How Diabetes affects my Life

There are three types of diabetes, as far as I am aware. Type 1 (Insulin dependant diabetes melitus) or IDDM, Type 2 (Non Insulins Dependant Diabetes Melitus) or NIDDM and Type 3 of whch I don't know the official name but I call it diet controlled diabetes.

The basics of diabetes is to do with the body's ability to produce a (hormone??) called insulin. Now insulin is a very important ingredient in turning food into energy. When you eat something any carbohydrates (sugar or starch) are absorbed into the blood stream and obviously increases the level of sugar in your blood. The pancreas then releases some insulin to turn that sugar into energy. It is very important for your body to maintain a fairly even level of sugar in the blood. Its vitally important because sugar is brain food. Not enough sugar and the brain will gradually stop respondins, cutting off senses, common symtoms of low blood sugar are blurred vision, slurred speach, hands or even whole body shaking. Have you ever felt a little bit faint and craved something sweet like choclate or lucozade, thats normally a message form your brain telling you it needs a sugar boost! blood sugar levels rising too high can also be a problem for the brain as the brain then gets overfuelled and it really doesnt like it. Common signs are headaches, dehydration (Feeling thirsty) sometimes even sickness. Not a nice feeling at all.

With a type 1 (IDDM) diabetic the body is unable to produce any or virtually no insulin so the insulin has to be injected to control the blood sugar levels. Type one normally develops at a fairly young age (I was three!) It is quite common to get it as a teenager or even in the early twenties. It is normally hereditary but seems to skip a generation, hence I've got it, my grandad and great aunt have both developed it but my parents are currently showing no signs of diabetes.

With a type 2 (NIDDM) diabetic the body produces some insulin but enough to maintain the blood sugar levels correctly. Type 2 diabetics have to take tablets that stimulate the pancreas to create more insulin to maintian the levels of sugar in the blood. Type 2 normally develops later in life and is often called "Onset diabetes" My grandad developed this when he was about sixty, but it can develop a lot earlier. In the modern day docotrs and health experts advise a healthy diet with moderate or small amounts of sugary foods such as choclate, cake and swwets etc If you overload your body with sugar its obviusly gonna put a strain on insulin production. Over eating and high sugar diets are believed to be a major cause of diabetes in later life, excessive alcohol drinking can also lead to type 2 diabetes.
For more information on type 2 diabetes visit The accu check plus website. This contains some interesting medical facts and more detailed explainations.

Type 3 diabetes, also known as diet controlled is an early sign that diabetes may become present. Its basically that the body cant produce quite enough insulin to control the blood sugar levels. As far as I am aware no medication is needed, a sufferer just has to be very careful with what they eat so as not to raise the blood sugar levels up too much.

For information from the NHS regarding diabetes visit NHS CHOICES regarding diabetes

Over the years I have had people who don't really understand diabetes coming up to me and offering advice or trying to help! I find this quite annoying...prime examples are...
"oooh you are eating chocolate, I didn't think diabetics were allowed chocolate!"
My answer to this is I am only diabetic, I eat what I want, just like a non diabetic eats what they want, the only difference is that a diabetic has to be smart about it and make sure they keep the blood sugar levels correct by conteracting the sugar intake by a shot of insulin.

Another annoying phrase that I have come across thousands of times is when my blood sugar is low and I just need some one to hand my some fruit juice or some lucozade and I get hounded by a load of well meaning onlookers asking me "Have you taken your insulin today?" Grr this question is soooo annoying, I only ever go hypo if I have taken TOO MUCH insulin so that question is just soooooo stupid!

People who think they know me and my diabetes love telling me to "Test your blood sugar" Nine times out of ten I have recently checked it and already know what my blood sugar is and I am dealing with it already. It is so frustrating for me. I don't object to people telling me that I look pale or asking me if I'm feeling OK, thats fine, but demanding I check my blood sugar really gets my back up!

The best company I know in the Uk regarding diabetes is Diabetes UK, it does so many things, offering support, conducting research and keeping people up to date. They are a charity based organisiation of which i am a member.

Diabetes Uk Website.

This is there official website where you can join or just browse for more info. Through my membership I receive a magazine every couple of months, giving me updates on diabetes research and lots of other useful info and receipes etc. It can also put you in contact with other diabetics.

Info in other courtries
American Diabetes Association
Provides extensive news and information about diabetes including symptoms, nutrition, weight loss, prevention, research, and community resources in the USA

Canadian Diabetes Association
Provides resources for people with, and affected by, diabetes and for healthcare professionals treating those affected by the disease in Canada

Diabetes Australia
Diabetes australia is commited to turning diabetes arouind through awareness, detection prevention, management and a cure. Includes information on exercise, insulin dosages, and nutrition for diabetics.

As an insulin dependant diabetic there are two things to worry about. First is that your blood sugar lowers when you get your dose of insulin wrong in comparrsion tot he amount fo food you eat. When blood sugar drops too low it is know as a hypo or its full name is hypoglycemia. The second is that you may have long periods of you blood sugar going too high, which can lead to a number of complications, I will talk about these later.

When my blood sugar goes low I can get a number of symptoms but sometimes I don't always notice it myself. If I am wide awake I normally recogognise the symtpoms but if I am tired (as triedness is often a symptom) it is more difficult to tell.

The following are a list of symptoms that I can get when I go hypo, I don't ever get all of them at once!
1. I become silly, giggling and not making a lot of sense
2. My tongue tingles
3. My whole mouth goes numb
4. My hands shake
5. My eyes glaze over
6. I can get very thirsty
7. My eyes go blurry so I can not see properly
8. My legs give way and I am unable to walk
9. I get a head ache
10. Sometimes I feel sick, but not that often.
11. I have an overwhelming desire to eat sweet things.
12. I get really tired and curl up in a ball and just want to sleep, it will be very difficult to get a response from me, and I may tell people to "F off"
13. I am very likely to denigh that I am going hypo when asked.

I am not an expert on this topic as I am lucky enough to not suffer any side effects as of yet. When I was younger (Teenage years) my bllod sugar was persistently higher than it should be and at the tiem I wasn't bothered becasue it's easier than going hypo and you just get a bit thirsty. As I grew up a bit I became more aware of the effects my blood sugar levels could have on my future. Basically when your blood sugar levels become too high you body starts producing ketones (Prob spelt wrong, sorry!) Basically this is a kind of slow acting poison, at least that is my understanding of it. A build up of ketones can lead to complications with heart and kidney functions. Common side effects are also a loss of circulation, particularly to hands and feet. Many diabetics with bad control end up having to have hands / feet / limbs amputated due to the lack of circulation in these areas. Your sight can also be affected, and can seriously lead to blindness!

Now you can understand why I took this information seriously and started to make sure I controlled my blood sugar better!

More info on diabetic complications

Heart disease: "People suffering from type 1 and type 2 diabetes are more likely to be at risk from heart attacks, strokes and high blood pressure. Vascular problems, such as poor circulation to the legs and feet, are also more likely to affect diabetes patients. Like diabetes itself, the symptoms of cardiovascular disease may go undetected for years."
This quote is taken from the diabetes.co.uk website. For further info look them up

Eye Disease: "Diabetic retinopathy is the most common form of diabetic eye disease, but further complications such as cataracts and glaucoma also affect diabetics. Diabetic eye disease is a term that encompasses a range of eye problems which may affect diabetics. At their most extreme, each of these conditions can cause loss of vision and even blindness. It is worth remembering that all people suffering from diabetes should have a dilated eye examination at least once every year. "
This quote is also taken from the diabetes.co.uk website and More info on eye disease can be found there.

Kidney disease: "Kidney disease amongst diabetics is commonly called diabetic nephropathy. Nephropathy is a general term for the deterioration of proper functioning in the kidneys. At an advanced level, this is called end-stage renal disease or ESRD. ESRD often stems from diabetes, with diabetes causing just under half of all cases. Diabetic nephropathy can be caused by both type 1 and type 2 diabetes."
More info here

Diabetic Neuropathy:"Diabetic neuropathy is nerve disorder caused by either type 1 or type 2 diabetes. Over time, diabetics who do not strictly control their condition, may develop damage to the nerves around the body. Incidences are more common in patients with poor control, overweight, have higher levels of blood fat and blood pressure, and are over the age of 40. The longer a person has diabetes, the greater the risk becomes of developing neuropathies. Neuropathies are manifested as a numbness or pain in the hands, feet, arms or legs. However, they may also affect the organs, including the heart and sex organs. The scale of the complication is immense, with an estimated half of all diabetics suffering from some form of neuropathy. The most common type of neuropathy is peripheral (distal symmetric neuropathy)."
More info here

Gum Disease: "When a body is suffering from diabetes, the structure of the blood vessels is altered. This may affect the efficiency the blood flow, and in turn may weaken the bone and the gums, leaving them more prone to infections. Furthermore, if diabetes is not strictly managed, there may be higher than usual levels of glucose in the mouth fluids. This will encourage the growth of gum disease-causing bacteria."
More info here

These are the basics but more info is available on the links below each quote. The links go to the webpage that the quote was drawn from.

For more info on diabetes in general, which also covers complications of diabetes is www.diabetesuffolk.com