have to to make that happen but this particular Mum even fought the system to insure an insulin pump to aid Ivan in his day to day fight with diabetes.

And has the insulin pump made a difference?

“You can’t imagine the joy I felt at taking him out and buying him an ice cream. It really was like watching a kid in a candy store.”

Like I have said previously, I give any parent, grand parent, sister, brother, aunt and especially the kids all the credit in the world. Y’all deal with this disease every day of your lives with patience, confidence and love. You are amazing!

via Times Online

Post from: Blisstree

And Insulin Pump And His Parents Love Makes All The Difference In Little Ivan’s Diabetic Life

Post from: Blisstree

The Face Of Diabetes…