A complication that all people with diabetes need to be aware of and on the lookout for is diabetic neuropathy. This is a disorder of the peripheral nerves, which are the nerves in the outermost portions of the body (feet, hands, etc.). Recognizing the symptoms of diabetic neuropathy are of major importance because to miss them can have life altering or even threatening affects.

Diabetic neuropathy is caused by the walls of the blood vessels that supply the nerves becoming thicker. The end result of this is less nutrients are unable to get to the nerves as well as a demyelinization (destruction of the myelin sheath that protects nerves) of the Schwann cells that surround and insulate the nerves. This slows the ability of the nerves to conduct impulses back to the brain. Sorbitol also forms and accumulates in the Schwann cells causing further nerve conduction impairment.

There are two forms of neuropathies that can form with diabetes; polynueropathies and mononeuropathies. Polynueropathies are the most common in those with diabetes and is a bilateral sensory disorder. The symptoms for this form of diabetic neuropathy are most common in the toes and feet and normally appear there first. The finger and hands can also be affected but this usually occurs during the later stages of the disease. Where the symptoms appear will depend on what nerves fibers are affected.

The symptoms can differ among individuals and is dependent on the amount of damage done to the nerves. It is a disorder that will get progressively worse if the diabetes is not properly managed. The first signs will normally be a subjective change in sensation in the extremities that can include numbness and tingling.

Other symptoms can include an aching pain, a burning or shooting sensation, or feeling like you have cold feet. As the neuropathy progresses the symptoms can include impaired sensations of pain, touch, temperature, vibration, and two-point discrimination. The only way to treat polyneuropathy is through management of the diabetes itself.

Mononeuropathies are isolated events that affect single nerves. The symptoms of this form of neuropathy are entirely dependent on which nerve is affected. They can affect the oculomotor nerve which can lead to headache, eye pains and an inability to move the eye in any direction.

Another symptom of mononeuropathies is Radiculopathy which is characterized by pain that seems to radiate from the spine to extend outward to cause symptoms away from the source of the spinal nerve root irritation. It is thought to be caused by an inadequate blood supply to the spinal nerve roots.

All diabetics, whether type 1 or type 2, need to be aware of the symptoms of diabetic neuropathy. The sooner it is brought to the attention of the diabetics health care providers the sooner it can be managed through proper lifestyle choices that are centered on diet, exercise, and proper medical management.

It is very important for anyone who suffers from Diabetes should test their levels of blood glucose on a regular basis. By knowing what there blood glucose levels are the person is then in a much better positioning of being able to manage the disease when they find that there levels are not close to their normal range. So just what ways are available for a person to test their blood glucose levels? In this article we will take a look at what a person can use.

The most common way a person is able to test their blood glucose levels today is through using a home monitoring kit.

With this method a person will prick their finger with a small sharp needle (lancet) in order to provide a blood sample. They then put the sample on to a test strip which they then place into the monitor. The monitor will then analyze the sample on the strip and provide a reading of what the person's blood glucose (sugar) level is. A number of the new devices on the market can provide a result within 15 seconds or less and are then able to store the information until it is required for future use. Some machines like the Ascensia Breeze by Bayer are able to store 100 test results at any given time.

As well as storing the results these machines are also able to calculate what a person's average blood glucose levels have been for a particular period of time. Whilst there are even some monitors which come with software that allows you to download all this information on to your PC and helps them to track their diabetes much more effectively.

Today some of the more recent monitoring systems available allow you take blood samples from other sites on the body rather than just the finger tips. Normally you will be able to take samples from either the upper arm, forearm, the thigh or the base of the thumb. But by using this sites you may find the results you get are completely different from those that you receive from your finger tips as blood glucose changes more quickly in this part of the body than anywhere else.

The other monitoring system on the market that was introduced in 1998 uses a laser (beam of light) to draw blood. It is this beam of light which will penetrate the skin and so you avoid the discomfort associated with using the lancet. Therefore by using this kind of monitor you are reducing the amount of pain and discomfort that you would normally feel.

Did you know that smoking reduces the amount of oxygen that reaches your tissues. This decrease in oxygen increases your risk of a stroke, something that a person with diabetes is already more likely to suffer with.

Smoking also increases your cholesterol levels raising your risk of having a heart attack. If you have diabetes, you are already at risk for heart disease, so why raise the odds even more by smoking?

Because foot health is so important to diabetics, the fact that smoking damages and constricts blood vessels is a good reason to quit. Constricted blood vessels can make foot ulcers and sores worse, leading to infections.

Studies show that when diabetics smoke, they increase their risk for nerve damage. Nerves aren’t the only thing to suffer. Smokers tend to be more at risk for kidney disease, something a person with diabetes does not want to face.

People that smoke are more susceptible to colds and respiratory infections and diseases. Fighting constant colds while trying to control diabetes is not fun.

Smoking actually raises blood sugar levels. Since a person with diabetes goes to great lengths to control their blood sugar levels, it makes little sense to undermine all of your hard work by smoking a cigarette. Even taking medication can’t undo all of the damage that smoking does to your blood sugar levels.

Smoking also has been known to limit joint mobility. When you have diabetes, you are already at an increased risk of losing the mobility of your joints, especially those in your hands. Smoking just raises that risk to even higher numbers.

If you have diabetes, you are twice as likely to develop high blood pressure as a person that does not have diabetes. Left untreated, high blood pressure can lead to deadly heart disease and stroke. In fact, a person with diabetes and high blood pressure is four times as likely to develop heart disease as someone who does not have either of the conditions. Smoking is known to increase blood pressure, something a diabetic should avoid.

Studies show that having diabetes can increase your risk for certain kinds of cancer. Smoking is known to increase your risk of cancer of the mouth, throat, lung, and even the bladder.

Men with diabetes are at a much higher risk of impotence, especially if the diabetes is not well controlled. Smoking can also cause impotence. When you mix diabetes and smoking the chances of developing impotence increases.

Smoking is unhealthy, even when you don’t have diabetes, but when you are a diabetic, smoking can increase your risk of developing life threatening conditions.

People with type2 diabetes are generally advised to eat the right kinds of food and exercise regularly. Diabetics should take this bit of advice with great care and make it an important part of their life. In this article I will tell you how to choose the daily diet for type 2 diabetes and how food and exercise can greatly impact your blood sugar level and how you can control the harmful effects of type2 diabetes.

A hormone known as insulin keeps our blood sugar levels in check. When however, a combination of problems occur with insulin resistance and insulin secretion, then type2 diabetes begins to show its symptoms. What is insulin resistance?

People with type2 diabetes generally tend to be insulin resistant. Which means that these people do not produce enough insulin needed to keep their blood sugar levels in check. In fact, large amounts of insulin are needed to keep the blood sugar levels of these people from rising. The result is a lot of pressure on the beta cells to produce those extra amounts of insulin. If the beta cells are not equipped enough to produce the large amounts of insulin, the glucose level in blood continues to rise and diabetes occurs. As a rule of thumb, obese people tend to be more insulin resistant than lean and thin people who exercise regularly.

The solution is insulin sensitivity-that is, making your muscles sensitive to insulin. If you exercise regularly and eat a healthy diet, you will make your body sensitive to insulin. Which means that less amounts of insulin will be needed to keep your blood sugar levels in check. Which further means that there will be little or no pressure on the beta cells to produce extra amounts of insulin. Here is what you can do to make your body more sensitive to insulin:

1. Increase the level of daily physical activity and workouts that you participate in 2. Lose weight 3. Reduce the number of calories you consume each day. This way your body will receive low amounts of carbohydrates and thus your blood sugar levels won't rise too much. In fact I would so far as to say that a diet which is low in carbohydrates is the best daily diet for type 2 diabetes patients.

In short, living a healthy lifestyle is the key to preventing the harmful effects of type2 diabetes. Do you know why consuming high amounts of carbohydrates is harmful for diabetic patients?

Carbohydrates, as a rule, produce glucose in the body. This glucose is then absorbed from the intestine into your bloodstream. The task of insulin is to take away the excess amounts of glucose present in the blood and use it either for energy or save it for later use. Non-diabetic people will produce just the right amount of insulin needed to control the level of blood sugar in their bodies. However, diabetic people do not produce enough insulin needed to cope with the increase of blood sugar levels after a meal and it is then that type2 diabetes occurs.

Till 30 years ago, Type2 diabetes was a disease typical to older adults aged 40 or above. However, thanks to our current diet and lifestyle patterns, even young adults and teenagers have caught on the disease. And the reason for this is not hard to guess. The kind of diet we follow today is actually very good in promoting type2 diabetes. Obviously we are not following the best diet for preventing diabetes. In this article I will tell you how a simple change in lifestyle will help you to prevent diabetes from ever happening.

The good thing is that you can change your diet and lifestyle if you want to. No diet or lifestyle is written in stone that cannot be changed. You can change the trend by following a healthy diet and exercising regularly. And I have some proof as well to support my claims.

Just recently a research was conducted on patients whose blood sugar levels were exceptionally high. The patients were split into two groups. Group A was instructed to exercise for thirty minutes a day and eat foods that are rich in fat and protein and low in carbohydrates. Group B was given the usual diabetes medications and not allowed to do any kind of exercise or change their diet patterns. The results speak for themselves. Six years later it was found that the patients in Group A had a significant drop in blood sugar level while the patients in Group B had a significant increase in blood glucose level. So, what do you conclude from this case study?

A healthy diet is required for any type of diabetes, be it type 1 or type 2. It goes without doubt that food has a great impact on the level of sugar produced in a person's blood. However, different views exist as to what is the best approach for diet for type 1 diabetes. In this article I will give a few tips as to what type of food you should eat if you are suffering from type 1 diabetes. Hopefully, after reading this article, you will be able to choose the right types of food for yourself.

In general, best approach for diet for type 1 diabetes is a low-carb and high-fat diet plan. The less the carbohydrates you consume the less the amount of sugar you will have in your blood. However, since you are consuming a low amount of carbohydrates, your body must be compensated for the loss by consuming food that is rich in fat and protein.

One another thing that I would like to tell you is that insulin and food need to work together in order to lower your blood sugar level. The best approach for diet for type 1 diabetes is one which strikes a healthy balance between insulin and food. It is insulin which takes away the extra glucose from the blood and stores it elsewhere for future use or uses it for energy. If insulin and food become out of balance then it will be impossible for your body to control the glucose level present in your blood. People who do not suffer from diabetes will, however, produce the right amount of insulin in order to cope with the glucose level that increases after a meal.

The best approach for diet for type 1 diabetes is by substituting monounsaturated and polyunsaturated food with saturated fats. Your diet must consist of starchy food such as rice, bread, potatoes, pasta, etc. Your diet should also consist of a lot of fruits and vegetables. This will give your body the much-needed protein.

I cannot stress enough the importance of healthy diet in the life of a diabetic. However, the most important thing to consider is the amount of food you consume and the timing of your meals. If you consume high amounts of a particular food and/or eat at wrong times then it won't help even if you are having a healthy diet. If you need more information regarding the best approach for diet for type 1 diabetes, simply click on the link in my resource box below.

A frequently asked question that I find in forums is that "Is Atkins diet for type 2 diabetes good for me?" Once I saw the question in a public forum, and then posted a long answer. In this article I will tell what the answer was that I gave in the forum. Hopefully, after reading this article, you will be able to do away with the many misconceptions spreading about Atkins diet for type 2 diabetes, and thus, will be able to decide for yourself what is best for you.

But how do you know if you are having diabetes?

Generally, the following symptoms are often displayed by diabetic patients:

Diabetic patients generally:

1. Feel thirsty all the time

2. Urinate frequently

3. Feel hungry all the time-even between meals

4. Feel shaky and irritable

5. Feel sleepy in the daytime

6. Feel tired and exhausted all the time

7. Have difficulty concentrating on a particular object

8. Wake up from sleep with a headache

While there may be many other symptoms, the above symptoms are the most common ones found in patients with high blood sugar levels. Now let me tell you what the Atkins diet recommends for diabetic patients.

There are generally three different levels of meal plans for Atkins diet for type 2 diabetes. Each plan generally starts at 20 grams per day and then goes on to increase to up to 40-60 grams per day. However, the authors of the Atkins diet book generally encourage people to customize the meal plans to suit them.

So according to the Atkins diet for type 2 diabetes plan, diabetic patients should never put any limitations on the intake of protein or fat. Also, they should never consume low-fat dairy products, because they are generally rich in carbohydrates, and as you know, excessive intake of carbohydrates is never good for a diabetic patient.

Also if you sometimes feel a little hungry and want to have cheese, you should not consume more than four ounces of cheese per day.

Above I have described what the Atkins diet for type2 diabetes is all about. But do you know about the disadvantages of the Atkins diet plan? In the second part of this article, I discuss whether the Atkins diet for type 2 diabetes is good for diabetic patients, and how far it is helpful in controlling diabetes. To access the second part of this article, simply click on the link in my resource box below.

High blood sugar, also known as hyperglycemia, is a dangerous disease. It occurs when the level of sugar in your blood tends to increase above normal. In this article I will discuss the causes behind high blood sugar and how to prevent it.

If you are suffering from high blood sugar there can be several causes behind it: either you have skipped meals or your daily exercises, or you suffer from too much stress (either at workplace or at home), or worse, you have skipped your diabetes medications (insulin or pills).

If you want to avoid sudden emergencies with high blood sugar levels, you should detect symptoms of high blood sugar at an early stage. In contrast to low blood sugar, high blood sugar generally develops over a period of time. There are several ways to know if you are having high blood sugar. For example, do you often feel tired and thirsty? Do you often feel dehydrated or have an abnormal level of urination? All these are symptoms of high blood sugar. If high blood sugar is left untreated then your body will continue to become dehydrated and your kidneys will continue to produce more and more urine, all of which can ultimately result in coma or even death. Over time, high blood sugar can damage the vital organs of your body such as eyes, kidneys, blood vessels nerves and heart. So it is really good if you can detect symptoms of high blood sugar in its initial stages because then it is easier to treat. And there are several ways for you to detect high blood sugar.

If you have noticed any of the symptoms I have discussed above (increased thirst, fatigue, increased level of urination), then it is a good idea to start testing your blood sugar levels regularly. Even if you don't have high blood sugar, you will be able to see the level of sugar in your blood. If it is rising above normal then you can take steps to control it. If your blood sugar levels are always above the normal level then you should visit a doctor and take the proper medications. Also, in order to prevent dehydration, you should drink water instead of caffeinated drinks like coffee or sugared drinks like coke.

I hope this article will help you detect high blood sugar levels long before the damage is done. Remember, prevention is better than cure. In the second part of this article, I discuss how to prevent high blood sugar emergencies. To access the second part of this article, simply click on the link in my resource box below.