There was an era where we had deadly infections like plague and polio causing death of thousands of people. We still have occasional outbreak of swine flu, but by and large, infections are quite controlled. The new killer diseases are caused because of the lifestyle we have adapted and the damage we have done to the environment. High intake of processed foods, artificial chemicals in our foods, sedentary lifestyle with very minimal to no physical activity, couching over the computers; the list is quite long. All these have led to diseases like diabetes and cancer that were not so common about say few decades ago.

Detailed observation has revealed that both these new epidemiologic diseases have a close correlation. There are factors, which induce diabetes and diabetes in turn and in some cases, diabetes inducing agents, can cause cancer also. It has also been observed that mortality is severely increased if diabetic patients are diagnosed with cancer. There are two types of diabetes. While type 1 is mostly hereditary, type 2 is lifestyle induced and the age at which this is being diagnosed is taking a severe plunge. Adolescents and teenagers are being diagnosed for diabetes. Cancer, on the other hand, is of various types (leukaemia, melanoma, etc.) and can affect various organs (lung, breast, prostate, stomach, liver, etc.).

The medical community is yet to decipher the disease pattern of both these conditions. While there is no definite correlation between diabetes and all types of cancer, some types of cancer are definitely correlated with a definite reason identified, pancreatic and liver cancer for instance. The high amounts of insulin that diabetic patients are exposed to causes changes in liver and pancreas including fatty liver and cirrhosis, here the incidence of cancer is higher. The linkage is not very clear in lung and intestinal cancers and also there is no link between prostate cancer and diabetes.

Diabetes is considered as a state of chronic inflammation and leads to conditions like hyperinsulinemia (higher levels of insulin in the blood) hyperglycemia (higher levels of sugar in the blood). These are believed to aggravate the neoplastic process of cancer formation, thereby inducing cancer at a greater pace and also increasing the mortality rates.

The following are risk factors that are applicable to both age, physical activity, diet, obesity, drinking and smoking. It is also possible that onset of one can be followed by the other. As noted earlier, more detailed research is awaited to establish a definite linkage, but the correlation cannot be ignored at all.

Both these new epidemics are here to stay and since they have a common set of factors, we need to work on ways to contain them.

Diabetes and Cancer: The New Epidemic?

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?

Disregarding genital tract infections and issues including the symptoms of the same can lead to problems when it comes to fertility. It may also cause problems in your sexual life. Genital problems can also lead to infertility. These days, infertility is a noteworthy and very important occurrence that plagues many couples.

Common Infections: A large portion of these genital tract diseases occurs because of infections. Salpingitis happens in close to 15% of ladies in their reproductive age and 2.5% of all ladies get to be infertile as an aftereffect of salpingitis by age 35. Many times, symptoms of conditions and STDs like Chlamydia trachomatis are usually nonexistent. The real rate of ladies with upper genital tract infections is presumably underestimated.

Infection and Infertility: Infectious agents can hinder different vital human functions, including reproduction. Bacteria, fungi, infections and viruses can meddle with the reproductive capacity in both genders. Diseases of male genito-urinary tract represent around 15% of the instance of male infertility. Diseases can influence distinctive areas of the male regenerative tract, for example, the testis, epididymis and male sex organs and glands. Urogenital diseases at various levels of their advancement, development and transport can affect the sperms themselves in this manner. Among the most widely recognized microorganisms required for sexually transmitted diseases, meddling with male fertility are Chlamydia trachomatis and Neisseria gonorrhea.

Symptoms: If the following symptoms of a genital tract infection are ignored, it can definitely lead to the person being infertile in some stage of life or immediately. These are as follows:

The signs and symptoms in males are

Changes in the way you discharge
Bleeding while urinating or discharge
Thick white, yellow or green release from the tip of the penis along with pain in urethra or pain while urinating
A hard but painless sore on the penis along with swelling of the lymph hubs in the crotch
Pain or uneasiness while urinating or discharge from the urethra
Difficult or irritated red spots and small blisters on the penis
Chestnut bits on the hair around the penis
Gentle delicacy around one of the testicles
Delicate swelling in the scrotum on one or both sides
Extreme pain after injury to your penis
The signs and symptoms in women are as follows:

Irregular vaginal discharge with a pungent smell
Burning sensation while urinating
Tingling or itching in the outer area of vagina
Uneasiness and pain during sex
Sore vagina
Foamy greenish-yellow discharge with a foul smell
Light bleeding after intercourse
Warts in the vagina
Regular check-ups and visits to the gynecologist are very essential. One should always keep the partner updated about their sexual health problems to practice a healthy and honest relationship and to avoid further contagious infections from occurring.

Can Genital Tract Infections Lead to Infertility?

Diabetes is a condition where the blood sugar level rises in your body either due to less insulin level in the body or reduced sensitivity of the body to insulin. The foods you eat have a major role in controlling your blood sugar levels. You need to pick your foods wisely to prevent your blood sugar levels from spiking.


The various foods that you should be eating if you have diabetes are:

1. Dark chocolate: chocolate contains good amounts of flavonoids that help in improving insulin sensitivity and limits food cravings. It also reduces your chances of heart attack.

2. Blueberries: blueberries are rich in fiber that helps you in managing your blood sugar levels. They also contain anthocyanins that assist in regulating your blood sugar levels.

3. Fish: fish is rich in omega 3 fatty acids that reduce inflammation in the body, thus reducing your chances of heart problems. Fish is also a good source of protein that helps you in feeling fuller.

4. Olive oil: olive oil is rich in antioxidants that help in reducing your chances of heart diseases and diabetes.

5. Oranges: make sure you eat plenty of oranges as they are rich in vitamin c and they reduce the risk of diabetes. You may also opt for broccoli or strawberries.

The various foods you should avoid are:

1. White rice: white rice is a refined grain which, when consumed, tends to spike your blood sugar levels. You can instead opt for brown rice.

2. Bananas: banana may contain vitamins and minerals, but are also rich in carbohydrates. Instead, opt for fruits like berries that are not only rich in fiber and antioxidants, but also have a low glycemic index.

3. Sugary foods: the term sugary foods is used to describe foods such as pastries, cakes, and cookies. These foods are carbohydrate rich and do not contribute much in making the body healthy. Instead, replace them with natural foods such as chickpeas and peanuts.

4. Dried fruit: various dried fruits contain a high concentration of sugar, which happens due to the dehydration process by which they are formed. So replace them with fresh fruits such as guava and peaches to control your blood sugar levels.

Amongst all other dry fruits, almonds and walnuts can be had in moderation as they contain essential fatty acids and do not affect blood sugars.

Foods to Eat and Avoid When You Have Diabetes

Sugar addiction is basically a relentless sugar craving that is triggered in the brain due to mental hunger or an inherent sweet tooth. Yet, excessive sugar is not a good thing in the long run. It can lead to diabetes and various other issues like high cholesterol, hypertension, and obesity. Also, people whose grandparents have suffered from diabetes need to be especially careful of such sweet cravings as it may trigger the same problem in them too. So how can you cut sugar out of your life? Here's a list of tips.

- Detox or Gradual Scaling Down: While many people are in favour of gradually scaling down your sugar intake and slowly cutting it out of your life in a matter of weeks and months, there are experts who believe in stopping intake of it. A clean break from sugar is said to have a beneficial detox like effect on the brain and body. Many experts recommend cutting sugar out of your life in one clean swipe.
- Replacements: Using other substances like honey or even extracts from the Stevia plant are known to be a good replacement plan for cutting down your sugar addiction. You can start by introducing your system to these replacements in your daily beverages like tea, coffee or lemonade, before moving on to the use of organic honey for desserts and baking, as well as other sugar-free desserts and puddings.
- Fruits: The best way to get your sugar indulgence fixed is to have a good dose of fruit. This can help in giving you a good amount of dietary sugars which are natural and do not harm the body in the long run. Also, fruits are a healthy way of ingesting sugar even as you get valuable nutrients, vitamins and mineral - one arrow, many targets!
- Clean Up: Take a walk around your home and find all those secret candy stashes. Also, look for your dessert and pudding trays in the fridge. Now take all this out and give them away or trash them. Once you remove the option of snacking on sugary treats, you will be in a better place to avoid it altogether.
- Magnesium: Your chocolate craving might actually be a call for magnesium that your body is missing out on. Similarly, a mental hunger pang may actually be a need for water or some solid food. Avoid the sugary rush and take the healthy route instead, with the help of nuts and dairy.

Controlling your sugar addiction can save you from various ailments even as it gives you a healthier lifestyle.

How to Deal with Sugar Addiction

Often, a medical crisis does not happen suddenly, and your body shows a few symptoms well before it reaches the critical phase. However, there are conditions when the symptoms occur quite suddenly, and one such is the Addisonian crisis.

Addison's disease is a condition that occurs when the body fails to produce sufficient levels of certain hormones that are secreted by the adrenal glands. In this disease, the adrenal glands produce too little cortisol and even low amounts of aldosterone at times. Often referred to as adrenal insufficiency, it may occur at any age, and both sexes are affected by it. The worst part is that the disease can be life-threatening.

The symptoms of Addisonian crisis-
While severe fatigue, hyperpigmentation, severe fatigue, lightheadedness, salt cravings, and muscle and joint pains are the common symptoms of Addison s disease, pain in your lower back, severe vomiting and diarrhea, low blood pressure, and high potassium and low sodium are the symptoms of acute adrenal failure (Addisonian crisis).

The low levels of cortisol associated with the Addisonian crisis are life-threatening; hence, when you experience one or more of these symptoms you must seek professional care immediately.

Treatment options that are available for Addison's disease-
Nearly all treatments for Addison's disease involve hormone replacement therapies for correcting the steroid levels that the body is not sufficiently producing. Some of the most effective treatment options for Addison's disease include:

Oral corticosteroid medicines- Prednisone, Hydrocortisone and Cortisone acetate may be used in the pill form for replacing cortisol. Sometimes, doctors also prescribe fludrocortisone for the replacement of aldosterone.
Corticosteroid injections- This is given to people who cannot take oral pills.
People diagnosed with Addison s disease are at risk of developing Addisonian crisis. Such people must be well-aware of how to tackle the condition if they are to face it. Some people have a home kit which includes hydrocortisone injection. One should not wait too long or wait to feel very weak before taking the injection. Also, it is important to call the emergency after taking the injection to get further treatment.

What should you do to prevent and manage the Addisonian crisis?

If you indulge in heavy workout sessions, you should take ample amount of sodium. This is also recommended when you are experiencing a stressful situation, including any infection, operation or some minor illness.
You should not skip your meals or indulge in binge eating, but focus on having a well-balanced diet. You should also take plenty of healthy fluids throughout the day. Avoid exercising or doing any physically strenuous job in hot and humid weather. Also, you need to balance your active stretch of time with adequate rest.

Taking the prescribed medications on time, and carrying a hydrocortisone kit is crucial. Also, you may carry a card stating the condition that can help during an emergency.

Addison s disease, in most cases, cannot be cured; so, it is vital to be aware of the symptoms and the ways to manage them to avoid an emergency.

Addison Disease - Treatment Options, Management and Prevention

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