Tuesday 13 January 2015

By Enid Hinton





There is currently an epidemic that began during the 1990s and has not ended. It is not a microbial disease with a defined source, but rather a consequence of lifestyle that crosses all social and ethnic lines. While the causes are complex, it has paralleled the onslaught of obesity plaguing most modern societies. Diabetes treatment in The Woodlands TX helps combat this illness on a personal level.



Although this phenomenon has created much media attention, most people are not completely clear what a positive diagnosis really means. The disease is actually a group of conditions related to metabolism, or the ongoing internal chemical processes necessary for life. Commonly called diabetes mellitus, it is characterized by high blood sugar due to inadequate insulin production or poor physical response to available amounts.



The disease has two primary forms. Those having Type 1 produce no insulin, and rely on daily injections. It is the least widespread, comprising around one-tenth of all cases, but those numbers are rising along with increases in Type 2, which is by far the most common. Type 2 is associated by many people with aging, and progresses with time. Being overweight, inactive, and eating poorly all encourage development.



As the years pass many develop what has become known as metabolic syndrome, along with other physical symptoms commonly called pre-diabetes. Because Type 2 develops relatively slowly compared to other diseases, maintaining a high level of personal concern is more difficult. The internal damage it causes may be unseen, attributed to normal aging, or simply ignored.



The good news is that all forms of this illness have effective treatments. The process begins with common blood tests that confirm blood sugar levels over a period of time, followed by a diagnosis. Even though this is the era of pharmaceutical marketing aimed directly at patients, there is no single medication that can be taken to cure victims. For most people, healing begins with a change in diet.



Changing habits can be difficult, but the results are overwhelmingly positive. Many people associate diet with losing weight, but that is not the primary intent of improving nutritional intake, although it is one of the most common results. A daily diet is recommended that is roughly divided by half in the form of carbohydrates, one fifth in animal proteins, and the remaining third or less in fats.



The main barriers to these changes are ingrained personal habits. The results can be relatively quick to appear, but alterations in diet must also be accompanied by age-appropriate aerobic exercise. The goal for many people is a minimum of thirty minutes each day, which can be accomplished in smaller time increments. The effects are noticeable immediately, and are physically wide-ranging.



In many cases, these two simple changes in lifestyle can slow down progression, and sometimes halt it completely. People who show little improvement after a period of carefully controlled diet and increased exercise may benefit from medications that help the pancreas produce more insulin, as well as helping individual cells respond more normally to it. While important, medication does not replace exercises and better nutrition.









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