The diagnosis of diabetes is done in four ways – they are physical checkup, through blood test, urine test, and radiological examinations.

Physical examination: Scrutinize for ciphers of Diabetes mellitus problems counting diabetes retinopathy, ischemic cardiac sickness, stroke, hypertension, cataracts, candida skin & genital taints, peripheral neuropathy.

Different Urine tests are to be done to know the range of sugar in a body and to find its internal effect in the body.

• Fasting urine test
• Test of urine randomly (2 hours of gap)
• Mid-stream urine test
• 24-hour urine microalbumin test
• If a person is suspect of insipidus diabetes, a water deficiency test is done.

• Urine ketones test is to check the level of ketones in our body. Normally this test is done for Type 1 diabetic patient or if the blood sugar tests value is more than 230mm/dl. An analysis of ketones is done based on the normal values. The effect is minimal if the result is less than 20mg/dl, it is moderate if the result lies between 30 to 40 mg/dl, and it is large if the result is greater than 80mg/dl.

Blood tests:

• Fasting blood glucose level: This test is done when a person consumes food 9 to 11 hours ago. Its standard value is 99mg/dl or below, pre-diabetes if it is between 100 to 125 mg/dl, and diabetes if 126mg/dl or above.

• Postprandial Blood Glucose test: This test is done to measure the sugar level in the gap two hours after the consuming the meal. As we consume the food, a carbohydrate is generated by our body and it increases the level of sugar. This test is done after two hours so as to know the exact sugar level.

• Unsystematic blood glucose test: In this type of diagnosis, the sugar level of the body is reviewed irrespective of time and the last meal the person had. If blood sugar levels are constant, then it is confirmed that the person is not resonant to sugar. The standard values for random blood glucose test are 70-140mg/dl (normal), between 140-200mg/dl (pre-diabetes), and 200mg/dl & above (suffering from diabetes or it confirms you a diabetic).

• Oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT): It is a diagnosis for Type 2 diabetes. This test has the ability to identify the body response towards the breakdown of glucose in the bloodstream. This test is used to detect the pre-diabetes condition, diabetes during pregnancy (gestational diabetes), and diabetes. OGTT is also known as Glucose Tolerance Test. The levels of glucose tolerance test is based on :

• is normal if the level is not more than 140mg/dl.
• is known as impaired sugar tolerance if the value lies between 140mg/dl -199mg/dl.
• is declared as a diabetic patient if value is equal to or more than 200mg/dl.

Radiological Investigation:  This is done when the suspect suffers from pancreatic issue or Cushing’s disease.

• CT scan and upper abdominal ultrasound diagnosis for pancreatitis distrust.
• CT brain for Cushing’s diseases (to look for pituitary tumor)

If the above mentioned basic tests and diagnosis of the individual confirms diabetes with more severe state, the further tests are to be done to find the other damaged organs in the body. In this situation, it is necessary to undergo with some specific tests. Some of them are listed below:

• To know the past three month’s glucose level in the body, Hemoglobin A1C (Glycated hemoglobin) test is done.
• 1, 5-AG or 1, 5-Anhydroglucitol test is mostly done to identify the glycemic changes in a diabetic person with normal or above normal values of HB A1C test.
• To find the effect of sugar on a kidney, a renal function test is done.
• ·         Fasting Blood Lipids test is done to identify the level of Low–density lipoprotein, High–density lipoprotein, cholesterol, and triglycerides in a body.
• To identify the Diabetes insipidus, plasma osmolality and ADH assay test is done.
• An Electrolyte is done if a person’s signs with severe dehydration and decreased level of potassium. It can lead to Conn’s disorder.
• Glutamic Acid Decarboxylase (GAD): In human being, GAD is present in two isoforms called GAD1 genes and GAD2 genes. The focus of autoantibodies is present in human are on GAD1 and on GAD2. And if they suffer with autoantibodies, this can lead to Type1 diabetes.

Before we are ready to decide on any menu ideas, one should be well versed with the nutritional values of various foods, the nutritional requirement of our body and start thinking of food in terms of the energy it gives to our body.  The calories consumed should be slightly less or equal to the daily amounts of calories burnt.

Number of servings decided per day and importance of serving sizes

Before we plan the menu, it would be of great help if we knew how much of each main nutrient we require every day. Here is a list of different food groups that one can choose from to form a menu.

• The carbohydrate food group forms an important part in a person meal. So it should be included in the menu ideas. Ideally around six servings from this group of foods is suggested. Food grains, food grain products, vegetables that are rich in starch, lentils form the major constituents of this group.
• The vegetable group essentially provides loads of minerals, antioxidants and vitamins. Around three servings are suggested per day.
• Fruits are little pleasures that can be enjoyed no matter what. They are perfect replacements to desserts. Since they are high on calories the servings should be limited to around two per day.
• Meats are included in our daily meals since they are a rich source of proteins. Three/two servings per day are a good option.
• Milk products are restricted to around 3 servings per day.

Since we know the amounts of servings per food group, we can spread all these food items in various meals like breakfast, lunch and dinner and leave out a few servings of these for snacks in between these meals. It is important to understand serving sizes, since what you measure at home might be different from what is suggested, so for deciding on the size of servings one should consult a dietician. Snacks help in preventing sudden increase in sugar concentration level and help in avoiding hypoglycemia.

Menu Ideas for breakfast

A good menu idea for a breakfast is to include carbohydrates and proteins in them. One can easily include two out of the six servings suggested. One can try

• A slice or two whole wheat bread, with a teaspoon of butter, a scrambled, ¾ cup of yogurt without sugar.
• Two ounce bagel with one tablespoon of cream cheese and a fruit of your choice. If your planning on including fruits like watermelons or papayas that are big in size be sure to have just a small portion of the complete fruit.

Menu Ideas for lunch

One can include a few servings from the carbohydrate group, the meat and vegetable groups depending on what you prefer. High fiber and proteins are good to include since they make one feel full in the stomach and won’t make you feel hungry for a long period of time. Here is something one can try

• A sandwich with around 3 ounces of tuna fish, with a tablespoon of mayonnaise, lettuce and a sliced tomato in a whole wheat bread or pita bread, ¾ cup of yogurt without sugar and a serving of a vegetable of your choice.
• If you are planning to eat out, try a slice or two of a ten inch pizza with a small fruit like an apple or an orange with slices of cucumber or one can try a small chicken/beef/pork burger with a tablespoon of mayonnaise, mustard and small quantity of sugar free ice cream if you have a sweet tooth.

Menu Ideas for dinner

One can try one of these combinations for a satisfying meal. Try including fewer carbohydrates in your dinner since there won’t be much physical activity after dinner so the metabolism will be slow.

• Three ounces of cooked meat of your choice (choose from chicken, pork, beef), half a cup of peas, one small mashed potato or roasted potato.
• Try grilled fish with a cup of rice and half a cup of assorted vegetables (boiled).

These are just a few combinations of food that have been chosen from a list of suggested foods for diabetics. One can come up with their own combination that is suitable to their palate. The best thing to do is work your menu ideas out with a dietician. This helps a lot since they know what will be good for you depending on your daily calorie intake and your daily calorie burning and they help you include one of those sinful treats in the menu that one should normally avoid.

Why do we need a meal and think in terms of calories?

We need to eat in order to survive, live and carry on with our day to day functioning. Food is what provides energy and nourishment for our body to survive and function normally. All the energy required for the body can be measured in terms of calories. For a better management of diabetics, one should start to think in terms of calories and nutritional value of foods we consume. The energy that we get from food is spent by the body for its functioning. So consumption and spending of calories need to be in proportion. If one eats more calories than what he burns, he tends to put on weight and increase blood sugar level which is not at all a good sign for diabetics. So figuring out how many calories one needs depending on their day to day activity is the beginning of meal planning.

Substitution

The best way to begin planning is by substituting the normal high calorie foods or ingredients that one consumes low calories and equally good tasting alternative foods. So one can start by substituting the not so healthy, with the healthy. Here are few examples to begin with.

• Eating fruits instead of high calorie desserts.
• Consuming milk that is low on fat instead of whole milk or replacing ice cream with yogurt.
• French fries with baked potato wedges.
• Consuming carbohydrates that are less refined/processed, like consuming whole wheat bread instead of white bread which uses white flour that is highly processed.
• Trying lean meats, chicken fish instead of red meats.
• Avoiding fried foods and trying baked ones instead.
• Treating alcohol, fat and sweets like sinful indulgences to avoid.

A balanced diet is one which includes all the nutrition required for the body.

A balanced diet will include about

• Six servings of foods rich in carbohydrates like grains, vegetables rich in starch per day.
• Fruits can be included in our daily meals. Servings between two and four are suggested.
• Vegetables are a staple source of vitamins, minerals and healthy fat. Three to five servings a day are perfect.
• Meat, fish, cheese are excellent sources for protein and carbohydrates which our body requires regularly. Three servings of one of these can be included in a day’s meal.
• Milk products are excellent source for calcium and Vitamin D. Two to three servings per day is a good choice.
• See it to it that there is the least or no amount of sweets, fats and alcohol.

Carbohydrate Counting

Carbohydrates are the main source of glucose which our body uses up as energy for its daily functioning. Carbohydrates have direct impact on the sugar concentration in the blood and the body. It doesn’t mean one should avoid food with carbohydrates. Striking the right balance is necessary since these carbohydrate containing foods also contain other nutrients like minerals, antioxidants, fiber, vitamins required for our body. So the best thing to do is monitor the amount of carbohydrate that is going into your mouth.  It is best to avoid processed carbohydrates because they easily break down to glucose and immediately spike the concentration of sugar in the blood after consumption. Such foods are an excellent condition during a hypoglycemic attack. The best suggested amount of carbohydrates to be consumed in a day no matter the number of portions is around

• Forty five to seventy five grams per day for men
• Thirty to sixty grams per day for women

It is better discussed with a dietician according to the one’s day to day activities.

Eating on time and portion management

Eating on time is an important thing to do no matter what. Even if one is trying to lose weight or manage diabetes abstaining from meals is not the answer. When you do not consume foods for long periods of time, the body is tricked into believing there is a lack of food resources and hence starts piling up energy for later use in the form of fats which is totally not acceptable for a diabetic’s body.

Eating small portions of food timed throughout the day, is the best way to maintain the sugar level and prevent sudden upsurge of sugar concentration or hypoglycemia.

For better management of diabetes one should discuss their meal plans with their dieticians and plan according to what is needed.

Causes of leg pain in diabetics

The most common complications that cause pain in the legs are peripheral arterial/vascular disease or diabetic neuropathy. Arterial disease is the disease of the blood vessels, while neuropathy is the damage of nerves in the body.

Peripheral arterial/vascular disease

The normal symptoms of this disease are pain, cramps and tired legs. People might not realize this to be a serious condition because the symptoms can be just another stray case of pain, cramps or tiredness, in fact people are convinced it is just a stray incident or think of it as aging signs. If not treated on time it will cause severe complications which might eventually lead to amputation.

Peripheral Arterial Disease is a situation that arises due to the clogging of the arteries that supply blood to the legs and feet. The arteries get clogged due to the fatty deposits known as plaque which causes reduced blood flow to these areas or total lack of blood flow to these areas due to complete blockage of the arteries.

Almost any person may develop Peripheral Arterial Disease, but the probability of developing this condition is extremely high among diabetics, to be more specific type two diabetics because there are loads of variations in a diabetic’s body which arise due to irresponsiveness of the body to insulin, excess fat in the body and blood, high blood pressure. All these create a perfect environment for the fats to get deposited on the walls of the blood vessels causing the blood vessels to become narrow, hard or totally blocked.

Diabetes causes the risk of getting affected by neuropathy to increase i.e. the nerves get damaged to high concentrations of sugar in the blood and the body. Since there is damage of nerves in the condition of neuropathy, there might be a lack of sensation in the legs and feet which leads a person to not take notice of injuries in that area of the body. Since there is a lack of blood supply due to Peripheral Arterial Constrictions and blockages these wounds do not heal or take really long periods of times to heal. So the combination of Peripheral Arterial Disease and neuropathy won’t let us realize injuries on our legs, which won’t heal due to the lack of proper blood supply and eventually might lead to amputation.

Signs and symptoms of Peripheral Arterial Disease

• The most significant sign of Peripheral Arterial Disease is the severe pain or cramps one can feel in their legs, toes or feet or all of them. The pain may also increase while walking or during other physical activities that require the usage of legs.
• Another symptom is delayed healing of sores, cuts or any sort of injury on the legs or feet.
• Feet may feel cold, due to lack of blood supply. Sometimes one leg or foot might be colder than the other. A person might not notice this change in temperature on his own.

It is possible for people to have this condition without any symptoms at all. So regular screening is advised. People who are advised screening are the ones who are above fifty years of age and the people who have diabetes for more than ten years.

Treatment

There are many ways to treat this condition.

• Change in lifestyle can help prevent diabetes and prevent arterial disease. Even if one is diabetic, changes in lifestyle go a long way in preventing all complications including arterial diseases.
• Drugs to manage diabetes (i.e. to keep glucose concentration in the normal range), to lower blood cholesterol and fat and to lower high blood pressure reduce the risk of arterial diseases.
• Surgical procedures like angiogram in severe cases can be used to get rid of blockages or constrictions.
• Off late a new method has been developed to remove plaque from the walls of the blood vessels. The affected artery is introduced with a tube that can be inserted into it which has tiny blades to remove plaque from the walls. This procedure is not possible if the artery is completely blocked or almost blocked.

Pain due to neuropathy

Diabetic neuropathy is the damage to the nerve caused by high concentration of sugar in the blood stream. There are different types of neuropathies.

• Peripheral Neuropathy
• Autonomic Neuropathy
• Proximal Neuropathy
• Focal Neuropathy

All the above mentioned neuropathies except autonomic neuropathy cause severe pain in the legs. This is because the nerves send signals in the form of electric pulses and the damage of nerves prevents these impulses being insulated and restricted to the nerves. These electric impulses come in contact with muscles and cause pain in the legs.

Why do we need to monitor our blood glucose level?

All the diabetics know the importance of the role blood sugar concentrations play in a person’s health and well being, thus monitoring the level of blood sugar becomes a significant part in managing diabetes in the most efficient way possible.

We need to monitor blood sugar levels manually, since our body is not able to manage the sugar levels. In a normal person, the pancreas responds to the different levels of glucose present in the body and to regulate the concentrations of glucose it releases calculated amounts of insulin. Through this simple sounding yet complex process the body’s sugar balance is maintained. So monitoring blood glucose, helps us in maintaining equilibrium in the body by making changes in the external factors like changing the amount of insulin injected, the amount of medication one takes and making changes in what one eats and the amount of exercise to be done.

What is a diabetes level chart?

A diabetes level chart is a chart where the day to day sugar level readings are tabulated for a better understanding of this condition in each individual. This helps in determining many things to manage diabetes effectively.

Normal range of blood sugar

Glucose concentration is measured in either molar concentration i.e. milli moles per litre abbreviated as mmol or measured in milligrams per decilitre abbreviated as mg/dl. For people without diabetes the blood sugar level is 4.4 to 6.1 milli moles per litre or 82 to 110 milligrams per decilitre. Blood sugar concentrations tend to stay within the normal range even though our body is loaded with carbohydrates between different meals. However immediately after a meal sugar levels temporarily increase up to 140 mg/dl or 7.8 mmol.  Normal fasting blood glucose level is between 5 and 7.2 mmol or 90-130 mg/dl

Blood sugar range if you are diabetic

If fasting blood sugar is more than 126 mg/dl and random glucose level more than 180 mg/dl a person is diabetic.

How diabetic charts help us manage diabetes in a better way.

To maintain a diabetes chart one must maintain a record of sugar levels all through the day at fixed points suggested by the doctor. It is highly impossible to go for regular blood checkups to a clinic or a hospital so most of the diabetics use glucose monitoring devices for home use.  The problem is these are no as accurate as the tests conducted at the lab, so this chart must be discussed with a doctor for better assessment of the situation.

• Diabetic charts help us determine the type of meal one should consume and the diet one should follow. Depending on the daily pattern of blood glucose levels determined by the diabetes level chart one can modify, change their meals that will suit their daily requirements and keep the glucose level limited to the normal range. Apart from that you can find the culprit food that caused the increase in sugar level, of course by trial and error and not precisely pin point the amount of the culprit food or the culprit food itself but eventually one will figure out how to use it to one’s advantage.
• Another advantage of the diabetic level chart is that it lets you know what is going wrong with your diet. Even if the glucose levels are spiked because of the diet, using the chart one can figure out how much of exercise one needs to keep the sugar concentration in the blood stick to the normal range.
• The diabetes charts help us in deciding the precise amount of insulin to be injected that is if it is needed to maintain sugar levels.
• It also helps in deciding the drug and the quantity of drug one can use to maintain normalcy.

Managing diabetes individually on your own though an important thing to do, it is almost always better to visit a doctor once in a while depending on your need and discuss your diabetes level chart and other problems if any with your doctor.

The World Diabetes Day was first established in 1991 by the International Diabetes Federation and the World Health Organization as a sign of awareness of the fast growing health threats that follow the condition. In 2007, World Diabetes Day became an official United Nations Day and it got the passage of the United Nation Resolution 61/225. The whole champagne was made to draw people’s attention to all the difficulties and complications diabetes patients experience on daily basis. It is also made in order to keep the diabetic patients in the spotlight, if only for a day every year. The condition is very serious and it can lead to life-threatening diseases, so this champagne was made to make sure the world is aware of this.

World Diabetes Day features a new theme each year, and the theme is chosen by the International Diabetes Federation. The themes spotlight the issues facing the global diabetes community. The themed campaigns don’t just last for a day, they last whole year but this very day is chosen to be celebrated because November the 14^th is Frederick Banting’s birthday. Frederic Banting got a Nobel Prize along with his co-worker Charles Best, for their research that led to the discovery of insulin in the year of 1922.

Where is the World Diabetes Day celebrated?

World Diabetes Day is actually celebrated worldwide. It is celebrated by the member associations of the International Diabetes Foundation. There are over 2000 of them. The World Diabetes Day is celebrated in over 160 countries, many territories, many other associations and companies, organizations, medical and healthcare professionals as well as people who are diabetes patients and their families.

How is World Diabetes Day marked?
Everyone involved in World Diabetes Day try to raise awareness of the condition through various activities, such as:

-         Radio programs

-         Television programs

-         Diabetes workshops

-         Walks

-         Runs

-         Political events

-         Cycle races

-         Various events for children

-         Magazine articles

-         Press conferences

-         Human blue circles

-         Public meetings

-         Free screenings for diabetes patients

-         Poster campaigns

-         Sports events

Some of the past themes are:

-         Diabetes and foot care

-         Diabetes in children and adolescents

-         Diabetes education and prevention

-         Diabetes and foot care

-         Diabetes in the disadvantaged and the vulnerable

The logo

The world Diabetes Day has its own logo. It is a blue circle, which is a global symbol for diabetics. This symbol was developed as a part of the awareness campaign called “Unite for Diabetes”. This logo was acknowledged and adopted by the United Nations in 2007 as an official World Diabetes Day logo. The blue circle has a very positive and important significance. Across numerous cultures, a circle symbolizes health and well-being, as well as life itself. The color blue was chosen because it represents the sky, and the sky symbolically unites all nations. The color blue is also the color of the United Nations flag for the very same reason. The blue circle therefor signifies the great unity between diabetics from all around the world, including every nation in every corner of the world, as a global diabetes unity.

There are records of an Indian physician by the name of Sushruta, who mentioned noticing cases of people’s urine being sweet. He named the condition Madhumeha. According to many people, this very person was the one who discovered diabetes.

Over the next century, based on the sweet taste of the urine, the Japanese, the Koreans and the Chinese have also noted the condition. However, the name “diabetes” hasn’t been noted yet.

The first person to establish the term “diabetes” was a Greek physician named Aretaeus. The word diabetes comes from a Greek word that means “to siphon”. The relation of the term “to siphon” and the condition comes from the noted need of the patients to urinate frequently and excessively.

The first English written term “diabetes” occurs 13 centuries later. There is an old medical text in English from 1425 that uses the term “diabetes” to describe the mentioned condition.

The term diabetes mellitus was established 250 years later, by a physician called Thomas Willis. Mellitus is a Latin word for honey. The term mellitus was added to the term diabetes to describe the sweet nature of the patient’s urine fully.

Diabetes has been researched for centuries, and when it comes to its causes, they were explored by German doctors over more than a century ago, but it was two Canadian scientists who have gone further with the research. They worked at the University of Toronto in 1922. The German doctors used dogs in their research experiments. The experiments were done by performing surgery on the dogs and removing a gland located in the animal’s stomach. The gland was names pancreas (coming from two Greek words: “pan” which means “all” and “kreas” which means “flesh”). The gland had a role in digesting food. The mentioned gland is rich in enzymes and proteins, and when taken from beef, is considered a delicacy and it has a very common name of its own- sweetbread. Just like the liver, this gland is considered very healthy food because of its nutrient qualities.

The research doctors who discovered diabetes were actually researching digestion, and they came to an interesting discovery by accident. The animals that were used for research, used to be kept in the laboratory, and they were fed and taken care of by the lab assistants. The animals used to urinate in the corners of the laboratory, and as the windows were usually open in summer time, many insects would get inside. A remarkable discovery happened; the ants and other insects were strongly attracted to the dog’s urine. This confused the doctors and made them research the urine. After testing it, they discovered that the urine is highly rich in sugar, which indicated high blood sugar levels. This is where the revolutionary conclusion came from; the doctors discovered that the pancreas in fact has something to do with blood sugar levels.

Later on, in Canada, the two doctors F.G Banting and C.H. Best demonstrated the discovery of a certain chemical (which was called hormone, coming from the Greek word “horme” meaning “impulse”). This chemical was then proven to keep the blood sugar levels at normal range.

Bantig was the first Canadian citizen to receive the Nobel Prize for medicine, and the discovery of insulin was the reason he actually got it.

Once the pancreas is removed, so is the source of the hormone insulin, and what happens next is that blood sugar levels rise.  The lab where this was discovered has been restored and is now opened for visitors at the Ontario Science world in Toronto, Canada.

The American Diabetes Association was founded in 1940. This is also when scientists have discovered a link between diabetes and eye and kidney disease. The standard insulin syringe was developed in 1944, and then in 1960’s, the purity of it was improved.

The first pancreas transplantation was done at the University of Manitoba in 1966.

In the 1970’s blood sugar level meters and insulin pumps were presented to the world.

Fibromyalgia is the most common condition affecting the muscles and it leads to chronic pain and eventually chronic disability. The cause of fibromyalgia is unknown. The pain that happens isn’t followed by tissue inflammation, so the people suffering from fibromyalgia do not develop body deformity. It doesn’t cause damage to the internal body organs either. It is not similar to other rheumatic problems because it does not disable or deform the body permanently.

People with fibromyalgia tend to have so called tender points on their bodies. Those are certain places on the legs, shoulders, neck, hips, and arms. These body parts hurt when they are pressured. The most often symptoms of fibromyalgia are:

-         Headaches

-         Morning stiffness

-         Insomnia

-         Tingling sensations in the hands or feet

-         Painful menstrual periods

-         Loss of memory

-         Problems with concentrating and thinking

What causes fibromyalgia?

The causes of fibromyalgia are unknown to this day, but several factors can be linked to the condition, such as:

-         Certain diseases

-         Illness

-         Repetitive injuries

-         Stressful events

-         Stressful lifestyle

While it is possible for fibromyalgia to occur due to factors mentioned above, it can also occur absolutely on its own. Some genes can also be linked to fibromyalgia, causing the people who have this particular gene (or genes)to be more sensitive to things other people would be affected by at all.

Who does fibromyalgia affect?

Science has proven that between 80 and 90 percent of the people with fibromyalgia are women. This doesn’t mean men or children can’t be and aren’t affected by it, they most certainly can. However, most people with fibromyalgia are diagnosed in their middle age.

The diseases that are often known to be linked to fibromyalgia are:

-         Lupus

-         Spinal arthritis

-         Rheumatoid arthritis

People (especially women) who have a family history of fibromyalgia are more likely to develop it than those who don’t.

How is fibromyalgia treated?

Fibromyalgia is one of those conditions that can be very hard to treat. It is very important to get in touch with a doctor who is very familiar with the condition in order to get proper treatment. If you suffer from fibromyalgia, the doctor you would want to search for should be a physician, a general internist or a rheumatologist. Once you do get you proper treatment prescribed, stick to it. The treatment often consists of: exercising; eating healthy; sleeping well and getting enough sleep; exercising; taking the medicines the doctor prescribed.

If not treated, some of the following difficulties may occur:

-         Jaw pain

-         Jaw stiffness

-         Chest pain

-         Depression

-         Anxiety

-         Problems breathing

-         Weight gain

-         Skin problems

-         Nausea

-         Vision problems

-         The feeling of pain all over

-         Hypersensitivity to cold and heat

-         Mouth dryness

-         Numbness

-         Abdominal pain

-         Chronic headaches

-         Insomnia

-         Nausea

How is fibromyalgia diagnosed?

There are no specific tests that can be done to diagnose fibromyalgia.  In order to give you the right diagnoses, your doctor will have to refer to your medical history and he will have to rely on a physical exam. In order to exclude some other illnesses that may be present along with fibromyalgia, the doctor may run several blood tests. Other tests, such as a glucose test is also possible, because high glucose levels can cause problems similar to the ones fibromyalgia causes. Hypothyroidism can also cause problems quite similar to the one fibromyalgia causes; therefor a thyroid test can also be done.

Is fibromyalgia an actual disease?

No, fibromyalgia is often called a disease by a mistake but it is not actually a defined disease. Fibromyalgia can cause you to ache all over, but still, it is not a disease, it is a syndrome. A syndrome is a set of several symptoms, signs and medical problems, while a disease is a medical condition with clear defined symptoms.

Type 1 diabetes is also one such condition in the human body system. In case of a particular disease, we can discuss the cause, to be a particular microorganism or viral particles,and thenthe treatment and cure can be done accordingly. But in this case, the reason for cause cannot be predicted as a single source.

Viruses

Imagining our body to be the battle field, our immune system to be the good army with its soldiers called the T-cells, dressed in pink color and the enemy army soldiers to be the viral infection causing particles dressed in blue color. Due to the color variation, soon after the enemy viral particle tries to enter into the immune system it is immediately recognized and attacked. But if the same enemy team enters into the immune army wearing the pink mask, there would be a delayed response in recognizing and the attacking. Over a period due to the confusion even the good soldiers are killed in the war.

This is what exactly happens in the condition of type 1 diabetes. The pancreas consists of the beta cells which are present in the islet tissue, whose function is to prepare insulin. The human body’s immune system has T-cells which tend to take care of producing antibodies. The duty of these antibodies is to fight against these foreign bodies.

So the virus in their own form and shape will easily be recognized and be killed by the immune system immediately. In order to avoid this and for their survival in the system, they tend to produce the same antigens same as that of the beta cells of our system. As a result of which, even if not immediately over a period the body recognizes these beta cells as the viral particles and starts to kill them.

This phenomenon to a certain extent is tolerable, but over a period the body tends to start getting confused with the entire process and starts killing even the good cells that’s the beta cells. As a result the pancreas would not be able to produce enough or no insulin at all as a result of which the levels of this hormone drops, there by leading to this condition called diabetes type-1.

The above discussed problem can occur due to a variety of viral particles ranging from the Rotavirus that causesimple illness like diarrhea, to the B4 strain of the coxsackie B virus which leads to serious illness like gastrointestinal problems, the inflammation in the heart muscle commonly known as myocarditis. Similar such problems can also be triggered by illness such as mumpsand sometimes German measles too.

All of the above are temporary sickness but if they are not treated and taken the proper care that’s when they tend to lead to permanent loss or damage in the systems configuration.

The genetic make-up

No two individuals tend to have the same genetic configuration, not even siblings or twins. In the similar way, it is not a must that every person would become a victim of this type1 diabetes. Only those people having the HLA-complex that is the human leucocyte antigen in their body tends to more prone to this type of diabetes.

Toxins

We all must have been aware of the food chain. Recollecting a bit of it, some bacterial organisms that are present in the soil we grow the vegetables tend to attack them. When we eat these vegetables through the food chain they tend to enter the immune system there by becoming one of the causes for this type1 diabetes. This theory is not completely proven but is believed to be one of the reasons of diabetes.

Conclusion

Iit takes over years together for this condition to show its impact over the human body. As discussed earlier since this is caused only by simple or slightly complicated but definitely temporary treatable illness, if taken the required care and medication.

Signs and symptoms of Type 2 Diabetes mellitus

• Polydipsia (Increased Thirst)
• Polyphagia (Increased Hunger)
• Polyuria (Frequent Urination)
• Fatigue
• Rapid weight loss
• Blurred Vision
• Numbness or Tingling feeling in feet/hand.
• Recurring infections in skin, gum or urinary bladder.
• Wounds that heal slowly
• Recurring vaginal infections

The onset of these symptoms is very gradual. It is possible that for the first few years of diabetes mellitus of type 2, it might not be detected. Most of the times it is diagnosed while actually undergoing   routine medical tests.

Causes of diabetes mellitus type 2

Diabetes mellitus type 2 is a combination of genetic reasons and also the lifestyle one leads. Few of the causes can be managed i.e. they are under our control which means one can give preventing type 2 diabetes mellitus a shot. Genetic factors are totally beyond our limits of control, so all one can do is lead a healthy lifestyle and pray one does not develop diabetes mellitus of type 2.

• Lifestyle factors like obesity, lack of exercise and physical activity, unhealthy diet, stress are known to increase the risk of developing diabetes mellitus of type 2. Obesity is one of the leading risk factors for diabetes mellitus of the second type. Obesity tends to make the cells insensitive to insulin and hence causing diabetes mellitus type 2. People who include high amounts of sugars, fatty acids, high carbohydrate containing foods in their daily diet are at a high risk of developing diabetes mellitus of type 2. According to a few studies lack of sleep is also known to boost the chances of developing type 2 diabetes mellitus, since lack of sleep has an effect on the metabolic process in our body.
• People who have immediate relatives who have diabetes mellitus of type 2 are at a high risk of developing this condition. This is because of the genetic traits that are passed on due to hereditary.
• Pregnancy sometimes leads to what is called gestational diabetes, which is similar to type 2 diabetes mellitus.
• Medications like antipsychotics, beta blockers, glucocorticoids, thiazides are know to cause diabetes mellitus type 2.

Diagnosis of Diabetes Mellitus type 2

It is diagnosed on testing the blood for blood sugar levels. Excess blood sugar level in the result is a sign of diabetes. Most of the times it is diagnosed accidentally when undergoing routine medical checkups. If one is in doubt as to what type of diabetes one is suffering from antibody testing and c-peptide analysis helps in confirming the type of diabetes.

Managing Diabetes Mellitus Type 2

Managing diabetes is possible by bringing around changes in the lifestyles we lead. The primary target of managing diabetes is to keep glucose levels in the normal range. Changes in lifestyle that we need are eating healthy and including exercise in our day to day life.

One of the main reasons for developing diabetes is obesity. So one should see to it that they effectively tackle obesity. Obesity is a direct resultant of the unhealthy lifestyle one leads. One must follow a diet that does not aggravate the sugar levels in a diabetic person. One must avoid foods with high carbohydrates, fats, etc. Apart from maintaining a healthy diet one must exercise daily. Cardio exercises and weight training help in managing this condition effectively.  The trick is to burn more calories than the calories consumed. Even if one is not obese exercise and diet helps in managing the glucose levels in the blood. Losing weight is known to reduce the risk of developing diabetes in the first place.

Medically diabetes mellitus is treated with drugs like metformin when the condition is not manageable through maintaining a healthy diet and exercise. The drugs that are used to treat diabetes mellitus type 2 are insulin sensitizers, which make the cells in the body sensitive to insulin.

When the glycemic levels are difficult to manage even with the help of medication, insulin therapy is started.

If not managed properly, it might lead to complications of the heart and blood vessels, retinopathy, neuropathy, nephropathy.