Showing posts with label insulin. Show all posts
Showing posts with label insulin. Show all posts

Sunday, October 5, 2014

Reverse Insulin Resistance Using Simple And Precise Guidelines

By Mattie MacDonald

Chronic illnesses form part of the most challenging types of diseases to treat; some being incurable while others can be managed sufficiently using available curative drugs. Diabetes is one such chronic illness and it has multiple causes. Two major causes are stated as resistance to insulin produced while the other is insufficient production of insulin from islet cells of pancreas. Scholars have done much research and have this far proven that it is possible to reverse insulin resistance.

Eating sugar rich food is the primary cause of blood sugar rise. Reversing this phenomenon would then be simple and only require omitting such sugary food in diet. Similarly, individual may decide to take small amounts of carbohydrates if it becomes difficult to eliminate them from diet. It is advisable that diabetic persons take much of food rich in fats and proteins and omit sugar rich meals.

Exercise is yet another effective way of reversing chronic fluctuations in blood sugars. This may be possible in two ways; first is by eliminating excess sugars in the blood. During intense exercise, body cells consume much of available sugars through respiration and therefore there is no overload of the vascular system with carbohydrate. Secondly, intense activity promotes consumption of carbohydrates and therefore reduces production of insulin. Over a period of time, insulin levels begin to stabilize.

It is worthy to note that the above two components are synergistic. Withdrawing sugar rich food from diet and regular exercise concurrently is very efficient in managing this condition. In addition, exercise serves to control autonomic nervous system hence stopping adrenal glands from releasing adrenalin. This hormone adrenalin is responsible for release of triglycerides into the blood stream, an activity which leads to rise of blood sugar.

Adequate sleep and proper stress management is equally significant as a remedy against insulin resistance. A sleep time of up to eight hours a night is just enough. When the body is well rested and not in distress, there is no release of stress related substances which trigger rise in blood sugars.

Better still, it has been proven that nutritional deficiency contributes to this resistance. Most important among the involved food components are vitamin B6, glutamine and chromium. If need be, these components should be supplemented to reduces occurrence of resistance in the population. Other food components and or nutrients include manganese, magnesium and vitamin B group among many more.

Some more useful tips to manage this condition include avoidance of caffeine, alcohol and tobacco smoke. All these mentioned substances lead to increased production of triglycerides and hence high levels of carbohydrates in vascular system.

In summary maintaining good health is essential and all persons should make their responsibility to achieve acceptable standards of health. On a similar note, it is worth noting that people can easily maintain or restore health simply by adjusting their lifestyle. It may sound difficult but worth doing. For instance, a person who is diabetic and also alcoholic must stop drinking alcohol and choose good health. Otherwise, even the use of drugs to control this disease may not bear any fruit.

About the Author:

Monday, October 11, 2010

Living with Insulin Pumps

In type 1 diabetes, the pancreas no longer releases insulin, so the glucose keeps circulating in the blood with no way out. Managing diabetes is a balancing act between insulin and blood glucose.

Finding the right amount of insulin to keep blood glucose levels as close to normal as possible is the key to good control. It may take a while to become comfortable with injecting.

Insulin shock occurs when the level of your blood sugar drops quickly and leads to unconsciousness. It is a severe form of hypoglycemia and can be fatal if not treated in a timely manner.

In those with type 1 diabetes, shock is almost always related to a recent injection. The person may have been injected with too much or had an insufficient amount of food to balance the effects of the insulin taken.

To prevent shock you must learn how your body shows symptoms of hypoglycemia. The most common early warning symptoms are feeling confused, tired, hungry shaky, sweaty, and anxious.

If these symptoms are left untreated, it could lead to shock and result in seizures, coma or even death. But prompt treatment of symptoms can prevent insulin shock.

Most people use pumps to help them control their diabetes. The pump is used by tens of thousands of people of all ages.

Many studies have shown improved glucose management outcomes for those using one. It allows for more flexibility in lifestyle and the potential to even out the wide blood sugar fluctuations that are often experienced when injecting.

A pump eliminates the need for injections using a syringe. Instead of multiple injections every day, you only need to reinsert the needle once every two to three days.

You may be able to level out many blood glucose swings. Because you receive a continuous low dosage of insulin 24 hours a day, you are not prone to the rapid drop in glucose levels that can occur after injections with fast-acting insulin.

Pumps increase the flexibility of your diabetes management. If your schedule causes you to eat at odd times or miss a meal occasionally, you can more easily adjust to these circumstances with this device.

Because pumps use fast-acting insulin, extra can be given to cover a meal with the simple push of a button. The device can reduce low blood sugar reactions.

There are greater risks of hypoglycemia with injections because you must take larger doses of at one time. The continuous flow of insulin a pump provides reduces the risk of a low, which is especially helpful at night when injecting too much could increase the risk of a low reaction during sleep.

The small devices were originally used by people with type 1 diabetes to help them achieve near-normal blood glucose levels while decreasing the incidences of hypoglycemia. Keeping tight control of blood sugar levels near-normal is a balancing act, with type 1 diabetes, because of the danger of bringing blood sugar too low, creating a hypoglycemic crisis.

The device helps keep the levels more constant with less fluctuation, and that reduces the risks. Flexibility is one of the major benefits of the pump.

People like the fact that they can live life more on their own terms. They don't have to plan their day around meal plans and injections.

It offers more choices regarding what you eat and when you eat it. The device especially helps kids and adolescents feel like they "fit in" with their classmates.

Your health care provider can help you decide about a device since there is a lot to learn. A basal rate will be determined by your provider based on your individual needs.

You'll learn how to figure out bolus doses and when to give them. Preventing ketoacidosis and hypoglycemia, formulas for sports and exercise, how to care for insertion sites and how to use the device are all things that should be addressed at the start.

Most people like the pump and feel that improvement in quality of life far outweighs the time and effort needed to effectively make the switch to the device. Although many insurance companies cover some or all of the cost of the pump, some cover more than others.

Jack R. Landry has worked as a nurse practitioner for the last 16 years. He has worked in local clinics and the ER and recommends (http://livingwithoutdisease.com) for high blood pressure cure.