Diabetes Diet, Exercise and Complications
Diabetes is a metabolic disorder that cannot be completely cured but can be managed through proper care. A diabetic patient must follow a health lifestyle, which include proper diet plan, exercises and prescribed medicines. This is the only way one can avoid or minimize the risk of diabetes long-term complications.
Diabetes Diet
Diet plays an important role in managing diabetes. The timings of the meals need to be fixed and rigidly maintained. Never skip meals. Fiber plays an important role in the diet of diabetics. The rich source of fiber is vegetables, fruits, grains and nuts. Fiber foods are not completely digested by our body. Foods rich in fiber induce a feeling of fullness, thereby reducing appetite. The consumption of fat must be reduced, focus instead of proteins and complex carbohydrates.
Diabetes Exercises
The role of exercise cannot be overestimated in managing diabetes. Although it is important not to overdo it – and exercise must always be done keeping in mind your particular parameters, for instance, cardiac stimulation – regular exercise definitely helps a diabetic bring the glucose levels down. Simply put a muscle at rest resists the action of insulin; an exercising muscle is more responsive to it. An obese patient may have sufficient or even an excess of insulin circulating in his body, but his system may resist it by way of peripheral tissue. Also, the more physically active you are, the more efficient your body is in handling the carbohydrate load.
Complications of Diabetes
If the blood glucose level is not controlled it may lead to following complications -
1. Heart disease
2. Kidney disease
3. Blindness
4. Impotency
5. Amputation
Disclaimer: This article is not meant to provide health advice and is for general information only. Always seek the insights of a qualified health professional before embarking on any health program.
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Nick Mutt
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admin on March 13th 2010 in Diabetes Fruits and Vegetables
sleepin_in_my_head responded on 13 Mar 2010 at 1:23 pm #
Diabetes. Possibility to go blind or develop other complications….?
I have a friend who was diagnosed with type II diabetes 2 years ago. During that 2 year span she took no measures to take care of herself. Now during the past 4 months or so, she’s made a dramatic change & has lost over 35 lbs & has taken control of her diabetes. She’s on a proper diabetic diet, has good blood sugar levels & has a exercise regime that she consistently follows. But even with all this change, she still has vision problems. (note: she wore glasses before being diagnosed a diabetic)
Is it possible for someone who has their diabetes under control to lose their eyesight? Or even possibly lose their limbs and have problems with the function and health of their organs? Did the 2 years since she was diagnosed & proceeded to not take care of herself be a factor in her worsening vision? or any other complications she might face in the near future?
nosaj_MD_2b responded on 13 Mar 2010 at 6:25 pm #
It takes years of having high blood sugars to develop neuropathies and vascular diseases. What was her average blood sugar then?? She can also develop cataracts which can decrease vision too. Just tell her to keep up the good work and don’t stress.
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heathermagoo13 responded on 13 Mar 2010 at 6:27 pm #
Tell her to go to an opthamalogist and get checked for diabetes in the eye. I’m only 23 and this condition generally develops later in one’s life (if it develops at all) and I have my eyes checked for that every year.
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Chris responded on 13 Mar 2010 at 6:29 pm #
Two years is long time to not attempt control of a diabetic condition. If your friend’s blood glucose levels were very high she may have suffered some permanent damage to parts of her body. The most would have been in her sight. The blood vessels are quite small and easily damaged.
Have you or her noticed dryer skin or calluses on her feet. She should notice if there are bruises on her feet that are slow to heal. She should wear comfortable shoes and wicking stocks to keep her feet dry. Has her hair thinned?
Just a few complications. Best Wishes.
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SugarBabie responded on 13 Mar 2010 at 6:31 pm #
Most type 2 diabetics don’t even get diagnosed until they’ve had diabetes for several years, on average 8 years, sometimes more. Ignoring the problem for 2 years just made things worse. Of course she has damage at this point. There’s no question. However, at least she has made some changes and the deterioration should slow down.
Unlike type 1 diabetes, which frequently has a sudden onset of symptoms and reaches a crisis point before diagnosis is made, the signs of type 2 diabetes may be gradual and more insidious. Often, the first symptoms that people with undiagnosed type 2 diabetes experience are those from complications of the disease, such as blurry vision (retinopathy) or foot pain (neuropathy).
FROM…
http://www.dlife.com/dLife/do/ShowContent/type2_information/symptoms/
Read this link for blood sugar levels at which the damage starts for various parts of the body systems
http://www.phlaunt.com/diabetes/14045678.php
and these links for more info http://www.phlaunt.com/diabetes/sp3index.php
There is no way to know what the future will hold for your friend. If she has blood circulation problems from nerve damage, etc, then she is at higher risk for losing limbs. It is vital that she keeps her blood sugar under good control from now on.
Her optomitrist can use special new equipment to measure the amount of neuropathy in her eyes and the pressure can be checked too. She should have a yearly eye exam so that problems are caught as early as possible.
She should also be seeing her doctor about every 3 to 6 months for regular diabetes checkups, in addition to her regular annual checkups. It is vital that high blood pressure also be treated, as it can lead to kidney disease and failure, especially in diabetics. Heart disease is what kills most diabetics, so that’s another area she has to be viligent in.
She faces all the possible complications that diabetes can bring. Good control lessens the risks, but that two years of neglect, on top of the usual delay in diagnosis is not good news.
Please encourage her to stay on top of it as she is doing now. She should follow Jennifer’s testing regime to make sure she really does have good control. You can find it here…
http://www.diabetic-talk.org/jennifer.htm
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Buzz s responded on 13 Mar 2010 at 6:33 pm #
Having diabetes under control will help keep away the complications, but some still will come sooner or later. The aim is to keep good control and stop this from happening.
The question is about eyesight. Does this friend have diabetic changes to the eye already? If so, that is certainly an area of concern and focus.
Type 2 diabetics can have the disease for as many as 5 years before diagnosis. In that time a lot of things can happen and a significant group are diagnosed with diabetes when complications are found.
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MamaSmurf responded on 13 Mar 2010 at 6:35 pm #
It very well could have affected her vision. And she may have been in denial during the period of time that she did not take care of herself. I’m happy to hear she is up and on the right track. Depending on what her problem was with her eyesight before she became diabetic, not being in control of her disease may have worsened it. In past years, before we learned how to control diabetes better and developed better medications, and how to be able to read sugar levels with little machines instead of urine samples, amputation was not uncommon.. Mostly feet, toes, legs. This was because we developed sores and other injuries that did not heal and developed gangrene. This is when the tissue basically rots from no oxygen flow to the injured area. Today, we know how to take care of our feet better and can treat wounds that heal slowly much better. As long as she is eating right, taking her meds as she should, testing about 8 times daily, getting enough exercise, and seeing her doctor about every 4 months, she is doing just about everything she can do for a healthy life. She deserves a big pat on the back.
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da d responded on 13 Mar 2010 at 6:37 pm #
If you have diabetes under control, it will help slow down complications from coming. Keep it under control and you will have no major worries.
If you read the book "Diabesity" it says that type 2 diabetics can have the disease for as many as 5 years before diagnosis. In that time a lot of things can happen and for some they are diagnosed when complications are found.
The question is about eyesight. Does this friend have any damage to the eye already?
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