Glucose

A healthy lifestyle, moderate but regular exercise and a balanced diet may serve as a key to avoid Diabetes

Diabetes is essentially the body’s inability to deal with sugar in the bloodstream. Diabetes is a disease that strikes more people every year and the increase seems to continue. The body changes most of the food you eat into glucose. The blood takes the glucose to the cells throughout the body. The glucose needs insulin to get into body’s cells. Insulin helps the glucose from food get into body cells. If not controlled, diabetes can lead to blindness, heart disease, stroke, kidney failure, amputations and nerve damage. In women, it can cause problem during pregnancy. There are two reasons:

- Either the pancreas does not produce enough insulin to break down the sugar in the body. It is also called Type I diabetes whereby the patient has to inject insulin into his body. It is caused by an auto immune reaction where the body’s defense system attacks the insulin producing cells.
- Insulin being produced is insufficient. It is also called Type II diabetes. It is when the body does not or cannot use the insulin effectively. It is often related to lifestyle and eating pattern.

Diabetes is quite capable to affect all the parts of the body and their functions. Diabetes Mellitus is a disease in which abnormally high levels of sugar in the blood are seen. When the amount of glucose in the blood increases, it triggers the release of the hormone insulin from the pancreas. Insulin stimulates muscle and fat cells to remove glucose from the blood and stimulates the liver to metabolize glucose, causing the blood sugar level to decrease to normal range.

As a result of the steady percolation of sugar rich blood the functioning of nearly all the vital organs is impacted and over time, diabetes begins to dramatically impact and invariably damage the heart, blood vessels, kidneys, eyes and the nervous system. Diabetes is not age dependent. It can affect young as well as old.

A healthy lifestyle, moderate but regular exercise and a balanced diet may serve as a key to avoid a disease.
- Indulge in brisk walking for minimum of 30 minutes, 5 times a week.
- Maintain an ideal body weight.

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Autonomic Neuropathy

Autonomic neuropathy affects the nerves that control the heart, regulate blood pressure, and control blood glucose levels. Autonomic neuropathy also affects other internal organs, causing problems with digestion, respiratory function, urination, sexual response, and vision.

Symptoms vary depending on the nerve(s) affected. They usually develop gradually over years.
- Digestive tract :
* Constipation
* Diarrhea
* Feeling full after only a few bites (early satiety)
* Nausea after eating
* Swollen abdomen
* Unintentional loss of more than 5% of body weight
* Vomiting of undigested food
- Heart :
* Sensation of what is going on in the heart is blunted.
* Blood pressure changes with position.
* Dizziness that occurs when standing up.
* Lacking oxygen, the heart feels pained, a condition called angina. But a diabetic may not feel anything, or realize anything is wrong.
- Urinary tract :
* Difficulty beginning to urinate.
* Feeling of incomplete bladder emptying.
* Urinary incontinence (overflow incontinence).
- Other symptoms :
* Abnormal sweating
* Fainting
* Heat intolerance, induced by exercise
* Male impotence
Occasionally, other symptoms may indicate a problem in the function of the autonomic nervous system, including:
* Difficulty swallowing
* Excessive sweating
* Irregular heart rhythms
* High blood pressure
* Rapid or slow heart rate

Treatment is supportive and may need to be long-term. Several treatments may be attempted before a successful one is found.
* Florinef and salt tablets to increase fluid volume in blood vessels.
* Fludrocortisone or similar medications to reduce postural hypotension.
* Medications to help with salt and fluid retention.
* Proamatine to prevent a drop in blood pressure when standing.
* Sleeping with the head raised.
* Use of elastic stockings.
Treatments for reduced gastric motility include:
* Medications that increase gastric motility (such as Reglan).
* Sleeping with the head raised.
* Small, frequent meals.