Are you a diabetic? It is very vital that you store and preserve your diabetic supplies the right way, so that you can receive the full benefit from them. Here are tips on how to preserve your medications and supplies:

• Keep the medications in a dry, cool place. If you consume more than one medicine, neatly arrange each type in a separate cover and label them. Also, keep them all in one place, so that you can find them easily.

• Refrigerate insulin, as it might lose its potency otherwise. You can keep insulin pens at room temperature for current use, but not for more time.

• You may keep your insulin vial or pen at room temperature for a little while before injecting, so that it does not cause pain. But this cannot be done for too long.

• Insulin vials can supposedly be stored at room temperature for about a month, but it is not at all advisable to do so. Vials that have been stored thus for more time should be discarded. Similarly, insulin pens can be stored outside for a maximum of 15-28 days.

• Do not put the insulin in the freezer, as it loses its potency at zero degrees centigrade.

• Never ever use insulin that is past its expiry date.

• Some types of insulin look a bit cloudy. It is okay to use such brands. But if you happen to see clear clumps floating in the liquid, discard the product immediately!

• If you are insulin-dependant, be especially careful when you are traveling. Carry all your prescription, medication and equipment with you, keep the labels intact and inform the airport authorities as and when necessary. Never neglect your dosage at any point of time, while traveling.

For more facts on diabetes, visit http://www.fda.gov/diabetes/.

Be very careful with your diabetic supplies at all times and you will be able to lead a worry-free life ahead!

The ADA or the American Diabetic Association is the largest diabetic organization in the world, which aims at improving the nation’s health by doing the following – educating people about diabetes, food and nutrition; propagating healthier lifestyles and living and conducting extensive research on the subject so as to know more about it. Starting off in a small way, the ADA now has almost 70,000 members nationwide!

Founded in 1917 in Cleveland by a group of women, it is now governed by a 98-member House of Delegates. This organization has now also joined hands with fifty other state diabetic associations all over the US. The ADA Foundation has also been set up now so as to provide support to their education and research wings. This branch has given away $2,80,000 by way of scholarships to undergraduate and graduate students!

Why ADA is so special

• Most members are Registered Dieticians and the rest too are competent and qualified in different aspects of dietetics.

• Members are also qualified in public health, medical nutrition, diet counseling, medical research and so on.

• The ADA’s educational programs are all Government recognized! So you can enroll and become qualified in the field if that is your call!

• You can easily find a health advisor near your location, through the ADA’s impressive website.

• Not only the patient but also his family gets full support from the ADA, even financially, if need be.

Volunteer for the ADA

Today, diabetes is the most common disease the world over. Help to curb it – join the family of the ADA to show your support. The American Diabetic Association needs your help now, more than ever! So grab your opportunity today and make way for a better tomorrow for everyone!

Diabetes Mellitus is so common a disease today but we still do not understand it fully. We experience what we think might be everyday occurrences, but these might actually turn out to be symptoms of this disease! Add to this, this disorder is shrouded by a whole lot of myths and fallacies, which complicates this even more. Here are the commonest myths of diabetes and the real facts associated with the disease.

• Eating sugar causes diabetes

This disorder has nothing to do with eating sugar! Actually, this comes to be due to an insulin imbalance in the body. Of course, consuming sugar with already existing high blood sugar levels is bad, but sugar by itself does not cause you any harm.

• The first symptom is feeling sick

That is not true at all. In fact, diabetes sometimes remains so silent that it goes completely unnoticed in the person for years on end!

• Family history is the key

Of course, family history plays a certain role in diabetes, but this is not necessarily so. Moreover, you may still develop it in spite of not having a family history of the same.

• I can follow the same medication all through

This is one of the most major mistakes diabetics make. Your blood sugar levels will always fluctuate and your medication will have to change accordingly. Take regular tests and consult your physician often if you suffer from this disease.

• Exercising with diabetes is too tiring!

Exercise is a must for diabetics. It not only raises energy levels, but immunity levels as well.

• The entire concept of a diabetes diet puts me off

Diabetes diet does not at all have to be boring, as far as you do not want to let it be that way! Include a lot of flavorful veggies and fat-free, lean meat and you will soon start to enjoy your diet! The key is to cut down on sugar and fat. Otherwise you can have a full diet.

I hope you now understand Diabetes Mellitus better now. You can refer to Diabetes Symptoms Guide and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diabetes for more information on diabetes.

Are you suspecting you might be suffering from diabetes? Diabetes Mellitus involves certain very clear symptoms such as fatigue, irritability and so on. But in order to diagnose it for sure, your doctor will suggest some tests for you. What are these diabetes tests and how do they work?

Tests performed to ascertain diabetes measure the blood glucose levels present in the body. For this, you can take either blood or urine tests. Additionally, they also find out the level of ketones present in our body. In case our body does not have enough insulin, the fat we consume is broken down to substances referred to as ketones. If there is extra amount of ketones present in the body, diabetes may be diagnosed.

Urine tests

Semi-quantitative and Quantitative urine tests help give a clear indication of the sugar present in our blood. The former test requires only a small amount or urine to be tested. The results also show up very fast. The pathologist uses strips coated with a certain chemical, which shows up the level of sugar present in the urine. If the tip of the strip turns dark blue, it indicates a high amount of sugar content.

If this is the case, the latter test is performed. This is done about a day after the first test, on the same sample of urine. This eliminates chances of inaccuracy and also measures the level of ketones.

Blood tests

Blood tests are very accurate, and so, are the most popular method of testing for blood sugar. The doctor may choose to follow any of the finger prick method, the random sugar test or the fasting glucose test. The first method involves pricking the finger and collecting the blood on a chemical-coated strip and inserting it into a gluco-check machine to analyze it. In the random sugar test, blood is drawn from the veins and measured for sugar content. A fasting glucose test is performed on empty stomach or two hours after meals.

Make sure to take your diabetes test annually to rule out much trouble later in life.

Diabetes Mellitus has now truly gained demonic proportions today. Taking this into consideration, there are now several diabetic organizations the world over, trying to offer palliative and other measures to combat the disease. One of the leading organizations deserving mention is Diabetes UK. This is the largest one of its kind in the whole of the United Kingdom and deals with the treatment and research of the subject. Further, this organization also supplies funds further research in this field.

About this organization

World-renowned novelist, H.G. Wells and Dr. R.D. Lawrence, both diabetics, set up The Diabetic Association in the year 1934. They wanted to create and supply affordable diabetes medications for the common man. This later became the British Diabetic Association in the 1950s and centered around educating people about the disease and how to manage it.

It then comprised some 400 local voluntary groups and was later renamed Diabetic UK in the year 2000.

The organization now focuses on several issues. It conducts campaigns for governmental support with its mission. Plus, it tries to increase public awareness about the disease and conducts programs for professionals as well, so as to help them deal with their patients’ treatment in a better fashion.

How Diabetes UK functions

• Diabetes UK’s undying efforts are aimed at educating people about the disease, with a view to preventing diabetes altogether. Additionally, it tries to give the sufferer a better life, by providing him better and better medication.
• This vast establishment has over 1,70,000 registered members and this number also includes family, relatives and friends of the patient.
• Using its influence, it ropes in the maximum possible help from the Government to fund several projects as well.
• In 2008 alone, it charted out a budget of £7.38 million!
• It creates a detailed five-year plan in order to deal with the subject as effectively as possible.

Offer your support to Diabetes UK and make the world a better place for all of us!

Diabetes, though very common, can be dangerous if not diagnosed in time. So how is this disorder detected and diagnosed? Irrespective of whether you are suffering from Type 1, Type 2 or gestational diabetes, the symptoms shown are much the same. Only, Type 1 mostly affects the younger generation (though not necessarily), whereas Type 2 is more age-related.

In gestational diabetes, pregnant women get diabetic, but this condition disappears soon after childbirth. But this may not be the end of the story. A woman might get diabetic with each of her other pregnancies and also is at risk of developing Type 2 diabetes much later in life.

A person is diagnosed with pre-diabetes when his blood sugar levels are high, but not high enough for him to be declared as a diabetic. This could be considered a ‘wake-up call’ – he stands at risk of developing the full-blown disease if he does not change his lifestyle for the better.

Diabetes is diagnosed by performing a fasting plasma blood sugar test, a post-lunch test two hours after meals and a random test as well.

• Pre-diabetes is diagnosed when the fasting sugar level (on empty stomach or eight hours after meals) is in the range of 100-125mg/dL. Anything higher indicates diabetes.
• A sugar level of 140-199mg/dL at post-lunch is pre-diabetic, whereas a higher count reveals diabetes.
• Random blood sugar tests are only performed to determine diabetes and not pre-diabetes. It can be taken at any time of the day. It indicates diabetes if the blood sugar level is higher than 200mg/dL.
• Gestational diabetes, on the other hand, is diagnosed if the fasting sugar level is 95 or higher, is 180 or higher 1 hour after meals, 155 or higher after 2 hours and 140 or higher 3 hours after meals.

The above tests are sometimes also repeated another day, so as to confirm the initial diagnosis of diabetes.

You must be already aware of the fact that there are two main types of diabetes, namely, Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes. Though the symptoms of both are much the same, the treatment for these will differ, as they arise out of different causes. In Type 1 diabetes, the body cannot produce enough insulin, whereas, in Type 2 diabetes, the body fails to absorb the insulin already present in it. Either way, your condition has to be treated with medication, either oral or by way of injections. In this post, we discuss the various medicines for diabetes.

Type 1 diabetes medicines

Usually, Type 1 diabetics need insulin injections. These are usually administered under the skin by way of a hypodermic needle, either attached to a syringe or even an insulin pump, which is getting quite popular these days. Normally , you will be given fast-acting insulin during the day and the slow-acting variety in the night.

The short-acting insulin is called Lispro and the most popular long-acting one is NPH insulin. Your doctor will play around with the dosage until he arrives at the right balance for you.

Insulin can end up lowering your blood sugar levels suddenly, without a warning. So always carry sweets with you, so that you can pop one in your mouth the moment you feel danger lurking close!

Type 2 diabetes medicines

This type of diabetes is normally controlled with oral medication. Of course, you will also need to follow a diet and exercise schedule if you want your general health to keep steady! There are various types of medicines such as Biguanides and Glitazones available to you. If your insulin production is too low, you might be advised Sulfonylureas. These medicines come with several brand names and your doctor will suggest the exact medicines and the dosage of the same for you.

Always consult your physician and follow his advice on the right diabetes medicines for you. Keep your weight under check, eat a healthy diet and keep monitoring your sugar levels regularly. That way you will lead a good life in spite of your diabetes!

It is important to know the key causes of diabetes if you want to understand the disorder better. Look through this post and come to know the main causes of this disease.

Type 1 Diabetes

In this case, the pancreas cannot produce insulin, as the result of an ‘autoimmune’ disorder. This type of disorder is referred to as ‘insulin dependant’ and ‘juvenile diabetes’ and occurs in people of the younger generation.

Research seems to indicate that this occurs due to some genetic factors, mutation of certain genes, leading a bad lifestyle and eating habits and even the environment to a certain extent. Some experts are of the view that this condition could arise as a result of a bacterial attack or some such infection, but this has not been proved as yet.

Type 2 Diabetes

This is the non insulin-dependant form of diabetes and generally occurs around middle age, as a result of deficient insulin absorption in the body. Sometimes, the receptor cells stop reacting to the insulin produced, thereby inducing the body to produce yet more of the hormone, finally resulting in a burnout of the same. This type is called ‘insulin resistant’ diabetes.

This is also the more common form of diabetes, the causes of which might be overweight, a family history, sedentary lifestyle, earlier incidence of gestational diabetes and the presence of too much stress and strain in life.

Rarely, this condition can also be caused due to certain medications, steroids, a dysfunction in the pancreas and some syndromes that start manifesting as hyperglycemia, then becoming full-blown diabetes.

Irrespective of what the causes of diabetes are and how they show up, it is important to understand just how dangerous this disease can be and take palliative steps accordingly.

Charles Best, one of the people who discovered insulin, founded the Diabetic Association of Ontario in the 1940s. Each province initially had its own diabetes association, after which they decided on a unified merger, which resulted in the formation of the Canadian Diabetes Association in 1953.

Now this is the single largest charitable diabetes organization in Canada, which boasts of more than 150 related communities, nation-wide. This organization now aims to promote the Canadian citizens’ health by education, advocacy, service and research on diabetes and related issues.

Achievements

This organization aims at dealing with Type 1 diabetes and both the prevention and treatment of and Type 2 diabetes. This problem is on the rise the world over, especially in Canada. Keeping this in mind, it endeavors to make medications more affordable, educate the masses about diabetes and do extensive research on the subject, in order to improve the existing technology in this field.

Funded by a large number of donors, it tries to put it to the maximum use. Now this organization has been putting in joint efforts with the International Diabetes Foundation as well.

The Canadian Diabetes Association reserves a whopping $6 million for its projects, which number at more than 120 as of now! Its comprehensive website is easy to navigate, giving you access to much information on the subject. Additionally, it also takes the help of the media in propagating knowledge about this disease.

Partners

This organization partners with various leading movements such as University of British Columbia, Heart & Stroke Foundation of Canada and so on. Its noble aim includes offering treatment for those who cannot afford the same.

Diabetes is an evil, which we must all tackle together.

Diabetes Mellitus, though so much spread over the world today, is a condition that is yet little known and can cause a great deal of trouble if left untreated earlier on. So how does one go about diagnosing diabetes?

This disorder’s most common symptoms include fatigue, weakness, irritability, itching, stomach cramps, heightened thirst, frequent urination, weight loss and so on. The minute you feel any of the above symptoms, you should go to your doctor and get yourself tested. The physician carries out various tests and then finds out whether or not you are in the danger zone for diabetes.

Types of tests

The doctor may order blood and/or urine tests to diagnose your condition. Here are more details:

• Urine tests

While quantitative urine tests show up the rate of glucose present in the blood, semi-quantitative tests detect the level of ketones present in the urine. While the former tests the urine with a chemically coated strip, the latter gives the actual measure of ketones in the urine.

• Blood tests

Here, the doctor pricks the side of your finger, collects a drop of blood on a strip and inserts the same into a digital gluco-check monitor in order to analyze it. Various types of blood tests can be performed to ascertain the level of blood sugar. Do visit your doctor to know more.

Diabetes is no more an insurmountable disease. It can be treated and controlled well enough, if it is caught and treated in time.