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Laymen's Guide To Diabetes

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• Ketoacidosis
• Vascular Disease
• Microvascular Disease
• Kidney disease/ degeneration
• Neuropathy
• Foot Problems
• Retinopathy

Diabetes is a disease or disorder in which the bodies ability to make and or use a hormone called insulin is severely limited. There are a few types of diabetes, the two most common are called type 1 or type 2. There is also a form of diabetes called gestational diabetes that is becoming more prevalent in recent years.

At this time there are no cures for diabetes but through proper treatment a normal life can be achieved and lived.

Basically in a nut shell, in all forms of Diabetes Mellitus (The official name) because the patients body has either stopped making insulin, doesn't make enough insulin or doesn't utilize the insulin correctly, the patients ability to process blood sugar (Glucose) become severely impaired. Because of this the patients body can not get the energy it needs to function and glucose builds up in the blood stream, this leads to numerous complications, some of which are deadly.

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The following is a list of symptoms related to the disease of diabetes if you any or all of these symptoms you should consult your doctor. The list is a list of symptoms that could indicate type 1, type 2 or gestational diabetes.

• Increased thirst
• Increased urination
• weight loss despite Increased appetite
• nausea
• vomiting
• abdominal pain
• fatigue
• absence of menstruation
• sweet-smelling breath
• trembling
• weakness
• drowsiness
• headache
• confusion
• dizziness
• double vision
• lack of coordination
• convulsions
• unconsciousness
• Increased appetite
• fatigue
• blurred vision
• frequent and/or slow-healing infections
• weight loss despite Increased appetite
• erectile dysfunction in men

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• Family history of diabetes
• Obesity
• Age greater than 45 years
• Certain ethnic groups (African-Americans, Hispanic-Americans)
• Diabetes during pregnancy or baby weighing more than 9 pounds
• High blood pressure
• High blood levels of triglycerides (a type of fat molecule)
• High blood cholesterol level

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Treatment of Diabetes is accomplished through:

• Regular visits to your doctor
• Education
• Insulin use
• Meal planning
• Weight control
• Exercise
• Foot care
• Self-testing of blood glucose levels.

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• Ketoacidosis
• Vascular Disease
• Microvascular Disease
• Kidney disease/degeneration
• Neuropathy
• Foot Problems
• Retinopathy

Click here for more information on complications

• Search Yahoo for Diabetes
• Search Lycos for Diabetes
• Search AOL for Diabetes
• Search Google for Diabetes
• Search Ask Jeeves for Diabetes

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