Saturday, November 7, 2009

Is Diabetes Lurking Around Your Family?

By Ned Dagostino

Most of us think of diabetes as a disease caused by eating a lot of sugar. Nothing could be farther from the truth. In fact, diabetes is a grave condition which affects the composition of our blood, the very element of life. Diabetes is the condition where the body's ability to regulate the amount of glucose in the body is seriously impaired. The basic composition of the blood is highly altered and this affects almost every aspect of our health and life. It cannot be stressed enough that you should look out for the early warning signs of this horrible, life-altering condition. The sooner you recognize diabetes, the sooner you can get it treated, and the easier it will be on all concerned.

One of these signs is frequent unwarranted thirst. The high blood glucose levels upset the normal blood salinity, and the body tries to compensate by increasing its intake of water. Violent vomiting and nausea not associated with anything you've eaten is also a sign of diabetes. Dizziness, anxiety and suffocation are similar warning signs of diabetes.

Abnormal glucose levels can adversely affect the nerves, a condition known as neuropathy. The eye is lined by the endings of the optic nerve. There are thousands of the nerve endings which collectively form the retina. Prolonged glucose abnormality affects the retina, resulting in sight problems.

Excess glucose levels in the blood can induce neuropathy which in turn affects the organs. The digestive system is a target of neuropathy. Gas, diarrhea, constipation, and indigestion are common symptoms. Frequent urination accompanied by strong urgency is a tell-tale sign of excess blood glucose.

If a person suffers cuts, bruises, and wounds that do not heal but, do in fact, deteriorate, suspect excess blood glucose to be the culprit. The skin feels itchy, and wounds tend to turn raw and infected.

These signs and symptoms are very misleading. You tend to associate each of these symptoms with some other illness or problem. Nausea? "Something I ate at Al's Diner!" Vision problem? "Age catching up!" Frequent urination? "Infection of the urinary tract." In each case, diabetes is able to avert suspicion from itself! So no one suspects diabetes in the early stages of the condition. They have diabetes, yet are not aware of it.

If someone really close to you exhibits any one of these symptoms, or you do yourself, then it is best that you take this seriously and get a medical opinion on it. The medical practitioner is best able to diagnose your condition. If he advises a glucose test, have it done. The sooner diabetes is diagnosed the better for all concerned. Turn the searchlight on the lurker and drive him out into the open!

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