Diabetes Myths: These Ain't True

Myth: Eating too much sugar causes diabetes.

Fact: The answer is not so simple. Type 1 diabetes is caused by genetics and unknown factors that trigger the onset of the disease; Type 2 diabetes is caused by genetics and lifestyle factors.

Being overweight does increase your risk for developing Type 2 diabetes, and a diet high in calories from any source contributes to weight gain. The American Diabetes Association recommends that people should limit their intake of sugar-sweetened beverages to help prevent diabetes. Sugar-sweetened beverages include beverages like Regular Soda (Coke, Fanta, Pepsi etc.), Fruit Punch, Fruit Drinks, Energy Drinks, Sports Drinks, Sweet Tea and Other Sugary Drinks.

These will raise blood glucose and can provide several hundred calories in just one serving!

Myth: People with diabetes can never eat sweets.

Fact: You can have your cake and eat it too, just not the whole cake! People with diabetes need to control the amount of carbohydrates in their diet and sugary treats counts as carbohydrates. But these doesn’t mean that they can’t have any sweets, it just means that they should put the brakes on eating too much of them. Eating of these foods can also make it less likely you’ll want to eat healthier foods.

Myth: Diabetes is contagious

Fact: Diabetes is not contagious, which means you can't get it from another person. Scientists don't know exactly how people get Type1 diabetes, but they think it may be associated with something in the environment, like a virus. But even coming into contact with such a virus doesn't mean someone will definitely get diabetes. People with Type 1 diabetes have to inherit genes that make them more likely to get diabetes.

Myth: Insulin cures diabetes.

Fact: Diabetes is a condition that you manage with insulin, but insulin can't cure it. Insulin helps get glucose out of the blood and into the cells, where it's used for energy. This helps to keep your blood sugar levels under control, but taking insulin doesn't correct the reason why diabetes developed, nor does it make the diabetes go away.

Myth: All people with diabetes need to take insulin.

Fact: All people with Type 1 diabetes have to take insulin injections because their pancreases don't make insulin anymore. Some, but not all people with Type 2 diabetes have to take insulin — with or without other diabetes medications — to manage their blood sugar levels.

Myth: People can outgrow diabetes.

Fact: People don't grow out of their diabetes. In Type 1 diabetes, the pancreas stops making insulin and won't make it again. People with Type 1 diabetes will always need to take insulin, until scientists find a cure for diabetes. People with Type 2 diabetes may find it easier to control blood sugar levels if they make healthy changes to their lives, like eating right and exercising regularly. But people with Type 2 diabetes will probably always have the tendency to develop high blood sugar levels, so it's important to maintain those healthy lifestyle changes.

Myth: Pills for diabetes are a form of insulin

Fact: Diabetes medicines that a person takes in pill form are not insulin. Insulin is a protein that would be broken down and destroyed by the acids and digestive enzymes in the stomach and intestines if swallowed. That's why insulin has to be given as a shot. People with Type 2 diabetes sometimes take pills that help the body make more insulin or use the insulin it makes more effectively (remember, people with Type 2 diabetes still make insulin, the body just can't respond to it normally). Pills for diabetes cannot help people with Type 1 diabetes because their bodies don't make insulin.

Myth: Having to take more insulin means diabetes is getting worse.

Fact: There is no one-size-fits-all insulin dose. Insulin doses are different for each person. How fast you're aging, how much you eat, how active you are, and whether you're going through puberty, menopause or any life stages are all things that affect the amount of insulin you'll need each day and insulin doses often need to be changed over time.

Myth: People with diabetes can't exercise.

Fact: Exercise is important for all people — with or without diabetes! Exercise has many benefits. In addition to helping keep your weight under control (which is helpful for managing diabetes), exercise is good for your heart and lungs, it helps you burn off some steam, and it relieves stress. And exercise is great for blood sugar control to your diabetes health care team about exercising and managing your blood sugar.

Source: Kidshealth.org, Diabetes.org
Photo credit: Google Images

It’s World Kidney Day: Protect Your Kidneys

March 14, 2013 marks the ‘World Kidney Day’. The theme for this year is “STOP Kidney Attack! Protect your kidneys, find out how”

The Kidney is a very essential body organ because of the numerous roles it plays. Each kidney is roughly the size of a human fist.

The main job of your kidneys is to remove toxins and excess water from our blood. Kidneys also help to control our blood pressure, to produce red blood cells and to keep our bones healthy.

Your kidneys control blood stream levels of many minerals and molecules including sodium and potassium, and help to control blood acidity. Every day your kidneys carefully control the salt and water in your body so that your blood pressure remains the same.

Did You Know? 

Your Kidneys:

·         Make urine
·         Remove wastes and extra fluid from your blood
·         Control your body's chemical balance
·         Help control your blood pressure
·         Help keep your bones healthy
·         Help you make red blood cells

EARLY DETECTION & SCREENING

Know that kidney diseases are harmful and common but it also treatable. The key to survival is early detection and regular screening.

GET TESTED

Get your blood and urine tested.

Your blood is tested to measure creatinine content and estimate GFR (Glomerular Filter Rate) and your urine is tested to measure creatinine and albumin excretion.

YOU SHOULD BE SCREENED:

-          If you have been diagnosed with Diabetes Mellitus or Hypertension

-          If you are obese

-          If you smoke

-          If you are 50 years of age and above

-          If you have a family history of Kidney Disease, Diabetes Mellitus or Hypertension

Ignorance isn't bliss! Be aware, check your kidneys!!

There would be FREE KIDNEY SCREENING at the Freedom Park, Lagos Island, Lagos, Nigeria.

Learn more about your kidneys and how to protect them through this video:

Source: World Kidney Day 
Photo Credit: Google Images

Hypertension In Young Adults

Recently in Nigeria, autopsy reports revealed that the late Goldie died as a result of HYPERTENSION. Prior to this, my boo had just been diagnosed as well with having high blood pressure. In his case I was so worried, for the fact that he is young and should not be having increased blood pressure. We thank God, that’s over now.

The rate at which young people all over the world are being diagnosed with high blood pressure is alarming. I just thought it right to educate everybody that this article can reach on the symptoms, causes and treatment for high blood pressure.

I hope this article provides insight in any way, also please feel free to add to whatever might be missing.

Thanks guys! And yeah I'm back to blogging!! Whoop!!

What exactly is HYPERTENSION?

Hypertension is such a silent disease that you can be walking around with a blood pressure reading of 180/100mmHg and not be aware of what is going on internally. If you have a blood pressure reading of 120/80, 120(the figure above) represents the systolic pressure which is the pressure of blood hitting the artery walls when the heart beats. Eighty (the figure below) represents the diastolic pressure which is the pressure between heartbeats.

The normal blood pressure rate is less than 120/80mmHg, so hypertension is when either the systolic measurement is 140 or higher or the diastolic measurement is 90 or higher. There are basically two types of hypertension: Essential and Secondary Hypertension

The Seventh Report of the Joint National Committee on Prevention, Detection, Evaluation, and Treatment of High Blood Pressure (JNC 7) guidelines categorize hypertension as follows:

• Normal. Less than 120/80
• Prehypertension. 120-139/80-89
• Hypertension. 140/90
• Stage 2 hypertension. 160/100

What causes HYPERTENSION?

The cause of Essential Hypertension is unknown (Yeah!! No known cause). Although lifestyle factors such as obesity, sedentary lifestyle, and excessive alcohol or salt intake contribute to the condition.

Secondary Hypertension in most cases is as a result of an underlying kidney disease, hormonal imbalance, and drug intake

According to the JNC 7, half the adult population is prehypertensive or hypertensive, and because blood pressure increases with age, most people will become hypertensive if they live long enough

Daniel Lackland, DrPH of the American Society of Hypertension says “Younger adults with high blood pressure typically have high diastolic pressure while older adults have high systolic pressure”.  In young adults, the diastolic pressure rises because the heart is pumping harder while in older adults, the systolic pressure rises and stiffens arteries. Hypertension in young adults is caused by increased body mass, with an increase in African-American men, but it affects men of all races."

Signs &Symptoms

In most cases, hypertension doesn't give signs or signals the affected individual. It is usually discovered during a routine health screening. Below are some of the signs of Hypertension:

·         Headaches (usually at the back of the head     and noticed in morning)
·         Light-headedness
·         Vertigo(the feeling that you or your environment is moving or spinning)
·         Tinnitus (buzzing sound in the ears)
·         Altered Vision
·         Fainting Spells



What can be done?

For young people in the pre-hypertensive stage and hypertensive stages, modification of lifestyle activities plays a major role in bringing down the blood pressure.

Worry Less!! Manage Emotions!!

Let’s be honest, has worrying ever changed a situation for the better?? No it has not. Manage emotions such as anger, worry, rage, annoyance as they have been linked to causing physical and biological changes.

Weight reduction

 A Body Mass Index (BMI) of above 24.9 should be cause of worry in any young adult whether male or female. It is advised to maintain a normal body weight with a target (BMI) of 18.5 to 24.9. According to JNC7, for every 10kiliogrammes of weight lost, the systolic blood pressure reduces by approximately 5-20.

Adjust your Diet

 Ensure your diet rich in fruits, vegetables, and low-fat dairy products with a reduction in saturated and total fat. When this is done, the systolic blood pressure is expected to reduce by 8-14 points.

Reduce your salt intake

Salt is an essential mineral that a body needs to stay hydrated. Ingestion of salt is usually followed by water retention which is the body’s way of staying hydrated. With the consumption of ‘too much salt’ the body is likely to become over-hydrated as a result of excess fluid in the body. The excess fluid causes the kidney to work extra to remove this fluid. 

Excess body fluid also causes an increase in blood volume which requires the heart to work harder to move all that blood around, thus blood pressure goes up. 

Reduction in daily salt intake to less that 2.4g/1 teaspoon per day would reduce the systolic blood pressure by 2-8 points approximately.

Engage in Aerobic Activity

Engage in regular physical activity, such as brisk walking, at least 30 minutes per day most days of the week. This can decrease systolic blood pressure by 4-9 points.

Reduce/ Moderate Alcohol Consumption

Limiting the amount of alcohol to between 11 and 14 grams of alcohol is expected to result in a reduction in systolic blood pressure by 2-4 points.

Without treatment, a man at [age] 30 could be facing end-stage renal disease, stroke, or heart attack."

Some Risk Associated with Hypertension

Young adults with hypertension often have what's called "Metabolic Syndrome" which is known to contribute to heart disease and diabetes. It includes a cluster of risk factors found in an individual and include excess body fat (especially around the waist and chest), high cholesterol, and insulin resistance. Snoring has also been linked to high blood pressure in young adults. Erectile dysfunction has also been linked to complications of untreated high blood pressure.

Source: Wikipedia, WebMD, Yahoo Health
Photo Credit:Google Images