Treatment of Diabetes
High Blood Sugar Due to Lack of Useable Insulin
Diabetes means that your bloodstream contains excessive amounts of blood glucose/sugar. This condition is caused either by the failure of the pancreas to produce enough insulin, or by the inability of the body to utilize the insulin produced. Such a lack of useable insulin means that the body cannot obtain sufficient energy, and may develop serious metabolic disorders as well as serious conditions like cardiovascular disease, and diseases of the eyes, feet and kidneys.
Treatment For Diabetes Patients
Treatment for diabetics varies according to the type of diabetes and severity of symptoms. Effective management of diabetes generally requires insulin medication to maintain healthy blood glucose levels. Among adult diabetics, about 11 percent take both insulin and oral medications, 22 percent take insulin only, 49 percent take oral medications only, and 17 percent do not take either insulin or oral medications.
Treatment of Type 1 Diabetes
Type 1, which used to be called "insulin-dependent diabetes", is the form of diabetes that people typically get before 30 years of age. All patients with type 1 diabetes need to take insulin shots for life (or use an insulin pump) to lower their blood glucose because their pancreas does not make enough of the hormone naturally. The amount of insulin taken must be closely matched with food intake and daily activities, in order to avoid excessive insulin intake (leading to hypoglycemia), or inadequate insulin (leading to hyperglycemia). There are several different types of insulin, and your doctor and diabetes teacher will recommend the most suitable type for your diabetic condition. In addition, blood glucose levels must be closely monitored by making frequent blood glucose checks. As well as insulin medications, type 1 diabetics need to follow a healthy program of eating and regular physical exercise, plus a regular lifestyle in order to avoid health complications of type 1 diabetes in later life. It must be emphasised that diabetes medicines that lower blood sugar never replace the need to eat a healthy diet and take regular exercise.
Treatment of Type 2 Diabetes
Type 2 is the form of diabetes that most often occurs after the age of 30. The severity of symptoms varies. Healthy eating, exercise, and losing weight may help people with type 2 to manage the level of glucose in the bloodstream. Indeed, most type 2 patients do not need to continuously take insulin shots. Instead they take diabetes pills or other forms of insulin medication. If these treatments do not work, type 2 diabetics may need to take insulin shots to maintain healthy blood sugar levels.
Diabetes Medicine and Medication
Common diabetes medications to help lower blood glucose in type 2 diabetics include: Sulfonylureas or Meglitinides (to stimulate the pancreas to make more insulin), Biguanides (to decrease the amount of glucose made by the liver), Alpha-glucosidase inhibitors (to slow the absorption of starches in the digestive tract), Thiazolidinediones (to make you more sensitive to insulin), D-phenylalanine (to help your pancreas make more insulin quickly). Your doctor may prescribe these medicines either separately or in combination.
