Glycemic Index Updates

According to the American Diabetes Association, about four percent of pregnant women develop gestational diabetes.  Gestational diabetes is a condition in which a woman who has never had diabetes develops high blood glucose levels while pregnant, usually within the later term of the pregnancy.  It is estimated that there are about 135,000 cases of gestational diabetes every year in the United States.

In most cases, women who develop gestational diabetes will not develop Type II diabetes.  This is a condition affected by the pregnancy and the inability of the mother to use the insulin naturally developed in her body.  It is caused by hormones triggered by the pregnancy and causes the mother to become insulin resistant.  Gradually, the mother develops high blood glucose levels,  referred to as hyperglycemia. 

Normally, a woman with gestational diabetes will be treated for the condition while pregnant.  While there are no birth defects associated with this sort of illness as there are with women who have had diabetes prior to being pregnant, there is generally not a large cause for alarm for the child.  However, if the condition is left untreated, it can hurt the baby.  Because the mother is not getting rid of her excessive blood glucose, the child is getting more than his or her share of energy and fat.  This often results in macrosomia.  Macrosomia is simply the clinical name for a fat baby.

While some people think a fat baby is the sign of a healthy baby, a child born too fat may have a problem fitting through the birth canal.  This can cause shoulder damage and may require a cesarean section birth,.  In addition, babies who are born obese can develop breathing problems and, if they remain obese, may themselves develop Type II diabetes.

Fortunately, there is treatment for gestational diabetes.  Insulin injections are usually given to the mother to keep the blood glucose levels intact.  A woman who is planning on becoming pregnant, however, can avoid the complication of developing gestational diabetes prior to becoming pregnant.  Some of the ways a woman can do this is to lose weight if she is already overweight prior to becoming pregnant, develop a healthy exercise routine and follow certain food guidelines.  The Glycemic Index is an ideal tool for a woman who is thinking about becoming pregnant to use to determine which foods to avoid.  The Glycemic Index was developed for diabetics to categorize carbohydrates for those with diabetes. 

When you become pregnant, follow the advice from your doctor regarding diet and exercise as well as any carbohydrate diets.  Prior to becoming pregnant, discuss any concerns you have regarding weight or diabetes with your physician as he or she can probably give you some advice on how to avoid this pregnancy complication. 

Even if you are diagnosed with gestational diabetes, chances are that you will not develop Type II diabetes, neither will your baby and both of you will be just fine.  Gestational diabetes is not a reason to panic.  There is plenty of care available for women with this condition.  Just be sure to follow any instructions given to you by your doctor.

Whenever we think about people with diabetes, we often think of them as having problems with their feet.  This is one of the most common complications of diabetes and diabetes, more than anyone, need to make certain that they address any problems with their feet early on as such problems can result in a life threatening condition.

Foot complications of diabetes are caused by neuropathy.  Because the high glucose levels in the blood of a diabetic person affects the central nervous system after a period of time, it also affects nerves in various parts of your body.  Most often effected are the nerves in the feet.  The furthest from the brain, it is here where people with diabetes who have nerve damage, often do not feel cold or pain or even heat.  People with diabetes that is uncontrolled often can injure their feet without feeling it.  The injury may result in a blister or wound that will be slow to heal.  The blister or wound becomes infected and the foot complications of diabetes begin.

In addition to not having the proper nerve sensations in their feet, people with diabetes often develop very dry feet because the nerves that secrete oil into the feet no longer work.  Their feet may peel and crack, which only makes it even more probable for them to get sores and wounds in their feet.

Because high blood glucose levels make it difficult to stave off infection, a diabetic with a sore on their foot must be treated differently than a person without diabetes.  The sore may be very slow to heal, if it heals at all.  Infection often sets in.  This can lead to gangrene and, in some cases, amputation. 

Foot complications of diabetes work like this.  A person who has diabetes and who has not been keeping their blood glucose level under control gets an injury on their toe.  It begins to bleed and crack.  Then bandage it, hoping it will heal.  It does not heal and soon the wound becomes infected.  They go to the doctor who begins to treat the wound with antibiotics.  Sometimes this works, sometimes it does not.

When the wound does not heal and the infection begins to spread, gangrene can set in.  Gangrene can kill a person, and the doctor knows this.  So the person with diabetes has a choice, they can either lose their toe or their life.  In most cases, they choose to lose the toe.

In some cases, however, the gangrene has already spread to the foot.  Plus, the amputation risks more infection.  In many cases, not only does the person lose their toe, but their entire foot.  And this can continue until they lose their leg.

This information is not meant to frighten anyone with diabetes.  It is only to make a person realize how vital it is for anyone with this condition to be aware of the feet complications of diabetes.  No one has to lose a toe or a foot or a leg.  They simply need to manage their disease so that they can retain a healthy blood glucose level that will enable them to fight off any infection that may arise from a bump on the foot and stave off neuropathy.  By maintaining a healthy glucose level and avoiding glycemia, a person with diabetes can lead a full life.  The trick is to follow the rules dictated by the condition.

Avoid foods that are high in starch and sugars.  The Glycemic Index is an excellent tool that can inform a diabetic about which foods should be avoided.  Maintain your weight and exercise regularly.  This will also boost your immune system.  Be sure to visit your doctor regularly and monitor your blood glucose level.  Keep a record of the levels to present to your doctor so he or she can adjust your insulin or medication if needed.  By complying with your physician, you an avoid many of the complications that accompany diabetes.

Diabetes does not have to be a killer.  Glycemia is life threatening but can be controlled.  If you or a loved one has this condition, see the doctor regularly and follow the plans to manage the disease.

Diabetics do not process sugars and starches though their systems like other individuals.  These substances stay within their system and enter the blood stream.  The high amounts of sugars in their blood, also called glucose, is called glycemia.  Glycemia is a condition when someone has an elevated amount of blood glucose.  This is often determined by a blood test.  People with diabetes have monitors and are supposed to test their blood glucose levels periodically throughout the day to monitor for glycemia. 

Glycemia can cause many complications in the body of a person with diabetes.  Some of the complications include those with the heart, circulation, blood vessels, kidneys and even eyesight.  Because of the high blood glucose levels, a person with diabetes risks having problems with their eyesight.  Eye complications of diabetes include those affecting the retina, the vitreous, the lens and the optic nerve. 

Eye complications of diabetes take a long time to develop.  The first is usually damage to the retina.  Tiny blood vessels make up the retina and too much blood glucose cause these vessels to swell.  They gradually begin to weaken and the person begins to experience vision problems.  For this reason, a person with diabetes should have an eye exam once a year.  During the exam, the eyes should be dilated to see if the condition has become worse. 

The name for eye complications of diabetes is called diabetic retinopathy.  A person with diabetes should rely on a qualified ophthalmologist who is familiar with this condition. 

Some of the signs of retina damage from diabetes include blurry vision, flashing lights, dark spots in front of the eyes, pain in the eyes, or pressure and trouble with peripheral vision.  If you have been diagnosed with diabetes and are experiencing any of these problems, see your ophthalmologist for a complete eye exam.  There are surgeries available that can enable diabetics to be able to regain the sight in their eyes and certain treatments can prevent further damage.

One way a person with diabetes can avoid eye complications of diabetes is to become familiar with the Glycemic Index that rates different foods that should not be included in a diabetic diet.  Exercise is also helpful in diabetic control as is the elimination of alcohol and smoking.  Maintaining a desirable weight is crucial to managing your diabetes.

Other eye complications of diabetes include cataracts and glaucoma.  While cataracts are relatively easy to cure, glaucoma is a precursor to blindness and needs to be treated.  This is why it is so important that someone with diabetes manages their disease with the help of a qualified ophthalmologist. 

Many eye complications of diabetes can be avoided if a person with the condition maintains a healthy lifestyle and is compliant in their diabetic treatment.  Maintain your weight.  Exercise.  Eat a proper diet that eliminates carbohydrates and sugars and become familiar with the Glycemic Index.  Avoid alcohol and do not smoke.  Take prescribed medications as directed by your physician and see your physician at intervals suggested by him or her.  Monitor your blood glucose level as often as prescribed.  By being compliant in the care of your disease, you can avoid eye complications of diabetes as well as other more life threatening complications of this disease. 

Vigilance regarding your diet can not only help you control your diabetes, but can also eliminate the need for insulin.  Many people with Type II diabetes are often prescribed tablets or pills in an attempt to control their condition prior to having to use insulin.  By following a proper diabetic diet, someone diagnosed with Type II diabetes, which has reached epidemic proportions throughout the United States, can either prolong the need for insulin or continue to treat their condition with more convenient medications.

People with diabetes have a difficult time breaking down carbohydrates in their system.  Carbohydrates are a large group of foods that are necessary for a balanced diet.  While many people assume diabetics must avoid sugar, this is just one example of carbohydrates.  In addition to foods rich in white sugar, carbohydrates include white bread, pasta, rice, potatoes, some vegetables and fruits as well as anything rich with white flour.  Carbohydrates are a complex group of foods and different groups cause different effects to the blood stream.  While diabetics have a difficult time breaking down any carbohydrates in their blood stream, those with the highest Glycemic Index rating take the longest to break down in the blood stream and cause the most harm. 

By following a diet with limited amounts of carbohydrates, being aware of the Glycemic Index and learning which carbohydrates are the most harmful to a diabetic diet, someone with this potentially life threatening condition can keep this disease at bay.  If you have recently been diagnosed with Type II diabetes and have been given medication by your doctor as well as diet suggestions, follow the doctor’s instructions.  Diabetics tend to be in denial more than any other group of patients and remain the most non compliant.  By following a good diabetic diet and taking your prescribed medication, you can live a full and normal life span.

A diabetic diet should include limits on carbohydrates and increases in protein.  Sugars should be eliminated as well as white flour.  Pasta and rice are also rich in carbohydrates.  One way someone can follow a good diabetic diet is to follow some of the low carb diets that were popular some years back.  Many of these diets either eliminated or limited carbohydrates.  There are also many different diabetic cookbooks for those with this condition that can help a person live a happier, healthier life.

It is unfortunate that so many people are continuing to be diagnosed with diabetes.  The good news is that there is plenty of information out on the market with regard to cookbooks and even on the internet regarding how a diabetic diet can help someone with this disease.  Diabetes takes a toll on the human body after a certain period of time.  By following a good diabetic diet, one can reduce the toll of the disease and live a longer and more fruitful life.

Those with diabetes should become aware of the gylcemic index, follow a diabetic diet, see their doctor regularly, monitor their blood sugar and take their medications as prescribed in order to avoid complications that can arise from this disease.

As if people with diabetes do not have enough to worry about, they also have to contend with sexual problems.  Diabetes and sexual problems affect both men and women but in different ways.  Because your body responds to sexual stimuli through your nerves and high blood glucose levels affect your nervous system, it is understandable that even sexual response is affected by this potentially life threatening condition.

In men, diabetes and sexual problems often focus on erectile dysfunction.  It is estimated by the American Diabetes Institute that as many as 85 percent of men with diabetes experience erectile dysfunction.  This can cause problems in marriage but, more importantly, can cause severe depression in those who are contending not only with the disease of diabetes, but also what they deem the loss of their self esteem.

Erectile dysfunction can also be a symptom of diabetes.  If a man continues to experience this malady, he should discuss this problem with his physician to make sure that he is not suffering from undiagnosed diabetes.  Fortunately, there are certain medications and other treatments available to men who experience this common side effect to diabetes.  The key to eliminating the problem is for the patient to discuss this with his physician.

Diabetes and sexual problems does not stop at erectile dysfunction, however.  Retrograde ejaculation is a more potentially dangerous situation that can happen to men with diabetes.  In this condition, the semen can go into the bladder instead of being dispelled out of the penis during ejaculation.  A man who is experiencing this side effect of diabetes should seek consultation with a urologist who can help with medication or surgery to correct the problem.

Men are not the only ones affected with sexual problems as a side effect to diabetes.  Diabetes and sexual problems also affect women.  Because of damage to the nerve cells within the vagina by high levels of blood glucose, dryness can occur that can make intercourse very painful.  Many women also report that the nerve damage caused by the hyperglycemia also causes them to lose interest in sex and have no sensations in their genital area.  Needless to say, the lack of sexual desire can cause psychological problems for both men and women and may lead to marital difficulties as well.

Many people are embarrassed about speaking to their physician when it comes to problems relating to sexual relations.  People with diabetes should be aware of the fact that their condition makes them prone to these side effects and should discuss them with their doctor so they can get treatment.  There is a variety of treatment for those experiencing diabetes and sexual problems. 

One way to prevent such problems from occurring is to maintain your blood glucose levels by eating a healthy diet, exercising and taking your prescribed medication or insulin.  Monitor your blood sugars as instructed by your physician.  If you experience any side effects related to your condition, discuss them with your physician.  By keeping informed of the disease and the side effects as well as complications, you can empower yourself in managing your illness and lead a happier as well as longer life.