At this point of time, diabetes is one of the most chronic, fastest growing lifestyle disease in the world. Also known as diabetes mellitus, the condition is basically a metabolic disorder, wherein the human body cannot store and use fuel for the energy. This fuel or glucose is the one that powers all our bodily organs and ensures that we have the energy to carry out activities throughout the day.

And while diabetes is a popular medical condition, a lot of people don't have much information about it. Although, they know the major types of diabetes, they have no clue about the difference between them. Here we outline type I vs type ii diabetes-

***Type I diabetes- Formerly known as juvenile onset or insulin dependent diabetes, type I diabetes is the one in which your body's immune system destroys all kinds of cells that release insulin. Over a period of time, this results in elimination of insulin production from the body, because of which the cells cannot absorb glucose or sugar and produce energy. Type I diabetes have episodes of low blood sugar level and it cannot be problem. Symptoms usually start from childhood or young adulthood.

***Type ii diabetes- The adult onset or non-insulin dependent diabetes can develop at any age, particularly after the 30s, although the cases of same are rising rapidly among children. This type of diabetes involves production of insulin, but not in a right way, a condition known as insulin resistance. For this kind of diabetes, the person usually might not have symptoms before the diagnoses and there are rarely any episodes of low sugar level. It can be easily prevented or delayed by following a healthy lifestyle and indulging in regular exercising.

If you have any of the above symptoms or have more questions related to diabetes, click on consult privately to ask me.

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You Surely Know About Diabetes. But Do You Know Its Various Types?

 Thyroid is a small gland situated in front of the neck and secretes hormones like thyroxine (T4) and tri-iodothyronine (T3). These hormones control various functions of our body like heart, blood pressure, digestion, metabolism, growth, blood formation, brain function etc. Any fluctuation in the functioning of the thyroid gland can have a great impact on health. The thyroid gland is primarily responsible for energy and metabolism. This gland triggers the genes that make all the cells in the body conduct their specific jobs. But over a period of time, the optimum functioning of the thyroid may reduce because of specific reasons. The gland may start to under-produce or overproduce the thyroid hormone, which may lead to conditions known as hypothyroidism or hyperthyroidism, respectively. 

Patients with hypothyroidism may feel extreme tiredness and fatigue even though they may be sleeping more than before. An unexplained gain in weight, constipation, inability to stand cold temperatures, and constant pain in muscles and joints are some of the other symptoms of hypothyroidism. 
Hyperthyroidism, or overactive thyroid, is an endocrine disorder. Patients with this disorder may experience excessive sweating, fatigue, and intolerance to heat. They may even experience restlessness, puffy or protruded eyes, hair loss, and muscle weakness. Such patients may lose weight and are unable to sleep properly at night. In some cases, palpitations or abnormal heart rhythm may also be experienced. 
Complications of Thyroid Disorder 

Hypothyroid and hyperthyroid can cause a number of complications if patients don t take medications. It is important for you to not to ignore any of the aforementioned symptoms and speak to your doctor as soon as possible. 

Hypothyroid complications

Myxedema: This condition is characterized by slowed thinking, swelling of tissues, and accumulation of fluid around major organs like brain, lungs and/or heart. This condition may prove life-threatening if not treated on time. 
Enlarged goiter: This is characterized by enlargement of the thyroid gland because of a constant increase in the TSH levels. High cholesterol and triglycerides: This may eventually pave way for heart disease and stroke. 
Sleep apnea: Sleep apnea is a disorder that affects nighttime breathing where the brain that temporarily stops sending signals to the muscles that control breathing, or by an obstruction in the airway. This may prove fatal if left untreated. 
Low blood pressure: This means not enough blood is getting to capillaries and tissues, particularly in your hands, feet, and brain. You may have chronic nail fungal infections and cold hands and feet if so. 
Hyperthyroid complications 

Heart disorders (cardiac arrest): If left untreated, excess thyroid hormones can lead to congestive heart failure and heart rhythm disorders. 
Osteoporosis: Too much thyroid hormones interfere with the body s ability to use calcium to build bone. This may lead to brittle bones and osteoporosis. 
Thyrotoxic crisis: This is a rare yet life-threatening complication characterized by high fever, vomiting, irregular heartbeat, and agitation. 
Hypertension or high blood pressure: It is a condition in which a patient has high blood force striking the walls of the artery An early diagnosis can help make the treatment of this disorder easier. 
Depending on the condition of the thyroid condition, it requires different ways to manage it. The conventional TSH (thyroid-stimulating hormone) and T-4 (thyroxine) blood tests will be advised and the results should provide a reasonable confirmation of the condition. If doubts still persist an ultrasound or scan can also be ordered. In case you have a concern or query you can always consult an expert & get answers to your questions!

Is Your Thyroid Gland Working Against Your Body? 

What complications are associated with diabetes?

Diabetes is a serious disorder which happens when your body has an unreasonably high level of blood sugar, which further leads to harmful effects. Diabetes has a wide variety of complications associated with it, and they start to build up slowly and gradually. Some of the common complications are:

Retinopathy

In simple words, diabetes leads to eye damage by making the eye exposed and prone to severe eye disorders like cataracts and glaucoma. If you have retinopathy, then you may also have face the consequence loss of vision or permanent blindness.

Skin conditions

During diabetes, your skin health is bound to degrade to a large extent. Your skin will become thin in texture and more prone to cuts and breakages due to internal skin cell damage. Thus, the skin gets more exposed to the bacterial and viral infections and its healing process also slows down as the cell division takes longer than usual.

Nephropathy

Nephropathy refers to kidney damage which is caused due to diabetes. The kidneys act as a filter system to the body and they filter out waste materials from the blood. Diabetes causes damage to the blood vessels of the kidneys which may further result in serious kidney disorders and may increase the risks of a sudden kidney failure.

Cardiovascular diseases

This means that if you are having excessive diabetes, then you are at a risk of having a major heart attack or a heart stroke. Additionally, increased blood sugar levels also lead to other heart-related diseases like chest pain, narrowing of arteries etc.

Neuropathy

It is a complication related to the nervous system of your body. The complication generally occurs in the legs as there is a numbness, burning or tingling sensation in the legs. This happens due to the extra sugar in the body, which damages the walls of the blood vessels. In the worst case scenario, you can lose sensation in the legs.

However, it is always desirable that you go and visit a doctor if the conditions persist for a longer time. Additionally, you can also depend upon some domestic care measures to bring your blood sugar levels under control.



What complications are associated with diabetes?

Are you suffering from diabetes? If yes, then it s time for you to be extra careful about your health. Diabetes may cause several other diseases as well. You must check your lifestyle and take medical efforts to get rid of diabetes as soon as possible. 


You are at risk of developing nerve damages (neuropathy), vascular injuries and other heart diseases, regardless of your age, sex or other external or internal factors. Diabetes patients must strive to maintain fasting blood glucose levels less than 110 mg/dL and hemoglobin HbA1C level less than 7%.  Also, diabetes patients should keep a check on blood pressure and cholesterol levels. 


Here s how diabetes can affect your overall health:
1. Check your heart: There is a correlation between blood pressure, cholesterol levels and diabetes. Researchers have found that high bad cholesterol levels act as a hindrance to insulin regulation. People with diabetes are more likely to develop heart-related diseases. About 60% diabetes patients die due to heart attacks. Diabetes is responsible for hardening of arteries or atherosclerosis. This situation is dangerous and can cause heart attacks, strokes or other chronic diseases.


2. Neuropathy: Diabetes leads to impaired nerve function. This is called neuropathy. This condition is of two types: Peripheral (which affects toes, feet, legs, hand and arms) and Autonomic (which affects digestion, bowel, bladder, heart and sexual activity). Symptoms of neuropathy include tingling, weakness, burning sensation, numbness in the limbs, digestive disorders, infection of the bladder and erectile dysfunction.


3. Nephropathy: Diabetes is responsible for causing damage to the kidneys as well. This is called nephropathy. In this condition, the filters in the kidney or glomeruli get damaged. As a result, there is a leakage of protein in the urine. Consequently, kidneys get damaged. Urine showing small amounts of protein is an indication of kidney damage. About 20-40% patients suffering from diabetes die due to renal failure. The symptoms of renal disorder due to diabetes include itching, fatigue, urine with protein, swelling of feet and ankles and pale skin colour.


4. Foot ulcers and amputations: Diabetes causes non-injury amputations as it affects the nerve in the limbs, especially foot. Usually, minor infections in the foot may lead to ulcers and later require amputation. In rare cases, Charcot joint or Charcot foot may also occur. This is called neuropathic arthropathy. The symptoms include swelling and reddening of the foot. The bones of the affected foot have a tendency to develop cracks, deforming the entire region.


5. Retinopathy: Diabetes leads to blindness in adults. The eye disorder caused due to diabetes is called retinopathy. Patients with diabetes develop cataract easily. The capillaries and blood vessels in the retina get damaged or obstructed, resulting in damage to the entire retina.

Diabetes: It Can be the Reason Behind Other Disorders

The body has multiple chemicals called hormones, which regulate many of its functions. Increased or decreased levels of these hormones affect various functions including metabolism, growth and sexual functions. Thyroxin produced by the thyroid (situated in the front of the neck) is one such hormone, which has a significant role to play in metabolism.

Graves  disease is one of the main causes of hyperthyroidism, where there is excessive production of thyroid hormones. Graves  disease is an autoimmune disorder, wherein the body reacts against its own tissues. It is very common in women than men, especially after 20 years of age. Family history also has a strong correlation in developing Graves  disease. The high levels of thyroid hormone increase the rate of metabolism, thereby altering weight, mental energy levels, physical stamina, and also mood.

Thyroid hormone is related to metabolism and more amount of it lead to higher metabolism. This causes the following symptoms.

    Intolerance to heat
    Excessive sweating
    Nervousness and anxiety
    Inability sleep, as the mind is always excited
    Increased appetite (sometimes despite weight loss) due to higher metabolism
    Irregular menstrual cycles
    Palpitations (rapid, loud heartbeat)
    Irregular heartbeats (tachyarrhythmia)
    Fine tremors of the extended arms
    Breast enlargement in men, known as gynecomastia
    Extreme moodiness, causing irritability and anger
    Inability to focus and concentrate
    General fatigue and shortness of breath with any exertion
    Increased frequency of bowel movements

In addition, the eye symptoms are quite diagnostic including:

    Protrusion of the eyes (exophthalmos), giving an impression that they are going to fall out
    Double vision
    Excessive tearing
    Increased irritation in the eyes

Diagnosis: The first symptom would be the presence of an enlarged thyroid gland (front of the neck above the collarbone), and the some of the above symptoms would be present.
In addition, tests to check for thyroid gland functioning including T3 and T4 levels would reveal increased amounts of hormone in the blood stream.
As a confirmatory test, the radioactive iodine uptake test also is done, which will indicate increased uptake by the thyroid gland. This indicates that the gland is functioning at an increased pace and requires additional iodine for the production of thyroid hormones.

Treatment: There are two approaches to it, one to control the symptoms and the other to control the thyroid gland per se.

    Beta blockers are very useful in controlling rapid heart rate and anxiety.
    Prednisone may be used to control eye irritation and swelling
    Antithyroid drugs are used to control the production of thyroid
    Radioactive iodine is given orally to control excessive thyroid production
    In severe cases, thyroid gland may be surgically removed partially or completely

Graves  disease is not life-threatening and once symptoms are controlled, the patient s quality of life improves drastically.

Graves' Disease - Things You Should Know About It

Hypertension or High Blood Pressure can trigger as well as worsen complications related to diabetes. Most people suffering from diabetes tend to develop hypertension later in their lives. Diabetes tends to increase one s blood pressure, making him/her even more vulnerable to other heart diseases and cardio-vascular disorders. Diabetes often leads to a condition known as atherosclerosis, which is the hardening of the arteries. A combination of diabetes and hypertension drastically increases the risk of suffering from a heart disease. The risks of kidney diseases and retinopathy (damage to the tiny blood vessels present in the retina) also go up, resulting in blindness. With age, chronic hypertension can also result in numerous cognitive disorders such as dementia or Alzheimer s disease (degenerative mental disorder).

How to prevent Diabetes and Hypertension?
1. Walking for about 40 minutes each day or engaging in any type of aerobic exercise can better one s heart health. Chalk out an exercise plan upon consulting the doctor
2. Limit drinking and abstain from smoking
3. Go for regular kidney check-ups
4. Eat food rich in fiber such as vegetables, fruits, breads or whole grain cereals
5. Examine blood pressure as well as blood sugar levels regularly at home
6. Practice relaxation techniques such as meditation or yoga to cut down on stress level; as stress is one of the major contributors to diabetes and the subsequent hypertension
7. Shed off your extra pounds as blood pressure escalates with weight

Hypertension and Diabetes - How They are Related?

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