Diabetes and Your Mouth

We diabetics have to pay even more attention to our teeth and gums than other people. We are at greater risk of cavities, gum disease and tooth infections. Not only that, but those infections can cause our blood sugar to rise, so it becomes a vicious cycle. Here are some mouth problems common in diabetics. Plaque Plaque is, of course, a problem for many people, not just diabetics. But it's caused by starches and sugars, and of course we have more than our share of those! So diabetics are highly prone to plaque. Dry mouth Sometimes my mouth is so dry in the morning I can hardly speak—I'm sure you know how that feels. But it's more than just inconvenient, it's dangerous to the health of our mouths. You see, saliva washes away many of the bacteria that cause cavities and gum disease. Dry mouth cuts the amount of saliva available for this job, so the result is more cavities and gum disease. Dry mouth sometimes also creates inflammation of the soft tissue in the mouth, making eating difficult and unpleasant. While there are artificial saliva substitutes, which your dentist can tell you about, you can usually stimulate your own saliva by sucking on a sugar-free hard candy. I like no-sugar-added Ricola for this purpose. And of course, drinking water helps. Fungal infections Not only do we diabetics have less saliva than we need, but the saliva we do have is high in sugar content, so it's double trouble for us. This can cause a fungal infection called candiasis, commonly known as thrush. It produces sore red or white spots in the mouth. Medication can help though, so ask your dentist. As a diabetic, you must pay great attention to oral hygiene. Brush your teeth twice a day, and floss daily. Examine your gums for signs of problems—and always visit your dentist at least twice a year.

Diabetes and Your Heart

Diabetes is one condition that must be treated as soon as it is diagnosed, even though in its early stages it doesn't hurt, or cause inconvenience, or create any worrisome symptoms. But ignoring it is a mistake, because the blood sugar imbalance we diabetics live with can cause a variety of complications, even leading to other serious health conditions. One major cause for concern is adverse effects on our hearts. Our unstable blood sugar levels can cause poor circulation—a big step on the road to heart problems. Here are some things to watch for. Hypertension Diabetes often goes hand-in-hand with high blood pressure, or hypertension. In fact, your doctor will tell you that diabetics must work to get their blood pressure down even lower than other people. While a systolic pressure (the top number) of 140 might be acceptable for the general population, we diabetics should aim for 130 or lower. It's all part of the battle against possible heart disease. Blood fats Cholesterol and tryglycerides, or blood fats, also need to be kept lower in diabetics. Lots of fruits and vegetables, fewer packaged or fried foods are your best bets for dietary blood fat control. Throw out that frying pan! Blood sugar Blood sugar levels need monitoring too, as consistently high levels damage blood vessels and can lead to cardiovascular difficulties. Weight level And of course you know it's important to maintain a healthy weight. Why is that particularly important for us diabetics? First, if you are overweight your heart muscle needs to work harder to pump blood through your system. This weakens your blood vessels, which are then more susceptible to damage from fluctuating blood sugar levels. It's a vicious cycle you don't want to create. Your heart is the main engine of your whole body, so you need to do everything possible to keep it in good shape. For the sake of a healthy heart, take control of your diabetes.

Diabetes and Your Feet

We diabetics have to take special care of our feet, or we can find them troubled in two ways: reduced blood circulation and nerve damage. Here's what to look for and some prevention ideas. Symptom: If your feet are constantly cold, your legs are sore when you walk, or your feet hurt in bed at night, you may be suffering from poor blood circulation. This, in turn, can slow down the process of healing when you have cuts or other damage to your feet. Prevention: Staying physically active is one way to help improve your circulation. You also need to control your blood fat and sugar levels, as well as your blood pressure. And of course, don't smoke. Symptom: If your feet are numb, you have a burning sensation on the soles of your feet or pins and needles in your feet, you have signs of possible nerve damage. Foot nerves are the longest in our bodies and are therefore susceptible to damage by diabetes. If these nerves are damaged, the feelings are lessened, so we could have the cuts or blisters that can lead to ulcers, and we wouldn't even know about it. Prevention: Check your feet regularly to be sure there are no signs of injury. If you develop corns or calluses, have them treated immediately by a podiatrist. Wash and dry carefully between your toes, and keep your nails trimmed and smooth. Everyone likes to have their feet pampered, but for us diabetics it not only feels good, it also prevents serious health problems in the future. So book that foot massage now!

Diabetes and Your Eyes

Diabetes can play havoc with your eyes, and sometimes there are no early sumptoms. So you may have no idea anything is wrong until your eyesight is in danger. Here are the main eye problems that can be caused, or made worse, by diabetes. Cataracts These are often described as a clouding of the lens of the eye. They are treatable by surgery in most cases. Glaucoma Our eyes are largely made up of fluid, and when the pressure of that fluid builds up too much inside the eye, you have glaucoma. Left untreated, it can damage the optic nerves, and even lead to blindness. Diabetic retinopathy Lining the back of our eyes is light-sensitive tissue known as the retina. The retina contains very small blood vessels that can be damaged by diabetic retinopathy. Sometimes there are symptoms such as blurred vision, but often you won't even know anything is wrong until the condition is well advanced. In the worse case, it leads to blindness. Early detection is the key to battling all of these conditions, and the best diagnostic tool available is the dilated eye examination. This is a test in which special eye drops temporarily enlarge your pupils, allowing the doctor to see the back of your eyes. This test (which is painless) can detect cataracts, glaucoma or diabetic retinopathy in their early, treatable stages. Eyesight is precious, so if you have diabetes do yourself a favor and make an appointment for your dilated eye examination. And then do it again every year from now on.

Diabetes and Insulin

Diabetes and Insulin

Diabetes is a condition in which the body either does not manufacture sufficient amounts of insulin or does not properly use insulin.  Insulin is a hormone made by the pancreas that is necessary for the transport of sugar from the blood stream into the cells for use as energy.  Type 2 diabetes results when our bodies become insensitive to insulin and cause our blood sugar go out of balance.  For this reason, we want to do everything we can to remain insulin sensitive.  When we are insulin sensitive, our bodies do a much better job of moving glucose from the blood and into cells. 

Various herbs, foods, vitamins, and minerals have been shown to promote insulin sensitivity and help maintain proper blood sugar levels.  Vanadyl sulfate increases the body's insulin sensitivity.  Gymnema sylvestre is a well known herb helpful in blood sugar control by controlling sugar cravings and nourishing the pancreas. 

Exercise also increases insulin sensitivity. People involved in athletics are known to require less insulin.  Besides improving insulin sensitivity, exercise helps us to control our weight and reduce body fat.  Weight control is a very important aspect in maintaining insulin sensitivity.