Diabetes in children

It's hard to think that children may suffer at a young age.Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus ( others call it juvenile diabetes) results when the pancreas of our body loses its ability to produce insulin which our body needs to absorb glucose (sugar) in our blood. Studies shows that the person's  immune system attacks and destroy the beta cells in the pancreas that primarily produces insulin. Although, until now, no one knows why this things happen, scientist thinks it is because of the genes or the person was exposed to viruses etc, to get a type 1 diabetes. Type 1 diabetes can't be prevented and you can't predict it when it will strike. When a person has type 1 diabetes, there is nothing he can do. It is a life time management of insulin injections to control their blood sugar levels.

Nick Jonas, a Walt Disney child star, had type 1 diabetes in 2005.



WE CAN FIGHT DIABETES. Early detection is important. If you see some symptoms like sudden weight loss, extreme thirst, irritability, frequently urinates, tires easily. Please, for the parents, don't hessitate to take your child to a doctor for a check up. remember, prevention is still better than cure.

Try to see your nape

Acanthosis nigricans, it's a sign for Insulin Resistance. some people with this signs has no idea that they are developing INSULIN RESISTANCE. AN results from high insulin levels in the body causing it to activate the insulin receptors in the skin, forcing it to grow abnormally. Usually AN is more seen in over weight or obese people. This can lead to Type 2 diabetes if not properly manage because the pancreas will work overtime and eventually tire out. Exercise and proper diet can help reduce the circulating insulin in the body. If left untreated, there is no turning back if you develop DIABETES.



Have a healthier lifestyle. Let your kids be active in sports! don't let there time be wasted in playing video games. engage them while their young. Prevention is still the best way....

no approve theraputic claim

Recently, The Department of Health issued an administrative order requiring food supplement manufacturers and distributor to translate " No approve therapeutic claims to Filipino Version, " Mahalagang paalala Ang (pangalan ng gamot) ay hindi dapat gamiting panggamot sa anumang uri ng sakit", so that Filipino people may easily understand that the supplements that they are taking are not to be considered as medicines.For me, the " no approve therapeutic claims" is very misleading to people who has difficulties in understand English. Patients with diabetes and other ailments shifts from their day to day maintenance drug to herbal supplements without any advice from his/her physician because it's more cheaper and the advertisement is very encouraging with the help or some actors/actresses who endorse the product. Our role as Diabetes Nurse educator, is to advise and educate people with diabetes about this problem. We explain to them and make them clear that herbal supplements is not a replacement for your maintenance drug. We don't discourage them not take herbal supplements, still they can but with advise of their physician.

Thumbs up for this administrative order and to DOH secretary Esperanza Cabral! Good Job!

6.0% = borderline

I was partly devastated this day. I had an opportunity to test my HbA1c levels for free because we had a chance to be trained on how to use the HbA1c machine, (DCA 2000 from Bayer). When the trainor said that I will have the test for free, I didn't hesitate because HbA1c test cost 800 pesos. After 6 minutes, the result came out, 6.0%.

Hemoglobin A1c is a test that measures the glycated hemoglobin in your blood. Glycated is a substance in red blood cells when blood sugar attaches to hemoglobin. ( source: Medline plus, http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/003640.htm)

The HbA1c test is currently one of the best way to check if diabetes is under control. It is taken every three months because normally our red blood cells lives only 8 to 12 weeks before they are replaced. By measuring your HbA1c levels, it can tell you how HIGH your blood sugar has been in the past three months. The normal levels of HbA1c is less than 6% forInstitute for Studies on Diabetes Foundation, Inc and 7% for  American Diabetes Association (http://www.diabetes.org/).

When I asked Dr. Melanie Duran, a Diabetologist about this matter, she said, I'm on a prediabetes stage. It is a wake up call for me to have an active lifestyle again. Exercise is still the best way to prevent diabetes. walking, jogging, cycling, mountain climbing, basketball, swimming, are the activities I usually do in the last few years. this year, sometimes playing basketball every Saturday, fast foods, late night or inadequate sleep, STRESS,  equals 6% HbA1c levels.

understanding Insulin Resistance

Insulin is a very important hormone in our body  produced by the pancreas to aid in the absorbtion of sugar in our blood. Insulin resistance is a condition in which the cells in our body become resistant to insulin and as a result, more insulin are needed from the pancreas in order for the insulin to take its effect in the absorption of glucose in our body.



This website will help you understand more about insulin resistance

http://www.diabetesmanagement.insulitelabs.com/

Vitamin D for Diabetes

Sunshine vitamin or more popular as Vitamin D. Studies shows that vitamin D is present in the insulin producing Beta cells of the pancreas, hence it was theorized that it has a direct effect on the production of insulin in our body. Diabetes is an auto- immune inflammatory disease which affects millions of people around the world. According to Julie Lichty Balay, MS, RD, a Nutritionist Dietitian on JLB Nutrition, Vitamin D, together with calcium, are both shown to reduce the inflammatory chemicals in our body called cytokines. Vitamin D may also help in activating the insulin receptors of our cells and can help in the regulation of glucose levels in the body.

Taking your daily maintenance drugs and lifestyle modification are still the best way to manage your diabetes.

refference:

http://www.diabetesselfmanagement.com/articles/nutrition-and-meal-planning/vitamin-d/2/

http://endo.endojournals.org/cgi/content/full/146/10/4189

Do you have Diabetes?!

Diabetes, A dreaded lifestyle disease. For others it's a life threatening problem, for some it's a life changing aspect of their lives, but for me, I tell my patients to be proud because you have diabetes. Some of my patients laugh about that idea, but in the end, they say yes I'm a diabetic and I'm proud of it! Everything has a purpose, am I right? God has a purpose for every moments in our lives. If ever I encounter my patients,  I always impart to them not to think about diabetes as a problem but a God given challenge in order for them to attain self realization that diabetes is a very simple and  manageable disease.

Be proud to be a diabetic because your life is being shifted from unhealthy life style to healthy life style.  You're an advocate of healthy living for your family especially your children or grand children for them not to have diabetes in the future. You will instill to their minds to live healthy and teach them to become active in sports and not waisting their time playing computer games, that's how we can break the cycle of diabetes in your family.

Empowering people with diabetes to modify their life style, that's a powerful tool in the management of diabetes. I counseled a patient a while ago and she started crying. She was so depressed because she was a newly diagnosed with diabetes type 2. I told her, welcome to the club and she laughed.  She was thinking on where she can have the money for her medicines and check ups. That's the sad thing about diabetes, i'ts an expensive disease! but here is my tip for you to lower your expenses for your drugs, exercise 30 minutes a day and have a healthy balance plate. That's why for people with diabetes money is a big problem. But let me tell you this, every problem weather it's small or a big problem, that problem has a solution. God gave you a problem that has a solution and He is using people to help you solve your problem. This people are your friends, relatives, parents, etc., and they tell you to stop smoking, exercise, stop eating high caloric foods, stop drinking alcohol, etc. God made a move on your life  and what did you do? God is the solution and God is there for you.

Now if you have diabetes, GET MOTIVATED and BE EMPOWERED by it.



Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it.
Proverbs 22:6

“Do you like Honey? Don’t eat too much because it will make you sick!”

Proverbs 25: 16