A prescription for Diabetics and their body

Understanding Diabetes

Diabetes is caused due to the blood sugar imbalance in the body. The blood sugar imbalance can be higher or lower depending on the level of insulin hormone production in the body.

Glucose and Hormone Insulin

Glucose

The digestion process in our body converts food into nutrients essential for the body. These nutrients provide our bodies with energy. The nutrient that is produced the most is glucose, which is a kind of sugar.

Hormone Insulin

The function of insulin is to pass the glucose to the body cells. Glucose as a nutrient ensures the proper functioning of the body and it is mostly responsible to give us energy.

Production of Hormone Insulin

The inability to produce insulin up to the required level deters the body cells from getting sufficient insulin and in some cases no insulin. The glucose remains in the blood when it is not passed to the body cells. There are two types of diabetes depending on the insulin production capacity of the body.

Types of Diabetes

1. Type1

Body’s pancreas lack the capacity to produce any insulin at all

2. Type 2

Body’s pancreas does not produce the required level of insulin or the body cells stop accepting insulin.

Diabetes and Blood Sugar Levels

Blood sugar levels both low and high cause Diabetes. The blood sugar levels fluctuate in diabetes patients due to their varying lifestyles. Diabetics are required to monitor their day to day life style habits like eating, drinking, sleeping and exercise under strict supervision of the doctors.

Lifestyle and Diabetes

Every individual has different lifestyles; some may eat two meals a day (one heavy and other light) whereas some may prefer eating three meals a day (one heavy and other two light). Some may be heavy drinkers and smokers; others may drink and smoke occasionally. These lifestyle habits are reason enough to make diabetics more or less vulnerable to worsening health conditions.

Diabetes Symptoms

Diabetes symptoms for high and low blood sugar may overlap. (The list mentioned below is not exhaustive, it only gives a scenario):

Symptoms for high and low blood sugar levels can be given as follows:

Sr.No.	Symptoms for High Blood Sugar	Symptoms for Low Blood Sugar
1	Gloomy and easily fatigued conditions	Dehydration
2	Excessive perspiration	Weak sight
3	Sudden unconsciousness and mood swings	Physical weakness
4	Physical weakness	Frequent Urination

Doctors Role

Doctors play a significant role in altering the lifestyle habits of Diabetics which considerably help them control blood sugar levels. There is no specific lifestyle for diabetics that can be recommended by doctors. Doctor recommendations vary depending on the blood sugar levels of the diabetic, although some general recommendations can be given.

General Diet Recommendations

1. Carbohydrates

Fresh fruits and vegetables are rich source of carbohydrates; they should be consumed with less of oil and butter. Other food items like bread, dairy foods, and non fat mayonnaise can also be taken in moderation.

2. Protein

Poultry items and sea food is recommended for non-vegetarians and eggetarians. Generally, red meat and high fat dairy items such as cheese and yogurts should be avoided. Although low fat dairy items can be consumed in low quantities.

3. Fats

Dairy and meat products contain fats. It is a good practice to check the label to see the amount of nutrients contained in the food items. Food items with added sugar or excessive quantities of fat should be avoided.

Diabetes and Feet

Diabetes can damage tissues, blood vessels and veins. Tissue and vein damage happens due to cessation of blood flow due to low or no production of insulin in the body. As we have seen earlier that insulin is the only hormone that facilitates the flow of blood to the blood vessels and veins. This means your body limbs and face can get disfigured and swollen to a considerable extent if proper care is not taken. The early symptoms of feet damage are numbness and swelling of tissues. It is very essential to get your feet checked regularly from a doctor and take proper precautions if you get wounded in the feet. The problem area is numbness which prevents early diagnosis of feet swellings. The soreness and blisters on the feet may increase if ignored. In extreme conditions this may lead to bigger hardships like amputation or complete elimination of your leg.

Diabetics Preventive Feet Care for Diabetics

Sr.No.	Recommendations	Precautions
1	Keep your feet clean	Use Luke warm water and mild disinfectant
2	Keep your feet dry especially between the toes	Use a soft towel. Use non medicated powder before wearing shoes, socks or stockings.
3	Apply skin creams more so on heels	Consult the physician for cracked skin
4	Check your feet every day	Consult physician if abnormalities like unexplainable numbness and blister is noticed.
5	Don’t treat thickness, hardness, joint swellings, and disfigurement of feet on your own	Don’t use any medication like creams without doctors prescription
6	Cut and file toenails to avoid excessive nail growth	File edges of the toenails carefully

 

Diabetics Footwear care for swollen feet

Sr.No.	Recommendations	Precautions
1	Always wear foot wear that covers your feet	Don’t avoid wearing socks Avoid high heel shoes
2	Go for comfortable shoes	Go for custom made shoes depending on availability Buy shoes during end of the day to get an idea if they suit your swollen feet
3	Get accustomed to new shoes	Wear shoes for not more than one hour everyday
4	Wear clean shoes and socks everyday	Keep 2 pairs of shoes and socks handy
5	Check your shoes and socks before wearing them for small stones or gravels	Gravels may cause blisters