Diabetic alert
Dr. Maswoodur Rahman Prince
Eye : Annual eye examinations are essential for all diabetics. See an eye doctors right away if you experience vision changes - blurred, fluctuating double vision.
Diabetic foot : If you have diabetes, you probably know it can cause problems throughout your body. And your feet are no exception.
High blood sugar levels can damage nerves or blood vessels in your feet. Nerve damage can cause loss of feeling, setting off a cascade of problems. You might, for example, not feel a blister or other injury to your foot. If the injury is not found, an infection could develop. In extreme cases, open sores and infection can lead to the loss of a limb.
Control your diabetes.
Check your feet daily for signs of trouble.
Use caution with calluses. Untrimmed calluses can lead to open sores and infection. Dont try cutting your own calluses or corns. Your doctor or foot care specialist can do this for you.
Ask your doctor about using a pumice stone to smooth corns or calluses when your skin is soft from bathing.
Take care of your skin. Its best not to soak your feet. This can dry your skin. Do wash your feet every day in warm-not hot-water. Be careful to dry your feet and between your toes after bathing.
Use a thin coat of petroleum jelly. lotion, car cream on the tops and bottoms of your feet-not between your toes.
Buy shoes that fit. Well-fitting shoes help prevent blisters, calluses or other problem. Walking shoes are a good choice.
Medicare may help pay for special shoes or inserts to prevent serious foot problems in people with diabetes. Ask your doctor or a Medicate representative if you can qualify.
Protect your feet. Avoid going barefoot at all times. Outdoor hazards are obvious. Even indoors you might step on something that could hurt your feet. Wear lightly padded socks with no seams to avoid irritating your skin.
High blood sugar levels can damage nerves or blood vessels in your feet. Nerve damage can cause loss of
feeling, setting off
a cascade of
problems
Dont smoke. Smoking contributes to poor blood flow.
Have your feet examined by a doctor at least once a year. Have them checked more often if you have foot problems.
Now : Dressings containing freeze-dried bovine collagen help heal both infected and non-infected ulcers helping to save the limb.
Also helpful : Do not walk barefoot ......... dont wear tight shoes .......... wash your feet every day with a mild, nondrying cleaner ....... and see a podiatrist, if available, on a regular basis.
Glucose level alert : Elevated glucose levels can trigger depression, fatigue, apathy and malaise. Diabetics should monitor feelings as well as glucose levels - and repeat problems to their doctors.
Milk and diabetic connection : Infants given cows milk formula during their first six months face an increased risk of diabetes later in life.
Theory : A protien in cows milk - bovine serum albumin - is similar to protiens found in insulin - producing cells in the pancreas. In infants genetically predisposed to diabetes, antibodies that form to attack bovine serum albumin wind up attacking the pancreas cell as well.
Lesson : Mothers should breastfeed babies atleast for the first six months.
Alcohol and diabetes : Moderate drinkers are 30% to 40% less likely than non drinkers to develop adult on set (Type-1) diabetes. This common condition is associated with blindness, kidney failure and heart disease. Researchers do not yet have an explanation for this anti-diabetes effect. One theory is that drinking with meals slows food absorption, which keeps insulin level steady. Another is that alcohol makes cells throughout the body more sensitive to insulin.
Diabetes and vitamine D: Vitamine D may play a part in preventing diabetes. A swedes study found that men with lower levels of vitamine D had higher blood pressure, higher triglyceride fat levels and higher insulin resistance, all factor associated with type II or adult onset diabetes.
Three misconception about two kinds of diabets: Diabetes is a major disease both in developed and developing countries. It is one of the leading cause of both blindness and kidney failure. It can cause nerve damage that requires amputations. And diabetes greatly raises the risk for heart disease and stroke.
Diabetes and viral infections : They interfare with stomach motility by several mechanism
including direct injury to nerves leading to the stomach or encouragement of overgrowth of intestinal bacteria.
Untreated reflux can cause chronic inflammation of the esophagus, a serious disorder marked by hoarseness, bleeding, pain, scarring, difficult swallowing, nausea and frequent awakening at night.
Diabetes and fatigue : Adult onset diabetes is an often-over looked source of persistent fatigue. to rule out this condition, ask your doctor for a fasting blood glucose test.
Diabetes and Surgery : If you have diabetes ask your doctor about tight control of your blood sugar before surgery. The better you manage your diabetes, the lower your risk of post operative infection.
