Alcohol and Type 2 Diabetes

ID-100139816If you are diabetic and if you are also fond of drinking, you might be in dilemma and in a state of confusion, whether you can drink alcohol or not, if you can drink, how much you can drink and when you should drink. There may be many more practical questions about drinking and diabetes. Most diabetics have same dilemma. You should be cautious about alcohol, if you are type 1 or type 2 diabetic.

If you are diabetic, you need to be cautious with alcohol, because alcohol can cause hypoglycemia, which is more dangerous (because effects occurs immediately) than hyperglycemia. Alcohol can cause hypoglycemia in short time and up to 24 hours after drinking. So, be cautious and if you want a drink or two, check your blood sugar level and make sure your blood sugar is at safe level, which is between 100-140 mg/dL. If blood sugar is less than 100 mg/dL, eat something to increase your blood sugar level before drinking alcohol. Many oral hypoglycemic drugs act by increasing insulin level and it is important not to drink when your stomach is empty.

Be familiar with symptoms of hypoglycemia (which you may be aware of, as most diabetics are aware of hypoglycemia symptoms by their experience), which include sleepiness, dizziness, headache, sweating, palpitation, disorientation etc. and take action to improve blood sugar level (such as eating biscuits, sugar or glucose) when you have any of these symptoms.

Some guidelines that ADA (American Diabetes Association) recommends about alcohol and diabetes (type 2 and type 1):

  • Moderation is the key, when it comes to drinking alcohol (whether you are a diabetic or a non-diabetic). Take alcohol in moderation and along with food. Discuss about alcohol and type 2 diabetes with your treating doctor and healthcare team. Read more…

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Posted by admin - June 19, 2013 at 11:44

Categories: Diabetes   Tags: , ,

Background Diabetic Retinopathy

ID-10011543Background diabetic retinopathy (BDR) is involvement of retina of the eye, commonly seen among diabetics (some degree of BDR), who have diabetes for 20 years or more. Background diabetic retinopathy is not itself dangerous for vision, but it indicates (one can say warning sign) that serious damage to eye (vision problems) is starting due to diabetic retinopathy. Presence of BDR indicates that some degree of blood vessel damage in retina has already started and need immediate intervention to strictly control blood sugar level and regular check up by ophthalmologist.

Background diabetic retinopathy is generally diagnosed during routine eye examination by eye surgeons (ophthalmologists) or by optometrists, because BDR usually do not cause any symptomatic vision problem. Presence of BDR among diabetics should give an indication that the blood glucose control is not at optimal level and need rigorous blood glucose control with insulin and oral hypoglycemic agents. Never ignore BDR, because it is a warning sign that blood vessel damage in retina has already set in.

Background diabetic retinopathy consists of micro-aneurysms, hemorrhages and hard exudates.

Micro-aneurysms:

Aneurysms are ballooned out micro/tiny blood vessels (mainly capillaries) due to weakening of walls of blood vessels, which may be due to atherosclerosis, hypertension or long-standing diabetes. Micro-aneurysms of BDR are seen under ophthalmoscope as scattered red spots in retina. Read more…

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Posted by admin - June 18, 2013 at 11:42

Categories: Diabetes   Tags: , ,

How to Find Right Health Insurance Policy

ID-10064846Health insurance is essential for all of us. Health insurance is more important than having life insurance, because it is certain that you will (everybody will) fall sick sometime. Some fall sick more frequently and some fall sick less frequently. Some individuals suffer from serious health problems and some suffer with less serious health problems. But, we all fall sick and suffer from various types of health problem. This is the truth about human life.

It is important for all of us to buy health insurance and it is more important to buy health insurance that is right for us. What is the use of buying a health insurance that does not cover preexisting diabetes, if you are already suffering from diabetes? Hence, it is important to find the health insurance policy that suits best for you, such as from health insurance sites like http://jstuckerins.com/. A policy may suit somebody, but it may not be good for you. Hence, everybody should find the health insurance policy that sits best for them and buy it. In many countries it is compulsory to have health insurance, which make it more important to select the policy that is best for you before buying it.

Before selecting a health insurance policy (tailor made or readymade policy), it is important to consider various aspects, such as:

  • Age at which you are buying health insurance? Younger age group individuals will generally require to get coverage for basic health needs. Whereas older individuals will require more individualized policies, e.g. if an older individual is suffering from hypertension, he/she should buy a health insurance policy that provide coverage for hypertension and complications that may arise from hypertension. Read more…

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Posted by admin - June 17, 2013 at 11:38

Categories: Health Insurance   Tags:

How to Choose a Doctor that’s Right for Your Children

healthy1Every single parent knows the importance of having a doctor for your child that you can trust. Having a doctor that everybody is comfortable with makes everything easier. Check ups run smooth, communication is efficient, and everybody is left happy and healthy. But what if you move to a new area or your child’s doctor retires? How do you go about finding a new one?

Finding the right doctor for your children won’t happen overnight. Don’t expect to instantly be satisfied with your search, as it can be hard to replace a doctor that’s close to your family. However, if you take your time and approach the search correctly, you’ll find comprehensive primary health care with a doctor who you can trust and who your kids enjoy. If you’re searching for a new doctor for your child for any reason, check out this article so you can be better prepared for the search and ultimately get great results.

Get Referrals from Friends and Family

If you’ve been forced to find a new doctor for your kids for any reason, the first pace you should do is ask around for referrals. Chances are that your friends that have kids of a similar age as yours have a doctor that they love, and they’d likely be happy to share that doctor with you. Read more…

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Posted by admin - June 15, 2013 at 11:33

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Jeepers Creepers, You Can Fix Your Peepers

ID-10063860Eyeglasses are potentially lifesaving instruments for people whose eyes don’t quite function as they should.  Thanks to these relatively simple devices, day to day activities are much easier for those with compromised sight.  Eyeglasses and contacts have helped countless youths become successful in school when their inability to see and read information had given them an errant reputation as lazy or unable to learn.

But nowadays, science has provided us with the opportunity to do more than just compensate for poor eyesight.  We can actually make a permanent correction of it.  Doing so will result in improvements in your life that you may not have thought of.

Most users of corrective lenses have long been accustomed to the lifestyle factors that their glasses or contacts present.  As a result, they may undervalue the opportunity to stop using prescription eyewear, regardless of whether you are planning on having surgery or not you should definitely get more info about it, sometimes people just don’t know what they are missing.

Even though you may be very satisfied with your eyesight as corrected by your prescription lenses, there are other benefits that should be considered.  Here are a few things that laser eye surgery can provide you that are above and beyond the good eyesight your lenses are already providing.  Read more…

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Posted by admin - June 14, 2013 at 11:36

Categories: Eye Health   Tags:

Brown Rice to Decrease the Risk of Diabetes

ID-10062300Brown rice, a well – known cereal grain, is very famous around the world for its nutritional value. Today, brown rice is necessary ingredient in every cuisine and respectful as a remedy that help treats many conditions and diseases, after all many ancient cultures and civilizations had known its value and usage.

A research, conducted in America in 2010, showed that the risk of developing Type B diabetes could be reduced by 10 percent if the daily intake of white rice is substituted for brown. In particular, the research concluded that people who eat two or more servings of brown rice a week are not in any danger of developing Type B diabetes. However, 20 percent of those who eat white rice every day are likely to develop it. The truth is that both white and brown rice are rich in vitamins and minerals, but the nutritional value of brown rice and its health benefits are in fact considerably higher.

Researchers noted that brown rice has a lower glycemic index then white. This index indicates the foods’ potential to raise the blood sugar. The higher the glycemic index is the greater is the potential of the food for raising the blood sugar level.  A very powerful brain food such as brown rice keeps the blood sugar stabilized and realises the sugar slowly.

This research was conducted on almost 100 000 consumers that ranged in age from 26 to 87. The research started in 1984, and updated the information every four years through 2005 and 2006. Similar study, conducted in Shanghai in 2007, showed that middle-aged women who ate white rice were at increased risk of diabetes. Read more…

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Posted by Linda - June 13, 2013 at 11:41

Categories: Diabetes, Guest Posts   Tags: , , , ,

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