What is Juvenile Diabetes ?

Juvenile diabetes, also known as type 1 diabetes or insulin-dependent diabetes, can develop at any time of life but is most frequently diagnosed in children and teens. Type 2 diabetes, also referred as insulin-resistant diabetes, is generally not seen until later in life. There is no cure for juvenile diabetes, but there have been many advancement made over the years in the effective management of the disease. To understand why and how this type of diabetes must be managed, it is important to know why the disease occurs in the first place.

No one knows why some people have juvenile diabetes. It may have something to do with heredity, or a viral infection, but a definitive cause has not yet been found. However, doctors do know what happens in the case of juvenile diabetes, and this has led to many positive advances in the effective management of the disease. Diagnosis and treatment of this illness can be started early on to ensure no complications arise. With proper care, most people who suffer with this diabetes can go on to live long, healthy lives despite their illness.

Why Juvenile Diabetes Happens:

To understand what happens in the case of juvenile diabetes, it is important to understand the role of glucose in the body. Sugar that enters the body through the food we eat travels through the bloodstream. Insulin, which is produced by cells in the pancreas, help that sugar to leave the bloodstream and be absorbed by cells in the body that converts the sugar to energy. In the case of juvenile diabetes, the body’s own immune system will attack these cells in the pancreas, leaving them unable to produce the necessary insulin. This results in sugar building in the bloodstream instead of getting to the body cells that need it.

This is why juvenile diabetes is also referred to as insulin-dependent diabetes. As the body cannot produce the necessary insulin on its own, it has to be introduced into the body by other means. For most people with juvenile diabetes, it means either daily insulin injections or an insulin pump that can provide the required substance. It also means regular testing of the blood to confirm that the sugar levels are within the normal range. Nutritious diet choices and daily exercise are also a part of the management plan for diabetes. By affixing to this program, most people with juvenile diabetes can live healthy, normal lives.

[tags]juvenile diabetes, diabetes, diabetic[/tags]

Gestational Diabetes Diet

Gestational Diabetes Diet Good For Mother And Child:

It is not unusual during pregnancy, to develop diabetes , result to the massive hormone changes going on in the body. Developing diabetes when pregnant and having no previous history of diabetes is termed gestational diabetes. Diet become increasing important if the mother-to-be plans to give birth to a healthy baby and not following an appropriate gestational diabetes diet can lead to problems at birth and after.

Additionally, a women with gestational diabetes generally lose the symptoms after birth and are removed from diabetes treatment, but it may remain as a risk factor for the future and will need to be monitored on a regular basis. With a gestational diabetes diet, one of the primary considerations is the intake of simple carbohydrates. The body metabolizes carbohydrates into glucose, which in the fuel the body needs to function. Insulin is produced by the body to help the glucose get into the body’s cells where it provides energy.

With a gestational diabetes diet, the amount of simple carbohydrates and sugar are limited to prevent the build up of sugar in the bloodstream where it can cause a host of health problems for the mother as well as the infant. In most cases a pregnant woman with gestational diabetes will give birth to a healthy infant, provided they follow a gestational diabetes diet as well as get plenty of exercise and watch their weight.

Surprises In Diets:

For many people, milk is a staple in their diet, believing they need it to help the infant during pregnancy. The reality is that lactose found in milk is processed into glucose quickly in the body and many gestational diabetes diet plans limit the amount of milk. We do not have to totally eliminate all carbohydrates, as the body still needs glucose to operate, but it is important to eat the right carbohydrates that do not turn into sugar too quickly.

High fiber foods and complex carbohydrates, such as peas and many legumes along with whole grain breads are good for a gestational diabetes diet, as they take longer to break down into glucose providing a steady supply of fuel instead of a quick burst that cannot be processed with a shortening supply of insulin.

Many doctors suggest a gestational diabetes diet with a specified amount of carbohydrate servings according to the needs of the individual patient. Many of the foods such as juice and many fruits that are generally believed to be good during pregnancy, may be greatly reduced or eliminated on a gestational diabetes diet.

[tags]diabetic diet, gestational diabetes, diabetic, diabetes[/tags]

Gestational Diabetes

Cause Of Gestational Diabetes:

Gestational diabetes is when a pregnant woman experiences a rise in her blood sugar levels during pregnancy. The pregnant women who experience gestational diabetes are those who have had no diabetes before it. Doctors believe that this form of diabetes is triggered by the imbalanced hormones in a pregnant woman’s body caused by pregnancy.

In some cases,however women who are prone to diabetes might develop diabetes during pregnancy because of this susceptibility. There are several factors to this and one is genetic, the diet and other environmental factors. The risk during delivery while undergoing this condition is a bit high since there are complications from diabetes which can be compounded by pregnancy.

Gestational diabetes in medical terminology is a condition where the individual has glucose intolerance during pregnancy. This disease or condition usually resolves itself after the woman has given birth and her hormones go back to normal.

Symptoms Of Gestational Diabetes:

Gestational diabetes is a pregnant women only type of diabetes. Since it occurs in pregnant women only, chances are the symptoms can be contributed to the pregnancy instead of the diabetes. This is the reason why most doctors order a test for the pregnant mother when she is around her fourth or fifth month of pregnancy. There are three ways to test a pregnant woman if she has gestational diabetes. It is sometime done with a blood test, an oral glucose tolerance test or a screening glucose challenge test.

There are some symptoms of gestational diabetes which can be attributed to it. These symptoms are being thirsty a lot, fatigue or tiredness, nausea, increased urination, blurred vision and recurrent yeast infections. These symptoms are sometime mistaken as symptoms of pregnancy which is why it is important to have tests done before it is too late.

Treating Gestational Diabetes:

Unlike the other types of diabetes, this one is basically caused by the pregnancy so it can usually be treated by the end of the pregnancy. Since the woman’s hormones usually go back to normal a few weeks after she gives birth, you can hope that the diabetes goes away with it, too.

Mostly gestational diabetes can be treated or controlled with strict diet and exercise. The condition usually clears up within a few months of the mother giving birth to the child. In some cases, doctors may recommend the pregnant woman to have insulin injections to help maintain and balance her gestational diabetes.

[tags]gestational diabetes, diabetic, diabetes[/tags]

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