Archive for January 6th, 2010

Avoiding Two Types Diabetes Complications

When you are first diagnosed with diabetes, you will be educated on how the disease affects your body. Part of this education will be how to minimize this by eating the right foods. You will consult your doctor or a dietitian who will give you ideas on the types and quantities of food to eat. They will devise a meal plan that specifies the number of meals you should eat each day and when to eat them. The principle behind such a plan is the diabetic food pyramid, that breaks down the type of foods you can eat and the portions sizes you should consume.
By eating a balanced diet at regular intervals you control the peaks and troughs of your blood sugar level. This is good for the long term diabetic complications because bad blood sugar control over an extended period can lead to a number of cardiovascular problems, not least, heart disease.
A good diet and exercise can also help you to lose weight. If this is an issue for you, it will make your diabetes worse and may lead to insulin replacement therapy. It is thought that excess weight make it harder for the natural insulin produced in the body to work effectively.
Blood circulation is also affected by diabetes and this can lead to eye problems over time. The typical complication is known as diabetic retinopathy. Diabetic retinopathy can lead to blood flowing into the aqueous humor and interfering with the sight to a detached retina. Part of ongoing treatment is a regular examination every six months. This should include an eye exam.
Diabetic neuropathy is another complication that is caused by poor circulation. This generally manifest in the extremities of the body - like the feet and hands. Because blood does not flow to these parts of the body as it should, they tend to be more susceptible to cuts and bruises. They also take more time to heal because the healing properties in the blood are not available. This often results in poor hands, and particularly feet. It is important to pay careful attention to the condition of the feet. Wash and dry them thoroughly each day and trim off any calluses, corns or long nails. Monitor any cuts and bruises and treat with medication if the cut is not healing. Wear diabetic socks and shoes if your feet are especially sensitive.
Diabetes complications can be serious but they can also be minimized by proper eating habits, regular exercise and careful monitoring of the body and any changes.
For more on eating the right foods for type 2 diabetes check out http://diabeticdietsplan.com/ . The site has features on the diabetic food pyramid and planning a diabetic diet. Adrian writes about treating diabetes naturally.
Published in: The Healthy Way | on January 6th, 2010 | Comments Off

Depression and Sadness Are Different

Depression is a mental health disorder that can cause significant physical and emotional symptoms when left untreated. There are multiple cause of depression but research indicates depression can be caused by biological factors. Depression is very characteristic of the fabric of today’s society in which families disperse and are leaving the elderly isolated, especially those who survive the death of their partners.

It is important to understand that depression and sadness are different. The death of a loved one, loss of a relationship, termination of a job, including retirement, will cause us to feel sad. Grief is a normal response to these situations. Individuals experiencing challenging times will often remark that he or she feels depressed. However, sadness, grief and depression are not the same. Feelings of sadness and grief will lessen with time while depression can continue for months and years, if untreated.

Depression in bipolar disorder is a mood disorder characterized by mood swings from mania (exaggerated feeling of well-being, energy, and confidence in which a person can lose touch with reality) to depression. Antidepressant medication is an essential feature of early and continued treatment, and most patients without comorbidities will respond positively to one or other antidepressant drug. That is true for elderly as well as younger patients, although adverse reactions are more prevalent in the elderly unless the choice and dosage of medication is carefully adjusted to individual needs.

As mentioned by many care homes in Gloucestershire, sometimes friends or family members recognize that someone is depressed. They may respond with love, kindness, or support, hoping that the sadness will soon pass. They may offer to listen if the person wants to talk. If the depressed feeling doesn’t pass with a little time, friends or loved ones may encourage the person to get help from a doctor, therapist, or counselor.

Are you isolating yourself from others because you never know how you will feel from moment to moment? A depressive disorder is an illness that involves the whole person; mind, body, spirit and emotions. Yet there is little evidence to suggest that elderly depression is interactive with hypertension, whereas its interaction with chronic pain/arthritis is well recognised. Individual co-morbidities interact with depression in different ways, and the number of comorbid conditions tends to increase with advancing age.

Depression is a complex matter. In recent years, with burgeoning research progress, we are finding out that depression is much more common than many of us thought. At least 15% (and likely more) of women take an antidepressant during their lifetime.

Published in: Non-Assigned, The Healthy Way | on January 6th, 2010 | Comments Off